NMAC IN TFC PATTERN PROC. FLT VISIBILITY WAS CONSIDERABLY LESS THAN RPTED GND VISIBILITY; ALMOST A POSITIVE QUALIFICATION FOR IMC IN VFR FLT.

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I WAS LNDG AT MY HOME ARPT (HAWTHORNE; CA) WHERE VISIBILITY WAS QUOTED AS 7 MI (ATIS). INFLT VISIBILITY WAS LESS THAN 2 MI DUE TO HAZE AND LOW STRATUS OFF THE W END OF THE RWY WITH SUN REFLECTING OFF THE CLOUDS. I RPTED OVER COMPTON ARPT (A NORMAL RPTING POINT). THE NORMAL GUIDANCE IS 'MAKE STRAIGHT IN; RPT XING THE HARBOR FREEWAY AT OR ABOVE 1500 FT'. IN THIS CASE I WAS TOLD TO MAKE A L BASE AT 'THE' FREEWAY. THIS DIRECTION WOULD POTENTIALLY PUT ME IN CONFLICT WITH ANY TFC ON A DOWNWIND DEP. FROM MY POS IN A LOW WING ACFT I WOULD BE MAKING A BLIND R TURN ACROSS DOWNWIND DEPARTING TFC. I HAVE BEEN FLYING OUT OF HHR SINCE 1974 AND NEVER RECEIVED THIS DIRECTION BEFORE. AS I FEARED; JUST AS I BEGAN A R TURN TO A L BASE; I HAD TO MAKE AN ABRUPT DSCNT AND HARD TURN TO AVOID A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT ON A DOWNWIND DEP. I LANDED UNEVENTFULLY BUT SUBSEQUENTLY SPOKE TO THE CTLR ON THE TELEPHONE. THE CONVERSATION WAS CORDIAL AND SAFETY ORIENTED; BUT I WAS UNABLE TO CONVINCE HIM OF WHAT I PERCEIVED AS A DANGEROUS SITUATION. THE CONVERSATION ENDED WITH MY OFFER TO FLY HIM OVER THE RTE TO SHOW HIM THE POTENTIAL DANGER; ESPECIALLY WHEN ONE IS FLYING INTO THE SUN IN REDUCED INFLT VISIBILITY; AND FLYING STRAIGHT AT AIRLINE TFC APCHING LAX. IT PROBABLY WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN A PROBLEM HAD THE VISIBILITY ACTUALLY BEEN 7 MI. P.S. A VALUABLE LESSON FOR ME WAS TO AVOID THE 'MINDSET TRAP'. I HAD HEARD THE SAME DIRECTION HUNDREDS OF TIMES; AND WHEN I RECEIVED SOMETHING DIFFERENT IT TOOK SEVERAL SECONDS TO BLANK OUT MY EXPECTATION AND RETHINK THE NEW GUIDANCE -- TIME I SHOULD HAVE BEEN LOOKING FOR TFC.