MLG DSNDS BELOW ASSIGNED ALT WHILE FLYING STAR.

Narrative

WAS CLRED FOR THE SADDE 4 ARR (WHICH I HAD REVIEWED). AT SADDE INTXN I WAS UNDER THE IMPRESSION FOR SOME REASON THAT WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS BAYST AT 10000 FT. (THE FACT THAT I WAS USED TO DOING IT FOR 20 YRS PREVIOUS ON THE OLD PROFILE DSCNT DIDN'T HELP.) FORTUNATELY; BECAUSE OF THE CONFUSION GOING ON AT THE TIME (LOTS OF RADIO TFC); MY DSCNT WAS GRADUAL AND AT 11700 FT THE CTLR FIRST CLRED US TO 11000 FT AND THEN ADVISED US THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN CLRED TO 10000 FT PREVIOUSLY AS I HAD THOUGHT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT; AND NOTHING MORE WAS SAID. HOWEVER; IT AGAIN POINTS OUT TO ME THAT WHEN WE ARE REAL BUSY; ONE HAS TO BE EXTRA; EXTRA CAREFUL SO AS TO TOTALLY ELIMINATE ANY CONFUSION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 230117: THE 2 ARRS HAVE ALMOST IDENTICAL XING ALTS; SPD RESTRICTIONS; AND FIXES FROM FILLMORE TO SANTA MONICA. HOWEVER; THE PROFILE ARR RESTRICTIONS ARE MANDATORY. THE SADDE ARR HAS THE SAME RESTRICTIONS; BUT THEY ARE RESTRICTIONS WE SHOULD EXPECT TO BE ASSIGNED; AND ARE NOT MANDATORY; UNLESS ASSIGNED BY ATC! AS A RESULT; THE CONFUSION AND ALTDEV OCCURRED DURING A BUSY AND CRITICAL PHASE OF FLT.