ACFT ENCOUNTERS SEVERE TURB; DSNDS 900 FT BELOW CRUISE AND THEN CLBS 1000 FT ABOUT CRUISE ALT.

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B-737 DEPARTED SEA RWY 34; ELMA 5 SID; SBOUND TO SFO WITH 2 CREW; 1 OTHER CREW MEMBER; 3 FLT ATTENDANTS; AND PAX. WE RPTED LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB ON CLB TO FL190. REQUESTED HIGHER AND CLRED TO FLT PLAN FL290. WE RPTED MODERATE TURB AT FL290 AND REQUESTED HIGHER. RECEIVED FL330; ATC UNABLE HIGHER. (NOTICED TFC 7 NM BEHIND AT FL340 ON TCASII.) IN UNDER 1 MIN; WE ENCOUNTERED SEVERE TURB AT FL330; PLUS OR MINUS 1000 FT; .70 MACH - .79 MACH; PLUS OR MINUS 3 G'S; 60 NM N OF PDX AND AN UNCTLED CLB TO FL340. IT TEN SMOOTHED OUT. WE BEGAN A CAUTIOUS DSCNT BACK TO FL330. ATC INQUIRED WHY WE CLBED AND DID NOT INFORM ATC. WE REPLIED WE'D HAD AN EMER AND AN UNCTLED CLB AND ATC WAS CONTINUOUSLY XMITTING TO OTHER ACFT AT THAT TIME. ATC'S TONE OF VOICE WAS THREATENING AND DID NOT APPEAR TO UNDERSTAND WHAT SEVERE TURB IS IN A B737 WITH PAX ONBOARD. EVEN MODERATE TURB IS BAD. A MORE ACCEPTABLE ATC XMISSION WOULD HAVE BEEN: 'UNDERSTAND YOU HAVE SEVERE TURB. DO YOU WISH TO REMAIN AT FL340' (OTHER ACFT VECTORED AWAY FROM US). NOTE: OUR PREVIOUS INBOUND FLT HAD A LITTLE LIGHT TO MODERATE TURB BELOW FL190 ON DSCNT TO SEA. RADAR WX WAS ON WITH FEW RETURNS. FLT ATTENDANTS INFORMED TO REMAIN SEATED ON CLBOUT -- NO INJURIES. THIS WAS WORST TURB ANYONE HAD ENCOUNTERED ON BOARD. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH REPORTER REVEALED THE FOLLOWING: DURING CALLBACK RPTR STATED THAT ACFT DSNDED 900 FT AND ASCENDED 1000 FT DURING THIS UPSET INCIDENT. AS MUCH AS 3 G'S WERE FELT DURING THE RECOVERY. TO THE FLC'S CREDIT; THERE WERE NO INJURIES DURING THIS EVENT. HE RPTED THAT MANY PAX WERE CRYING AFTER ALL THIS HAPPENED. HE ASKED FOR SPECIAL ASSISTANCE UPON ARR AT HIS DEST TO HELP WITH THE PAX THAT HAD EMOTIONAL TRAUMA. ACFT UNDERWENT A SAFETY INSPECTION FOR STRESS LIMITS WHEN LANDED AND AT ARR GATE. CAPT TRIED TO DECLARE AN EMER BUT WAS UNABLE TO AS THERE WAS SO MUCH CONVERSATION ON THE ARTCC FREQ HE COULDN'T ANNOUNCE IT. WHEN ARTCC NOTICED HIS FLT 1000 FT HIGH; HE STRONGLY INQUIRED WHAT THE ACFT WAS DOING UP THAT HIGH. CAPT FELT BADLY THAT ARTCC WAS ACCUSING HIM OF DOING ANYTHING WRONG AS HIS ACFT WAS OUT OF CTL; HE WASN'T.