SMA PLT HAS ENG RUN ROUGH. DECLARES EMER. DIVERT LAND.

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SUDDEN ROUGHNESS OF ENG; WHICH I EVENTUALLY DIAGNOSED (BY ENG SCANNER) AS FAILURE OF #4 CYLINDER. I REQUESTED DIRECT MARTIN STATE ARPT; WHICH I BELIEVED TO BE THE CLOSEST FACILITY WITH GOOD MAINT AVAILABILITY. AT THE SAME TIME; DECLARED AN EMER; PROMPTING CTLR TO PERSISTENTLY BADGER ME WITH REQUEST FOR FUEL REMAINING AND NUMBER OF SOULS ON BOARD. FUEL WAS HARDLY AN ISSUE. SURELY I MUST HAVE HAD ENOUGH TO GET WHERE I WAS GOING (DCA). THE ONLY QUESTION WAS WHETHER THE ENG WOULD HOLD OUT THE 20 OR SO NAUTICAL MILES TO MARTIN STATE. I REALLY OBJECT TO THIS MINDLESS ADHERENCE TO AN IDIOTIC PROTOCOL; AND REFUSED TO ANSWER THE QUESTION. FINALLY TOLD HIM; 'I HAVE THE ARPT IN SIGHT; DON'T WORRY ABOUT IT.' HE TURNED ME OVER TO MARTIN TWR; WHO DIDN'T BOTHER TO MOVE TFC OUT OF MY WAY WHEN I ENTERED THE PATTERN AT 8000 FT FOR DSCNT TO THE FIELD. HAD TO REMIND TWR OF MY EMER STATUS AND REQUEST THAT HE MOVE THE TFC; IN THE EVENT THAT THE ENG MIGHT QUIT. AS IT TURNED OUT; THE LNDG WAS UNEVENTFUL. FROM MY POINT OF VIEW; THE MORAL IS: DON'T BOTHER THE PLT WITH IRRELEVANT QUESTIONS; PARTICULARLY WHEN HE'S GOT OTHER THINGS ON HIS MIND. AND WHEN HE DECLARES AN EMER; TREAT HIM AS ONE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATES THERE HAS BEEN NO FOLLOW-UP FROM FAA. HE IS QUITE AGITATED REGARDING THE 'IRRELEVANCE' OF CTLR QUESTIONS. ANALYST TRIED TO INDICATE THE PROCS FOR CTLRS ARE SPELLED OUT; BUT THAT IS HIS COMPLAINT. 'WHY DO THEY NEED TO BOTHER THE PLT?' HE IS UPSET EVEN AFTER DISCUSSION SO ANALYST GAVE HIM THE HOTLINE TO LODGE HIS COMPLAINT.