SMT PLT RECEIVES AND FOLLOWS TWR INSTRUCTIONS THEN IS CHASTISED BY TWR FOR NOT UNDERSTANDING CLRNC AND GIVEN A GAR BY AN ANGRY CTLR. ATC HANDLING PROB.

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THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO ENTER L DOWNWIND FOR RWY 8 AND FOLLOW A SINGLE ENG CESSNA. HE EXPLAINED THAT THE CESSNA WAS GOING TO BE DOING A TOUCH-AND-GO. THE CTLR INSTRUCTED ME TO START MY BASE AND SQUARE UP MY TURNS; BEFORE THE CESSNA HAD TURNED ON HIS FINAL. THERE SEEMED TO BE AMPLE SEPARATION SINCE THE CESSNA WAS NOT GOING TO SPEND A SIGNIFICANT AMOUNT OF TIME ON THE RWY. THE NEXT XMISSION FROM THE CTLR OCCURRED ON SHORT FINAL AND HE WAS IRATE! HE SAID 'WHAT PART OF 'FOLLOW THAT CESSNA' DON'T YOU UNDERSTAND? GAR.' I THINK THAT I FOLLOWED HIS INSTRUCTIONS. NEITHER I NOR ANOTHER PLT AND STUDENT PLT ON BOARD UNDERSTOOD WHY THE CTLR SEEMED TO CHANGE HIS MIND. NONE OF US WERE AWARE OF ANY OTHER PLANES IN THE PATTERN. CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: I CAN ONLY SPECULATE THAT THE CTLR ON DUTY SUDDENLY DECIDED THAT HE HAD SEQUENCED THE 2 ACFT TOO CLOSELY AND CANCELED MY LNDG CLRNC. THERE WAS NO INDICATION OTHER THAN THE CTLR'S ANGER THAT ANYTHING WAS WRONG. HOW IT WAS DISCOVERED: UNEXPECTED INSTRUCTION FROM TWR TO 'GAR' WHEN ON SHORT FINAL. I WAS THEN SENT ON A LONG R DOWNWIND TO RWY 8 WITH THE INSTRUCTION; 'I WILL CALL YOUR BASE.' I ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT THE TWR FOR CLARIFICATION THE NEXT DAY. THE CTLR WHO ANSWERED THE PHONE REFUSED TO IDENT THE CTLR ON DUTY AT THE TIME OF THE EVENT AND REFUSED TO IDENT HIMSELF AS WELL. THIS MADE IT IMPOSSIBLE TO REVIEW THE EVENT FROM THE CTLR'S PERSPECTIVE.