AN ACR DC9-51 HAD TROUBLE GETTING DOWN AND SLOWING DOWN INTO HNL. APPARENTLY THE ARTCC RADAR CTLR WAS HAVING A VERY BAD DAY.

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CLRED TO HNL JULLE 4 ARR FL240. CTR TOLD US TO MAINTAIN 310 KTS. CLRNC GIVEN TO CROSS JULLE AT OR BELOW 14000 FT; MAINTAIN 10000 FT. (JULLE IS 29 DME HNL.) WE STARTED DOWN ON PROFILE. PRECEDING ACFT TOLD BY CTR; 'I WANTED YOU TO MAINTAIN YOUR HDG; NOT JOIN LNY 278 DEG RADIAL.' AT THIS POINT; WE ARE TOLD TO 'MAINTAIN 17000.' WE LEVELED AT 17000 FT. AT HNL 39 DME; I'M SEARCHING FOR TFC AND WATCHING FO'S DME TO DETERMINE IF WE CAN STILL MAKE JULLE BELOW 14000 FT AS CTR NORMALLY REQUESTS. TO MAINTAIN SOME TYPE OF REASONABLE DSCNT PROFILE; THE FO STARTS SLOWING TOWARDS 270 KTS AND I DON'T CATCH IT AS WE NEAR 35 DME. CTR CALLS US AND STATES; 'I GAVE YOU 310 KTS' FOLLOWED BY; 'EVERYBODY OUT THERE JUST DO WHAT I TELL YOU!' I REPLY; 'YES SIR; WE'RE STILL AT 17000 FT.' SILENCE. THEN; 'ACR; DSND TO ONE-ZERO THOUSAND; SPD YOUR DISCRETION. CONTACT APCH ON 118.3.' TO ALLEVIATE THESE PROBS IN THE FUTURE: 1) ATC SHOULD MAKE IT EMPHATICALLY CLR WHEN THEY WANT AN ACFT TO CROSS AN APCH (OR DEP) RADIAL. 2) WHILE MAINTAINING SITUATIONAL AWARENESS; I MUST CATCH SPD DEVS; AND CORRECT THEM. OR ADVISE CTR OF DEV AND REASON -- IF WE CAN GET A WORD IN.