B757 CAPT FEELS THAT EXCESSIVE CHANGES TO STAR ARRIVALS AND RWYS WHEN ARRIVING FROM THE E AT LAX; ADVERSELY IMPACT SAFETY. THIS IS ESPECIALLY TRUE ON FMC EQUIPPED ACFT.

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I CHECKED OUT ON THE B757 APPROX 1 YEAR AGO. PRIOR TO THAT I HAD NOT FLOWN INTO LAX IN SOME TIME AS OUR MD-80 ACFT DID NOT FLY THAT ROUTE. I AM VERY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH THE CURRENT METHOD STAR AND RWY ASSIGNMENTS. AS IS EVERY OTHER AIRLINE PLT TO WHOM I HAVE BROUGHT UP THE SUBJECT. THERE IS NO OTHER PLACE I KNOW OF WHERE A PLT DOES NOT KNOW HIS STAR ASSIGNMENT IN ADVANCE OF CONTACT WITH APCH CTL. MY PERSONAL WORST CASE WAS SEVERAL MONTHS AGO WHEN I CONTACTED COAST APCH AND EVEN THEN WAS NOT TOLD OF MY STAR ASSIGNMENT. (I WAS 20 NM FROM CIVET; APPROX 2 MINUTES FROM THE INITIAL FIX!) THIS IS DIFFICULT FOR ALL ACFT OFTEN CAUSING A FRENZIED HUNT FOR THE CORRECT STAR (DIFFERENT FROM THE ONE EXPECTED.) THEN IN A MATTER OF SECONDS ONE IS SUPPOSED TO BE ABLE TO CHECK ALL THE ALT RESTRICTIONS; ENSURING THEY ARE CORRECT; AND FLY THE ACFT TO MEET ALL THEIR HARD ALT RESTRICTIONS. MORE ADVANCE TIME IS NECESSARY; THIS RUSH CAN TOO EASILY LEAD TO MISTAKES. THEN ONE IS LIKELY TO GET THE RWY CHANGED AT LEAST ONCE; AGAIN CAUSING LOTS OF PAPER SHUFFLING AND HEAD DOWN WORK IN GLASS COCKPITS. WE ALL KNOW THAT THE OBJECTIVE IS OPTIMIZING TFC FLOW; BUT THE SITUATION HAS GOTTEN OUT OF HAND. PLTS HAVE BEEN PUTTING UP WITH IT; BUT EVEN A FRIEND AT AN ACR BASED IN LAX THINKS IT IS BAD PRACTICE (HE'S A B767 AND B757 CAPT). WE NEED EARLIER NOTICE AND NOT SO MANY LAST MINUTE CHANGES.