AN ACR FLC FLYING A DHC8 NEAR RIC RPTS CONFUSION AS TO THEIR CLRED FLT LEVEL.

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AS WE CLBED THROUGH FL198; ZDC (118.75) QUERIED OUR ASSIGNED ALT. WE RESPONDED THAT WE WERE CLRED TO FL210; WHICH WAS SET IN THE ALT ALERTER. THE CTLR CAME BACK; 'NEGATIVE; DSND TO FL190;' WHICH WE PROCEEDED TO DO. BOTH OF US RECALL HEARING FL210 (PROBABLY FROM THE PREVIOUS SECTOR ON 124.05) AND READING IT BACK. THE FO RECALLED ME SETTING THE ALERTER; AND I MAKE IT A HABIT TO CALL IT OUT AS I SET IT AND POINT TO IT UNTIL I RECEIVE A CONFIRMATION FROM THE OTHER PLT. I HAD HIM GO OFF FREQ TO 124.05 TO CHK WITH THE PREVIOUS CTLR; WHO INSISTED HE HAD ASSIGNED US FL190. IN THE ABSENCE OF HEARING THE ACTUAL VOICE TAPES; BOTH OF US ARE CONVINCED (FOR DIFFERENT REASONS) THAT WE WERE ACTUALLY CLRED TO FL210. I HAD ORIGINALLY INTENDED TO CHK THE RELEASE BEFORE DEP TO SEE WHAT OUR FINAL FILED ALT WAS SUPPOSED TO BE; BUT I GOT BUSY AND DIDN'T GET AROUND TO IT. BECAUSE OF THIS; I KNOW I HAD NO 'EXPECTATION MINDSET' THAT WOULD HAVE INDUCED ME TO 'HEAR' SOMETHING DIFFERENT FROM WHAT THE CTLR ACTUALLY CLRED US FROM 13000 FT DIRECTLY TO FL210; BECAUSE THE CLB IS NORMALLY DONE MORE INCREMENTALLY. INCREASED VIGILANCE AND GOOD HABIT PATTERNS ARE CRITICAL TO REDUCING THE FREQ OF THIS KIND OF INCIDENT. NOTHING SHORT OF A HARD COPY XMISSION OF THE DATA WHICH THE CTLR INPUTS INTO HIS/HER COMPUTER WILL EVER COMPLETELY ELIMINATE THE POSSIBILITY OF THIS SORT OF MISUNDERSTANDING; AND I REALIZE THAT SORT OF TECHNOLOGY IS STILL A WAY OFF IN THE FUTURE. IT IS PRECISELY BECAUSE OF THIS THAT THE FAA'S RECENT 'INTERPRETIVE RULING' IS SO INHERENTLY IRRESPONSIBLE AND UNSAFE. I SINCERELY BELIEVE THERE WAS NOTHING ADDITIONAL THAT I OR THE FO COULD OR SHOULD HAVE DONE TO PRECLUDE THIS SIT.