B757 PIC CONCERNED WITH PERCEIVED DEGRADATION OF O90 CTL SVC; SPECIFICALLY AS APPLIED TO VISUAL APCH PROCS.

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I HAVE BEEN FLYING IN THE BAY AREA FOR THE LAST 20 YRS AND HAVE SEEN A DEGRADATION IN THE SAFETY OF VISUALS BEING ISSUED BY BAY APCH. ATC IS PRESSURING PLTS INTO ACCEPTING VISUALS ON OTHER ACFT IN THE INTEREST OF ARPT CAPACITY ENHANCEMENT AT THE EXPENSE OF SAFETY. BAY USED TO LET US POSITIVELY IDENT ACFT SO THERE WAS NO DOUBT AS TO THE CORRECT AIRPLANE TO FOLLOW. WE ARE NOW PUSHED HARD INTO CALLING THE OTHER TFC IN ORDER TO RELIEVE ATC FROM SEPARATION AND TO PACK MORE INTO THE SAME SPACE. IF WE DON'T CALL VISUAL ON THE PARALLEL TFC WHEN BAY APCH FEELS IT IS TIME; THEN WE ARE PENALIZED BY HANGING US UP AT 4000 FT TOWARD BRIJJ. THIS JEOPARDIZES STABILIZED APCHS. BAY ALSO WILL TELL US TO TURN TO 310 DEGS AND CLB TO 3000 FT -- A GAR BECAUSE A VISUAL ON THE OTHER ACFT WAS NOT CALLED AT THEIR CONVENIENCE. I DON'T THINK IT'S UNREASONABLE TO BE CERTAIN OF THE AIRPLANE IN QUESTION BEFORE CALLING THE VISUAL. THIS IS USUALLY 2-3 MI FROM BRIJJ. IN TODAY'S ENVIRONMENT; THIS APPEARS TO BE NOT SOON ENOUGH FOR BAY APCH. MY FLT X WAS COMING IN FROM ORD; ARRIVING AT NIGHT; ON THE FMS VISUAL TO RWY 28R. THE PARALLEL TFC WE WERE TO FOLLOW WAS OVER THE SAN MATEO HILLS AND WAS BEING MASKED BY THE LIGHTS OF SAN MATEO AND THE RACE TRACK. I COULD NOT POSITIVELY IDENT THIS AIRPLANE AND WAS GIVEN ESSENTIALLY AN ULTIMATUM. ACCEPT THE VISUAL OR GAR. WE WERE HELD UP AT 4000 FT UNTIL CLOSE IN ENOUGH TO ACCURATELY CALL THE TFC. WHY CAN'T ATC PROVIDE SEPARATION FOR US ON THESE JOIN-UP MANEUVERS SO AS TO ALLOW THE PLTS TO STABILIZE THEIR APCHS WITHOUT HAVING TO WORRY ABOUT MAINTAINING SEPARATION FROM A WING LIGHT IN THE MIDDLE OF CITY LIGHTS? ANOTHER 2 DAYS LATER; I WAS COMING IN FROM BOSTON DURING THE DAY AND AGAIN WAS PUSHED INTO READILY ACCEPTING THE PARALLEL TFC THAT WE WERE TO FOLLOW. THIS TIME THE B737 (ACFT Y) WAS BELOW AND BEHIND US WITH LITTLE OR NO CHANCE OF MAINTAINING CONTINUOUS VISUAL CONTACT. BAY SAID THE TFC WAS AHEAD OF US ON RADAR AND WAS FASTER. I DISAGREED WITH THEIR ASSESSMENT AND WAS TOLD TO CLB TO 4000 FT AND TURN R TO 310 DEGS -- A GAR. IT'S OBVIOUS THAT BAY APCH IS NOT GOING TO ALLOW ANYMORE POSITIVE IDENTS ON TFC. THEY WANT IMMEDIATE ACCEPTANCE OF THE VISUAL ON THE LEAD PARALLEL TFC OR GAR. I AM CONCERNED THAT SOMEONE IS GOING TO JOIN UP WITH THE WRONG ACFT IN AN EFFORT TO ACCOMMODATE ATC. LET'S STOP THE PUSHING AND GET BACK TO SAFELY ACQUIRING VISUALS TO THE SFO ARPT.