A B737-300 FLC ACCEPTS A CLRNC FOR A HDG CHANGE NEAR SYMON INTXN; BUT THE CTLR; WHEN TURNING THEM BACK TO A CORRECTED HDG; SAID HE NEVER GAVE THAT HDG TO THEM. SCT; CA.

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THE FLT ENRTE FROM RENO WAS CHARACTERIZED BY SEVERAL SPD CHANGES FOR SPACING ON OTHER ARRIVING TFC. AT ABOUT 200 MI OUT; WE WERE TOLD BY ZLA TO FLY AT MAX SPD. APCHING FILLMORE VOR; WE WERE TOLD TO SLOW TO 250 KTS. THE CAPT ADVISED THE CTLR THAT WE COULD NOT MAKE THE XING RESTR AT SYMON INTXN AT THAT SPD (250 KTS). HE ALLOWED AN AIRSPD INCREASE TO 280 KTS TO ENABLE US TO CROSS SYMON AT 12000 FT. IN THE VICINITY OF SYMON INTXN; THE CAPT RECEIVED A XMISSION FROM SOCAL APCH TO TURN TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS. HE ACKNOWLEDGED AND READ BACK OUR CALL SIGN 'ACR X; HDG 090 DEGS.' I TURNED THE ACFT TO A 090 DEG HDG. WE NORMALLY WOULD HAVE INTERCEPTED THE SMO 261 DEG RADIAL AT SADDE INTXN AND FLOWN A HDG OF 070 DEGS OFF SMO VOR. THE 090 DEG HDG ASSIGNED WOULD HAVE BEEN A SHORT CUT TO A POS E OF THE SMO VOR. WE FELT THE CTLR WAS GIVING A VECTOR TO ACCOMMODATE HIS SPACING REQUIREMENTS; SO WE DID NOT CHALLENGE THE UNUSUAL VECTOR. ABOUT 1/2 WAY THROUGH THE TURN; THE CTLR GAVE US A HDG OF 180 DEGS AND SAID HE NEVER ISSUED A 090 DEG HDG TO US. THE CTLR DID NOT MENTION ANY TFC CONFLICTS AS A RESULT OF THIS HDG MISUNDERSTANDING.