AVRO-146 CREW HAD CLRNC DELIVERY ISSUE THE WRONG ALT.

Narrative

WHEN THE FO OBTAINED OUR CLRNC FROM SBN TO DTW; THE CTLR DELIVERY PERSON ASSIGNED US AN INITIAL ALT OF 17000 FT. THE FO READ BACK THE CLRNC AS GIVEN INCLUDING THE 17000 FT INITIAL ALT AND WAS NOT CORRECTED. DURING THE BEFORE START CHK; I QUERIED THE FO ABOUT THE 17000 FT INITIAL ALT. IT SEEMED STRANGE BUT HE ASSURED ME THAT WAS WHAT HE HAD BEEN GIVEN. I SHOULD HAVE QUESTIONED ATC AT THIS POINT BUT I DID NOT. AFTER TKOF WHEN WE CHKED IN WITH DEP CTL; WE WERE AT 1600 FT AND STATED WE WERE CLBING TO 17000 FT. THE CTLR LAUGHED AT US AND SAID THERE IS NO WAY WE WOULD BE GIVEN AN INITIAL ALT OF 17000 FT. HE SAID WE SHOULD HAVE BEEN ASSIGNED AN INITIAL ALT OF 3000 FT. WE WERE BY THEN ALMOST REACHING 3000 FT AND HE CLRED US TO 10000 FT WITHOUT ANY INCIDENT. FURTHER QUESTIONING OF ATC CONFIRMED THAT THE CLRNC DELIVERY PERSON HAD IN FACT ASSIGNED US 17000 FT AS THE INITIAL ALT. HAD WE NOT BEEN ABLE TO REACH THE DEP CTLR IN A TIMELY FASHION; AND HAD THERE BEEN TFC IN THE CLOUDS AT 4000 FT; THIS MISTAKE COULD HAVE BEEN DEADLY. GIVEN THAT THE DEP CLRNC ALT SEEMED UNUSUAL TO ME; I SHOULD HAVE ASKED MORE QUESTIONS BEFORE DEPARTING.