A C172 CFI ON A TRAINING FLT PICKS UP ICING AT 6000 FT AND ISSUES A COMPLAINT AGAINST THE CTLR WHO DID NOT APPEAR TO BE CONCERNED WITH THE PLT'S PLIGHT 10 MI W OF EMI; MD.

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FLYING A C172; WITHOUT DEICING CAPABILITY; THE RAIN WE WERE IN TURNED TO LIGHT ICE. WE WERE IMC AT THE TIME. UPON SEEING THE ICE START TO BUILD; I NOTIFIED ATC AND REQUESTED A LOWER ALT. WE WERE TOLD 'UNABLE AT THIS TIME.' THIS WAS SURPRISING AS I HAD SAID I WAS IN A C172 AND STARTED TO PICK UP ICE. I WAS TOLD; 'IF YOU CAN'T CONTINUE WITH YOUR FLT PLAN; LET ME KNOW.' WHAT WOULD MY CHOICE HAVE BEEN; LOWER? I WAS TOLD THERE WAS TFC AT 5000 FT; WE WERE AT 6000 FT AND THAT IT WOULD BE A WHILE. I ASKED WHAT 'AWHILE' MEANT -- 30 MINS; 10 MINS; 5 MINS? I WAS TOLD NOT THAT LONG. AGAIN; I HAD TO ASK; TYING UP VALUABLE FREQ TIME; HOW LONG WAS 'NOT THAT LONG.' I ALSO INFORMED ATC THAT I COULD LAST 5 OR 10 MINS AND THAT IF IT WOULD BE MUCH LONGER; OR CONDITIONS CHANGED; I WOULD NEED TO GET LOWER. I WAS THEN TOLD TFC 25 NM; OPPOSITE DIRECTION AT 5000 FT. I SAID WE COULD PROBABLY WAIT THAT LONG; BUT WAS VERY SURPRISED AT THE ALT AND LACK OF ACTION WHEN I MENTIONED 'ICE.' I DIDN'T WANT TO DECLARE AN EMER; BUT WOULDN'T HAVE HESITATED HAD CONDITIONS WORSENED. SEEMS LIKE A DSCNT OR EVEN A SMALL TURN UNTIL OPPOSING TFC PASSED WOULD HAVE BEEN A QUICK; EASY SOLUTION.