E145 FO WAITS TO ASK CAPT ABOUT ZID CLRNC RESTR INSTEAD OF QUESTIONING ATC; CAUSING VECTORS OFF AND BACK ONTO RTE.

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ON MY FIRST IOE FLT IN THE EMB145 AS FO FROM EWR TO CINCINNATI; I WAS THE PF; AND THE CHK AIRMAN WAS COMMUNICATING ON THE RADIOS. THE CAPT WENT OFF THE #1 RADIO WITH ATC TO THE #2 RADIO WITH COMPANY. I WAS GIVEN A NEW ALT TO DSND (FL350 TO FL330) TO AND ACKNOWLEDGE THE NEW ALT PERSONALLY WITH ATC. WHILE DSNDING; THE CTLR ASKED IF I WOULD BE ABLE TO MEET THE RESTR. HAVING NOT HEARD ANY RESTR GIVEN; I QUICKLY LOOKED AT MY HIGH ALT CHART FOR MORE INFO. THERE WERE NO RESTRS; SO I TOLD ATC TO 'STAND BY' WHILE I CLARIFIED WITH THE CAPT WHAT I BELIEVED TO BE OUR COMPLETE COMPLIANCE WITH ALL REQUIRED ALTS AND ANY XING RESTRS. HE NOW WAS BACK WITH #1 RADIO ON ATC AND I WAS FILLING HIM IN WITH THE ATC DIRECTED ALT CHANGE; WHEN AGAIN THE CTLR ASKED IF WE'D MEET THE RESTR. THE CAPT SAID 'STAND BY' AND REVIEWED ALL THE CLRNC AND CHART INFO AND FOUND NO RESTR GIVEN. THE CTLR DIRECTED US TO TURN TO A NEW HDG AND THEN RETURNED US TO OUR ORIGINAL ON COURSE HDG WITHIN A FEW SECONDS. CTLR WAS UPSET THAT IT HAD TAKEN US 1 MIN TO COMMUNICATE BACK. WE NEVER HAD A CONFLICT WITH ANOTHER ACFT; NEVER HAD A XING OR OTHER RESTR; AND WE WERE AT ALL ASSIGNED ALTS WHEN DIRECTED. THE CTLR NEVER SAID THAT WE CAUSED A PROB OR DEVIATED ANOTHER ACFT. ALL CTLR SAID WAS THAT OUR DELAY IN ANSWERING CTLR WAS 'UNACCEPTABLE.' I BELIEVE I SHOULD HAVE RESPONDED TO CTLR QUICKER AND INVOLVED THE CAPT SOONER. I SHOULD HAVE STATED THAT I WAS UNAWARE OF ANY RESTR. AS FAR AS I COULD TELL; I RESPONDED AND COMPLIED WITH EVERY DIRECTIVE CTLR GAVE US. CTLR DID NOT TELL US OTHERWISE. HAVING BEEN NERVOUS ON MY FIRST IOE ON MY FIRST FLT; I STILL SHOULD HAVE TRUSTED MY ABILITY TO COM WITH ATC WITHOUT THE CAPT'S HELP.