ATCT LCL CTLR AT DFW QUESTIONS PLT'S COMPLAINT ON WAKE TURBULENCE BTWN AN ATR-72 DEPARTING RWY 13L AND AN E-145 LNDG ON RWY 17L.

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FO WAS FLYING. WE WERE CLRED FOR VISUAL APCH 17L. APCH TO 17L CROSSES RWY 13L. ATR-72 WAS CLRED FOR TKOF ON 13L WITH US ON SHORT FINAL; RWY 17L. TWR DID POINT OUT MUTUAL TFC. ATR TOOK LONGER THAN EXPECTED TO START TO ROLL AND ACCELERATED SLOWLY. FO ELECTED NOT TO GO AROUND AND I DID NOT EITHER. (WISH NOW I HAD!) WE GOT TOO CLOSE TO ATR FOR COMFORT; AND PASSED THROUGH ITS WAKE TURBULENCE. AFTER LNDG; I TOLD ATC THAT SPACING WAS TOO CLOSE AND WE ENCOUNTERED WAKE TURBULENCE. TWR SAID: '...FROM AN ATR!!' I DID NOT APPRECIATE THAT REMARK AND CALLED TWR ON PHONE. THE SUPVR KNEW ALL ABOUT THIS INCIDENT. BASICALLY ALL THIS WAS MY FAULT; BECAUSE WE WERE ON VISUAL APCH AND TO MAINTAIN OUR OWN SEPARATION. (LOOKS GOOD ON PAPER....BUT IN THE AIR IT IS A LITTLE DIFFERENT!) SUPVR WAS DEFENSIVE; I GOT DEFENSIVE; TOO. SUPVR TOLD ME THAT TWR CTLR WAS SURPRISED TO HEAR AN ATR HAS WAKE TURBULENCE (???) AND WAS NOT TRYING TO BE A SMART ALECK. (I AM NOT BUYING IT...) I SHOULD HAVE ORDERED A 'GAR' FOR SAFETY. I LET MYSELF GET 'BOXED' IN.