MD88 CREW WAS GIVEN IMPROPER CTLR HANDLING IN ZID CLASS E AIRSPACE.

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FILED THE SWEED 6 ARR FROM HVQ. SOMEWHERE W OF HVQ; WE WERE GIVEN THE CLRNC TO PROCEED DIRECT SWEED INTXN AND CROSS 35 NM E OF SWEED AT FL240 AND CONTINUE DSCNT TO FL180. WE MADE THE RESTR AND AS WE WERE CONTINUING THE DSCNT; ZID GAVE US A CLRNC TO PROCEED DIRECT TO FLM AND CROSS 15 NM E OF FLM AT 10000 FT. (AT LEAST 10000 FT IS WHAT WE THOUGHT WAS SAID -- WE CONFIRMED IT AND BOTH POINTED AT THE ALT IN THE ALT SET WINDOW.) THIS RESTR WAS MET EARLY BY PROBABLY 20-30 MI. ZID QUESTIONED OUR CLRNC; AND WE SAID '15 MI E OF FLM AT 10000 FT.' HE SAID 'OK; WE NEED YOU AT 11000 FT THOUGHT.' WE CLBED BACK TO 11000 FT AND NO CONFLICTS WERE NOTED. I THINK THE CTLR WASN'T SURE IF HE GAVE US THE WRONG CLRNC; AND WE WEREN'T SURE IF MAYBE WE HAD MISHEARD THE CLRNC (OF COURSE; AFTER THE FACT). THE CLRNC OF '15 MI E OF FLM AT 10000 FT' DID NOT SEEM SUSPECT AT THE TIME; OR WE WOULD HAVE QUESTIONED IT. ALSO; BECAUSE WE WEREN'T FLYING THE ARR ANYMORE; POINT FOR POINT; WE DIDN'T USE THE FMS FOR ALT RESTRS. IF THE CLRNC HAD SAID PROCEED DIRECT OBBAN (15 MI E OF FLM) 'MAINTAIN 10000 FT;' MORE THAN LIKELY I WOULD HAVE XCHKED 'OBBAN' ON THE ARR AND SEEN 11000 FT AS THE RESTR. FROM OUR POINT OF VIEW AND WE USUALLY DO THIS; WE SHOULD ALWAYS XCHK THE ALT GIVEN ON THE ARR WITH THAT GIVEN TO US. FROM A CTLR'S PERSPECTIVE; IF THEY CAN GIVE US THE 'DIRECTS' TO THE NAME OF THE POINT ON THE ARR WHERE THE RESTR IS; IT WOULD ELIMINATE THESE INCIDENTS -- IE; GIVE THE CLRNC; CLRED DIRECT OBBAN MAINTAIN 11000 FT VERSUS FLM/-15 MAINTAIN 11000 FT. THIS KEYS US 'FMS' GUYS TO CHK THE ARR AND SEE WHAT HAPPENS AT OBBAN. THEN IF THERE IS AN ALT DIFFERENCE WE CAN QUESTION IT. IT IS HARD TO QUESTION SOMETHING THAT IS OTHERWISE NOT SUSPECT. THIS REINFORCES HOW IMPORTANT IT IS TO LOOK AT THE ARRS AND SEE WHAT THE RESTRS ARE WELL IN ADVANCE TO HELP CATCH ERRORS -- WHOEVER'S FAULT THEY MAY BE.