WHILE ON APCH INTO LGA MD80 CREW REFUSED VECTOR INTO A VERY PURPLE THUNDERSTORM.

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ON KORRY 1 ARR TO LGA; THERE WAS A VERY PURPLE THUNDERSTORM ON THE ARR CORRIDOR. WE ASKED THE CTLR IF WE COULD DEVIATE TO R; HE SAID NO; AND TOLD US TO STAY ON COURSE. WHEN WE APCHED WITHIN 12 MILES OF TSTM; WE TOLD HIM WE HAD IMMEDIATELY DEVIATED TO THE L; AND TOLD HIM OUR NEW HEADING. HE TOLD US 'THAT WILL BE VERY MESSY;' AND GAVE US A VECTOR RIGHT INTO THE THUNDERSTORM. WE TOLD HIM UNABLE; AND HE REPLIED; 'ACR X; SQUAWK 7700.' AS WE CIRCUMVENTED THE THUNDERSTORM BACK TO COURSE; HE GAVE US A HEADING; A NORMAL SQUAWK; AND HANDED US OFF TO NEW YORK CENTER. THIS CTLR WAS GIVING THE SAME VECTORS INTO THE THUNDERSTORM TO AIRPLANES AHEAD AND BEHIND US. CAN'T HE SEE ON HIS RADAR THE SAME THING WE SEE? I DON'T THINK IT IS IN THEIR MANUAL OR OURS TO FLY INTO THUNDERSTORMS. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 545070: REQUESTED DEVIATION RIGHT OF COURSE TO AVOID CLUSTER OF THUNDERSTORMS. WASHINGTON CENTER CTLR SAID NO; TO STAY ON COURSE. WX WAS APPROXIMATELY 12 MILES DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF ACFT. WE TOLD HIM WE NEEDED TO DEVIATE L OF COURSE TO AVOID WX AND CTLR REPLIED 'IF YOU DO THAT; IT WILL GET VERY MESSY' AND GAVE US A VECTOR (HDG 050) DIRECTLY INTO THE WX. WE TOLD THE CTLR WE NEEDED A 330 HEADING FOR WX AVOIDANCE. HE GAVE US THE SAME VECTOR HE PREVIOUSLY ISSUED AND WE TOLD HIM UNABLE. HE THEN SAID; 'ACR X SQUAWK 7700.' WE SQUAWKED AS DIRECTED; WORKED OUR WAY AROUND THE WX AND RESUMED THE 050 HEADING THE CTLR WAS SO EAGER TO GIVE US. THE CTLR THEN GAVE US A NORMAL SQUAWK AND TOLD US TO CONTACT NY CENTER. I ASSUME THE WASHINGTON CENTER CTLR SAW THE WX ON HIS SCOPE; BUT FOR WHATEVER REASON; DIDN'T WANT US TO DEVIATE IN ANY DIRECTION. MANY OTHER ACFT IN FRONT OF AND BEHIND US MADE THE SAME DEVIATION TO THE W; BUT WERE NOT GIVEN AN EMER SQUAWK OR TOLD IT WOULD CAUSE TROUBLE TO DO SO. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED HE UNDERSTOOD THAT THE REASON THE CTLR DID NOT WANT TO ALLOW THE DEVIATION WAS BECAUSE OF CONFLICTING TFC. HE SAID IT APPEARED THAT USING HIS CAPTAIN'S AUTHORITY WAS NECESSARY TO DEVIATE AND AVOID THE SEVERE WX SHOWN ON HIS RADAR. HE THOUGHT IT WAS UNUSUAL THE CTLR ASKED HIM TO SQUAWK 7700.