DEN APCH CTLR INSTRUCTS B767 CREW ON FINAL TO FOLLOW A B757 ON BASE FOR THE SAME RWY 2 1/2 MILES AHEAD CAUSING THE B767 TO GAR.

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WHILE ON FINAL APP TO RWY 17R DEN; APCH SLOWED US TO 170KTS FOR 'DEP TFC.' WHILE STILL OUTSIDE THE OM; WE HEARD APP CTLR ASKING ANOTHER ACFT IF THEY COULD ACCEPT A SHORT APCH. JUST OUTSIDE THE MARKER; APCH ISSUES A TFC ADVISORY: 'DO YOU HAVE TFC 10 O'CLOCK AND 2 1/2 MILES?' YES WE DO! 'GOOD; HE'S ON A BASE TURN FOLLOW HIM; CLRED VISUAL RWY 17R.' WE HAD NO IDEA THIS WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN OR WE WOULD HAVE SLOWED UP; BUT WE WERE FLYING THE LAST ASSIGNED SPEED. THE SPACING WAS UNSAFE TO SAY THE LEAST AND WE DECLARED A GAR. PREVIOUS ACFT WAS A B757. AFTER CALLING APCH ON GND; I WAS SHOCKED TO FIND THE CASUAL ATTITUDE OF THE APCH SUPVR ON DUTY. HE SAID THIS WAS HIS PET PEEVE; BUT GO AROUNDS WERE TO BE EXPECTED TO KEEP THE SYSTEM 'TIGHT' AND IT WAS ECONOMICALLY GOOD FOR THE AIRLINES. HE SAID THAT WHEN WORKING ST LOUIS; YOU HAD TO DO THIS (FILLING HOLES ON THE RADAR WITH METAL). THIS WAS MY THIRD GAR FOR THIS REASON AT DEN. WHEN I ASKED HIM ABOUT WAKE TURB SEPARATION; HE SAID THAT WAS A IFR SOP THAT DID NOT APPLY TO VFR; AS LONG AS I STAYED ABOVE PREVIOUS B757 WAKE; I SHOULD BE FINE. IS THIS A RED FLAG TO ANYONE ELSE? WAS RWY 17L IN USE FOR LNDG? I FLY OUT OF ORD AND NEVER SEE SEPARATION COMPROMISED LIKE THIS; INTENTIONALLY.