A DISAGREEMENT BTWN B737 CREW AND A CTR CTLR ABOUT INSTRUCTIONS ISSUED CREATED SOME FEELINGS OF AGGRESSION.

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LEVEL AT FL350. PREVIOUSLY CLRED LNAV DIRECT MEI. AFTER A FEW MINS CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO TURN 15 DEGS R FOR VECTORS BEHIND TFC. I READ BACK 'COMPANY NUMBER; 15 DEGS R.' FO AS PF TURNED TO THE R AS INSTRUCTED. THERE WAS NO DOUBT THAT THE CTLR TOLD US TO TURN R. I AM ALSO VERY CAREFUL ON MY READBACKS TO SPEAK VERY CAREFULLY AND CLRLY. AFTER APPROX 5-8 MINS ON THIS NEW HEADING; THE CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO 'TURN R DIRECT MEI...OH I SEE YOU'RE ALREADY GOING R...I TOLD YOU EARLIER TO TURN L FOR TFC...JUST TURN L NOW DIRECT MEI.' (PARAPHRASING OF COURSE.) I READ BACK 'SIR; YOU PREVIOUSLY TOLD US TO TURN R 15 DEGS FOR TFC. I READ THAT BACK TO YOU AND WE DID JUST THAT.' THE CTLR QUICKLY RESPONDED 'WELL THAT'S YOUR STORY THEN.' THEN I JUST READ BACK 'GOING DIRECT MEI; COMPANY NUMBER.' I JUST DID NOT APPRECIATE THIS CTLR'S LACK OF PROFESSIONALISM IN HIS DEALING WITH HIS OWN MISTAKE AND MY FOLLOWING HIS CLRNC EXACTLY. I WAS SO MAD THAT WHEN I WAS HANDED OVER TO THE NEXT SECTOR I ASKED THE CTLR FOR A PHONE NUMBER TO TALK TO A SUPVR WHEN I LANDED IN MSY. I INSTEAD CALLED OUR ATC SPECIALIST AND HE WAS A GREAT HELP IN FOLLOWING UP ON THIS MATTER. MY OBSERVATION ON THIS INCIDENT IS THAT THIS CTLR WAS TASK SATURATED WORKING THIS PARTICULAR SECTOR. HE WAS LITERALLY NON-STOP ISSUING CLRNCS AND HDOFS. HE WAS ALSO A LITTLE SHORT WITH A GA ACFT. JUST A FEW MINS BEFORE HIS DEAL WITH US; AND THAT ACFT; WAS JUST ASKING A QUESTION ABOUT AN ALT XING RESTR. I AM NOT SO CONCERNED ABOUT A VIOLATION (I AND MY FO ARE CERTAIN WE FOLLOWED HIS HEADING CHANGE EXACTLY) AS I AM ABOUT THIS CTLR'S WORKLOAD AND HIS ATTITUDE REGARDING HIS CLRNC TO US. I FEEL THAT CTLR WORKLOAD IS A VALID SAFETY ISSUE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 562831: I WAS THE PF AND THE CAPT; HAD READ BACK A VECTOR OF 15 DEGS TO THE R FOR TFC AT CRUISE. ABOUT 8 MINS OR SO LATER THE CTLR FROM ZMP TOLD US TO TURN R BACK TO MEI ON COURSE. THE PNF WAS ON ANOTHER RADIO SO I ANSWERED 'OKAY; BACK L TO MEI' WHEN THE CTLR ANSWERED BACK 'YOU HAD TURNED R? A LOT OF GOOD THAT VECTOR DID;' OR SOMETHING LIKE THAT. WHEN THE CAPT CAME BACK ON AND SAID 'YOU DEFINITELY TURNED US R; I EVEN READ IT BACK' THE CTLR THEN RESPONDED 'HAVE IT YOUR WAY THEN' AND GAVE US A FREQ CHANGE. THE CAPT WAS UPSET AND WE HAD AN UNEVENTFUL REST OF THE FLT. CAPT CALLED ATC SPECIALIST ON THE DECK AND RECOMMENDED WE FILL OUT ASAP RPTS; SO HERE IT IS. I THINK IT WAS AN HONEST MISTAKE BY THE CTLR; BUT THE CTLR EXACERBATED A SMALL PROB WITH HIS REMARK.