LOW TIME PVT PLT WONDERS IF SHE HAD ENTERED THE CLASS B OF SFO WITHOUT A CLRNC AFTER RECEIVING AN AMENDMENT TO HER ENRTE VFR CRUISING ALT OF 5500 FT 18 NM NE OF SFO; CA.

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I DEPARTED RWY 31 AT PALO ALTO ARPT; CA. I REQUESTED AND WAS CLRED FOR A 'R DUMBARTON DEP.' I CONTACTED NORCAL ON 135.4 MHZ OVER THE DUMBARTON BRIDGE AND REQUESTED FLT FOLLOWING TO AUBURN; CA. I REMAINED BELOW 2500 FT UNTIL BEYOND 15 NM DME FROM THE SFO VORTAC TO REMAIN CLR OF THE SFO CLASS B. NORCAL GAVE ME A SQUAWK CODE; AND I STARTED A CLB. I WAS NOW UNDER SECTOR D OF THE SFO CLASS B; AND HAD TO REMAIN BELOW 4000 FT MSL TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. NORCAL RESTR MY ALT TO AT OR BELOW 3500 FT FOR DSNDING HEAVY TFC HELD AT 4000 FT ON APCH TO OAKLAND INTL. I SPOTTED THE TFC; AND AFTER HE PASSED BEHIND ME; I REQUESTED TO RESUME MY CLB TO MY 5500 FT. NORCAL SAID 'SKYLANE X; YOU ARE CLRED TO CLB TO 5500 FT.' NORCAL DID NOT SPECIFICALLY SAY THAT I WAS 'CLRED' THROUGH CLASS B AIRSPACE; NOR DID HE SAY TO REMAIN CLR OF CLASS B AIRSPACE. I DID NOT SPECIFICALLY ASK IF HIS CLRNC WOULD ALLOW ME TO CLB THROUGH CLASS B. AT APPROX 18 NM DME FROM SFO VORTAC; I RESUMED MY CLB. I REACHED 5500 FT 22 NM DME FROM THE SFO VORTAC. AT THAT ALT; I WAS BELOW THE SFO CLASS B. DURING MY CLB TO 5500 FT; IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I UNINTENTIONALLY BROKE THROUGH THE 4000 FT MSL BOTTOM OF SECTOR D OF THE SFO CLASS B BEFORE REACHING 5500 FT. I HAVE FLOWN THE RTE BTWN PAO AND AUN MANY TIMES; AND I AM AWARE OF THE SFO CLASS B ALONG THAT RTE; HOWEVER; THE DISTRACTION OF THE HEAVY TFC AND OTHER FACTORS; I INADVERTENTLY DID NOT CLARIFY MY CLRNC REGARDING THE CLASS B AIRSPACE. I BELIEVE THE NORCAL CTLR CONTRIBUTED TO THE SIT IN THAT HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND CLRNC WAS NOT AS SPECIFIC WITH REGARDS TO THE CLASS B AS IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN.