B757 ENRTE IN ZAB AIRSPACE WAS ASKED TO TURN INTO WX BY ATC.

Narrative

CAPT WAS FLYING; I WAS ON RADIOS. ON A DIRECT ROUTING FROM TBC TO PNH; JUST E OF LVS VOR; WE REQUESTED TO DEVIATE R (IE; S) TO GO AROUND SOME WX. THE CTLR'S REPLY WAS TURN L. I SAID WE COULD NOT GO L (WE WERE CONTINUING ON OUR DIRECT ROUTING). HIS REPLY WAS TURN L AGAIN. WHAT HE WAS NOT TELLING US WAS ONE OF OUR COMPANY ACFT WAS CLBING FROM FL350 TO FL390 THROUGH OUR ALT; AND HE NEEDED US TO TURN FOR TFC. WE COULD NOT AND DID NOT TURN INTO THE WX JUST TO OUR N. HE ASKED US TO TURN 5 DEGS L (N). WE SAID WE COULD NOT -- IT WOULD PUT US INTO THE WX. WE WOULD TAKE A CHANGE IN ALT IF IT WOULD HELP; BUT WE DID NOT WANT TO TURN INTO THE WX. THE CTLR THEN ASKED THE CLBING ACFT TO TURN 15 DEGS S FOR THE CLB AND HE DID NOT TALK TO US AGAIN. I CALLED HIM A FEW MINS LATER AND TRIED TO EXPLAIN TO HIM THAT ANY L TURN WOULD HAVE PUT US INTO THE WX TO OUR L. HIS REPLY WAS 'SEVERAL OTHER ACFT HAVE FLOWN THROUGH THAT AREA SO...WELL...WHATEVER.' WE CONTINUED ON OUR DIRECT ROUTING UNEVENTFULLY. TURNING INTO WX WAS NOT A GOOD OPTION IN OUR OPINION. WE DID NOT KNOW THE FULL STORY AND ONLY FIGURED IT OUT VIA THE TCASII AND RADIO CALLS. I DON'T KNOW WHY THE CTLR DID NOT UNDERSTAND OUR POS. WITH ALL OF THE INCIDENTS OF INJURY FROM TURB LATELY; FLYING INTO WX IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO KEEP IT FROM HAPPENING AGAIN. WE TRY TO BE FLEXIBLE AND HELP OUT AS MUCH AS WE CAN; BUT THERE IS A LIMIT. IF HE CLOSED HIMSELF INTO A BOX AND TELLING US TO DO SOMETHING STUPID TO MAKE THINGS WORK OUT EASY FOR HIM IS NOT A GOOD WAY TO RUN THINGS.