AA-1 PLT HAD MINIMUM SEPARATION FROM A DEPARTING B737. THE PLT WAS REQUIRED TO DECLARE MINIMUM FUEL WHEN HE CANCELED HIS PLANNED ENRTE FUEL STOP.

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VFR FLT FROM SANTA MONICA TO HAYWARD. INITIALLY PLANNED FUEL STOP; BUT ENRTE THE WRISTWATCH; SIGHT GAUGES; FUEL TOTALIZER; AND GPS CONCURRED THAT CONTINUING TO HAYWARD WOULD LEAVE 37 MINS OF RESERVE FUEL. WITH OAKLAND AND LIVERMORE ONLY A FEW MINS AWAY; MINIMUM LEGAL RESERVES ARE QUITE ADEQUATE. HOWEVER; ABOUT 1 HR PRIOR TO LNDG; I BEGAN TO PLAN FOR ANY DELAYS WHICH MIGHT OCCUR DUE TO CONFLICTS WITH SAN JOSE ARRS OR DEPS. A CALL TO FLT WATCH AROUND 1 HR PRIOR TO LNDG CONFIRMED THAT 6500 FT WAS THE BEST ALT ACCORDING TO WINDS ALOFT FORECASTS; SO I PLANNED TO FLY PARALLEL TO AND NE OF THE SAN JOSE ARR CORRIDOR IN ORDER TO AVOID DELAYS DUE TO VECTORS. I HAD VFR ADVISORIES FROM ZOA AND NORCAL APCH THROUGH THE FLT. I ASKED ZOA WHETHER MY PLAN WOULD CONFLICT WITH SAN JOSE ARRS; AND THEY SAID NO. UPON CONTACTING NORCAL APCH; I INFORMED THEM THAT I WANTED TO STAY AT 6500 FT AS LONG AS POSSIBLE. THAT WAS A MISTAKE -- I SHOULD HAVE CLRLY STATED THAT DIRECT HAYWARD WAS A HIGHER PRIORITY THAN MAINTAINING 6500 FT; ESPECIALLY AFTER I CHKED HAYWARD ATIS ABOUT 45 MINS PRIOR TO LNG AND FOUND OUT THAT THERE WERE UNFORECAST TAILWINDS AT THE SURFACE. AROUND REID-HILLVIEW; THE APCH CTLR ISSUED A VECTOR TO 340 DEGS FOR TFC; A B737 DEPARTING SAN JOSE AND TURNING HEAD-ON TO MY RTE. I WAS VERY SURPRISED BECAUSE I HAD BEEN EXPECTING TO BE ISSUED A DSCNT EARLY ENOUGH TO AVOID SUCH CONFLICTS. I READ BACK THE VECTOR; BEGAN THE TURN; AND INFORMED THE CTLR THAT I WAS 'MINIMUM FUEL' FOR HAYWARD; AND REQUESTED DIRECT HAYWARD AT ANY ALT. THE CTLR ASKED WHETHER I WAS DECLARING AN EMER; WHICH MADE ME A LITTLE ANGRY AND IMPATIENT. I REPLIED IN THE NEGATIVE AND SAID I HAD MINIMUM FUEL TO REACH HAYWARD VFR. THE CTLR GAVE ME ON COURSE; RESTR TO 5500 FT. I COMPLIED. A FEW MINS LATER; THE CTLR CALLED THE HEAD-ON B737; RESTR TO 5000 FT; AND I ACQUIRED THE B737 VISUALLY. A FEW MINS LATER; THE CTLR ISSUED A VECTOR TO 360 DEGS; MAINTAIN 5000 FT. I COMPLIED AND AGAIN ASKED FOR ANY ALT DIRECT TO HAYWARD. AT THIS POINT; I FELT THE ALT RESTR WAS PREVENTING ME FROM JUST GETTING OUT OF THE WAY. I WAS WILLING TO LAND AT REID-HILLVIEW TO GET FUEL OR DSND BELOW THE DEPS; BUT NOW THE CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS HAD ME HEADED AWAY FROM ALL NEARBY ARPTS AND RESTR FROM DSNDING. I WAS ESPECIALLY FRUSTRATED THAT ALL OF THIS WAS OCCURRING OUTSIDE THE CLASS C AND CLASS B AIRSPACES. THE CTLR SOON GAVE ME MY OWN NAV. I TURNED BACK TO HAYWARD; ACKNOWLEDGED OWN NAV; AND SAID 'DSNDING.' I JUST WANTED TO GET OUT OF THE WAY. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY RESPONDED 'I NEED YOU AT 5000 FT FOR A B737 RESTR TO 4000 FT.' I WAS SURPRISED THAT THE CTLR HAD RELEASED ME FROM THE VECTOR WITHOUT CALLING HEAD-ON TFC; BUT I RECOGNIZE I WAS WRONG -- THE CTLR HAD NOT RELEASED ME FROM THE ALT RESTR. I WAS UNABLE TO ACQUIRE THE B737 VISUALLY. I DON'T REMEMBER IF THE CTLR EVER CALLED THE B737 AS TFC. SOON; THE CTLR RELEASED ME FROM THE ALT RESTR; AND I BEGAN DSNDING RAPIDLY DIRECT TO HAYWARD. I LANDED WITH 4 GALLONS OF FUEL; ABOUT 36 MINS OF FUEL AT TYPICAL CRUISE BURN. IT'S QUITE COMMON TO ARRIVE IN THE BAY AREA VIA THIS RTE; SO THIS MAY COME UP AGAIN. IN THE FUTURE; I WILL SIDE-STEP EVEN FURTHER TO THE NE; OVER THE MOUNTAINS; AS I'VE OBSERVED THE SAN JOSE DEPS STAY OVER THE SANTA CLARA VALLEY UNTIL ABOVE 10000 FT. I'LL PLAN TO CRUISE IN THAT AREA AT A LOWER ALT; IF FEASIBLE; TO FURTHER REDUCE THE POSSIBILITY OF A CONFLICT. I'LL BE EVEN MORE PREPARED TO LAND AT REID-HILLVIEW OR DIVERT TO LIVERMORE TO GET FUEL RATHER THAN NEGOTIATING THE COMPLEX SAN JOSE/OAKLAND AIRSPACE WITH MINIMUM FUEL.