PA32 PVT PLT DEPARTING OAK HAS A MISCOM WITH THE CTLR REGARDING DEP PROCS.

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I WAS DEPARTING VFR FROM OAK AT XA00 TO SMX. OAK WAS BUSY AS MANY ACFT WERE DEPARTING AFTER A MAJOR SPORTING EVENT. IT SOUNDED LIKE ONE CTLR WAS RUNNING GND/CLRNC AND TWR. IT SOUNDED LIKE SHE WAS HAVING DIFFICULTY KEEPING UP WITH THE WORKLOAD. I HAD CONTACTED HER FOR CLRNC INSTRUCTIONS TO SMX. I WAS TOLD TO EXPECT RWY 27 AND STAY AT OR BELOW 2500 FT AND I WAS GIVEN MY XPONDER CODE. WHEN I WAS READY FOR TKOF; I CONTACTED HER ON TWR FREQ AND I AM CONFIDENT THAT I HEARD HER GIVE ME INSTRUCTIONS FOR A 'L DOWNWIND DEP.' THIS SURPRISED ME AS I EXPECTED A R TURN BASED ON MY REVIEW OF NORMAL DEP PRACTICES. TO CONFIRM; I MADE SURE I READ BACK LOUD AND CLR: 'CLRED FOR TKOF; L DOWNWIND DEP; RWY 27R.' THE CTLR DID NOT OFFER ANY CORRECTION; SO I PROCEEDED ONTO RWY 27R AND DEPARTED WITH THE IDEA THAT THE CTLR HAD A PURPOSE FOR ME GOING L DOWNWIND. AS I WAS CLBING OUT AND PREPARING TO TURN L; I NOTICED AN AIRPLANE ROLLING DOWN RWY 29. INITIALLY I DIDN'T KNOW IF IT WAS LNDG OR TAKING OFF. KEEPING A CLOSE EYE ON THAT AIRPLANE AS I MADE MY XWIND TURN TO A HDG OF 180 DEGS; I SAW IT WAS INDEED DEPARTING. AT THIS POINT I FELT LIKE THE DEPARTING ACFT WOULD SAFELY TRAVEL 600-900 FT BENEATH ME AS I PROCEEDED TO MAKE MY DOWNWIND TURN TO A HDG OF 090 DEGS. EVEN THOUGH IT ALL SEEMED SAFE; THE SITUATION STILL WAS A BIT PRECARIOUS; DEPENDENT UPON THE DEPARTING ACFT'S RATE OF CLB. SHORTLY AFTER STARTING DOWNWIND AND AT AN ALT ABOVE 1800 FT MSL; THE CTLR CONTACTED ME ASKING WHY I WAS GOING L. I RESPONDED TO HER WITH FULL CONFIDENCE THAT SHE HAD TOLD ME TO MAKE A L DOWNWIND DEP. SHE SAID SHE WOULD HAVE TO LOOK INTO THAT MATTER. NEVERTHELESS; SHE INSTRUCTED ME TO REDUCE MY ALT TO: AT OR BELOW 1400 FT. WITHIN ABOUT 5 MINS SHE TERMINATED SVC AND HAD ME SQUAWK VFR; INSTRUCTING ME TO REMAIN OUT OF SAN FRANCISCO CLASS B AIRSPACE. AFTER OAK CANCELED SVC; I DECIDED I WOULD PROCEED VFR ON A COURSE TOWARD MOFFETT FIELD AND THEN OVER THE TOP OF SAN JOSE. USING CURRENT CHARTS AND A HANDHELD GPS; I FELT PREPARED TO NAV THE AIRSPACE. I PROCEEDED TO CLB ABOVE 2500 FT MSL. AS I WAS CLBING; I REALIZED I WAS HEADED TO A SECTION OF OVERLAP WITH MOFFETT AND AN EXTENSION N OF SAN JOSE CLASS C DESIGNATED AS SAN JOSE 1500/4000. IT IS POSSIBLE THAT I MAY HAVE ENTERED THIS SEGMENT OF CLASS C AIRSPACE. I DID; HOWEVER; QUICKLY CLB ABOVE TO CLR SAN JOSE CLASS C AND ALWAYS STAYING BELOW SFO CLASS B. IN RETROSPECT; AFTER OAK TERMINATED SVC; I SHOULD HAVE TRIED TO ESTABLISH FLT FOLLOWING WITH DEP TO SIMPLIFY NAVING THROUGH THIS AREA; PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT. I WAS SOMEWHAT PREOCCUPIED REHASHING THE MISCOM ISSUE THAT OCCURRED EARLIER WITH OAK; AND I LET IT AFFECT MY OTHER DECISION MAKING.