AN MD83 PLT RPTS LAX LATE RWY CHANGE CAUSED A HDG CHANGE WHEN WAYPOINTS DROP FROM THE FMS AS PROGRAMMING ACTIVITIES OCCUR FOR THE NEW APCH.

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THE FOLLOWING IS AN ONGOING ISSUE THAT IS STILL NOT GETTING THE ATTENTION REQUIRED TO CORRECT IT. INBOUND FROM THE EAST ON THE CIVET ARR TO LAX; WE HAD THE FMS PROGRAMMED TO FLY THE CIVET 5 ARR TO THE ILS FOR RWY 25R; AS SHOULD HAVE LOGICALLY BEEN ANTICIPATED. LESS THAN 3 MILES FROM GRAMM; WE WERE HANDED OFF FROM ZLA TO SOCAL APCH AND GIVEN A CLRNC FOR THE CIVET FIVE ARR TO RWY 24R. THIS UNEXPECTED CLRNC REQUIRED A PROGRAMMING CHANGE TO THE FMS TO BE COMPLETED WITHIN 30 SECONDS; WHICH IN TURN CAUSED A PROGRAMMING ANOMALY OF DROPPING THE INTERMEDIATE WAYPOINT; RUSTT. THIS ANOMALY CAUSED AN UNDESIRABLE TURN BY THE ACFT THAT HAD TO BE MANUALLY CORRECTED UNTIL THE DROPPED WAYPOINT COULD BE INSERTED AND A DIRECT-TO COMMAND EXECUTED. ALL CORRECTIONS WERE ENTERED IN TIME WITHOUT AIRSPACE DEVIATIONS; BUT THE BOTTOM LINE HERE IS THAT IF WE ARE GOING TO FLY MORE AUTOMATED AND RWY SPECIFIC ARRIVALS; WE MUST HAVE MORE NOTICE AS TO WHAT WE ARE TO EXPECT FROM APCH CTL! THERE IS NO REASON THAT CTR CANNOT GET A HEADS-UP ON WHAT LNDG RWY APCH CTL IS GOING TO GIVE INCOMING ACFT; AND PASS THAT INFO TO US SOONER. THESE CTLRS SURELY REALIZE WE ARE COVERING 6 TO 8 MILES A MINUTE WHEN THEY ARE TALKING TO US! OBVIOUSLY; LAST-MINUTE CHANGES MAY STILL HAPPEN UNEXPECTEDLY; BUT THIS TYPE OF STUFF IS HAPPENING ALL THE TIME! LAX IS NOT THE ONLY PROB; ORD IS NEARLY AS BAD. (THE BIG DIFFERENCE AT ORD IS THE STARS ARE NOT SPECIFIC TO A LNDG RWY; SO WE NORMALLY HAVE 5 MINUTES OR MORE TO REPROGRAM AND REBRIEF A NEW LNDG RWY AT ORD.) APCH CTLRS NEED TO BE INSTRUCTED ON THE CONCEPT THAT IT TAKES TIME FOR US TO PROGRAM AND BRIEF FOR SAFE AND PRECISELY FLOWN ARR AND APCH PROCS. IF THE CTLRS DON'T START ACTING LIKE THEY WORK FOR US; WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO START REFUSING TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR LAST-MINUTE CHANGES. WHAT WE ARE EXPERIENCING MORE AND MORE IS ATC EXPECTING US TO OPERATE OUR MACHINES TO ACCOMMODATE THEIR PERSONAL ISSUES. WHAT THEY DON'T SEEM TO REALIZE IS THAT THE SAFETY OF OUR LIVES (AND OUR PAX) TRUMP THEIR PETTY TFC OR MANNING ISSUES. AS AN INDUSTRY; WE ARE GOING TO HAVE TO GET ATC TO 'PUT THEIR HEADS IN OUR COCKPITS' TO SEE HOW THEIR POLICIES AND PROCS DO AND DON'T WORK IN OUR WORLD. ATC 'FAM FLIGHTS' VISITS TO ATC FACILITIES TO BRING THESE TYPES OF ISSUES TO THE FOREFRONT.