VFR ACFT INBOUND TO MRY QUESTIONED TWR HANDLING; ALLEGING UNPROFESSIONAL AND UNHELPFUL SERVICE BY LCL CTLR.

Narrative

VFR FLT WITH FLT FOLLOWING AT 4500 FT MSL. WITHIN 8 NM OF MONTEREY I TOLD NORCAL APCH THAT I HAVE A VISUAL ON MRY AND PUNCHED OUT (SQ 1200) AND CALLED THE TWR WITH A REQUEST TO LAND (WITH THE ATIS CONFIRMED). IN A VERY ANGRY AND UNPROFESSIONAL MANNER I WAS ORDERED TO GO BACK TO APCH FOR MY CLASS 'C' CLRNC. WHEN I SWITCHED BACK TO APCH I REALIZED THAT APCH WAS VERY BUSY AND IT TOOK ME SEVERAL MINUTES TO RE-ESTABLISH CONTACT. REALIZING THAT I WAS GETTING CLOSER TO MRY; I DID A 360 DEG FOR SPACING WHILE ESTABLISHING CONTACT WITH APCH. WHEN I FINALLY CONTACTED TWR HE DEMANDED MY POSITION AND ASKED WHO HAD GIVEN ME PERMISSION FOR THE 360. I ANSWERED THAT I DID THIS TO AVOID HIS CLASS 'C' AIRSPACE. I COULDN'T HAVE BEEN VERY CLOSE (4 NM AT THE MOST). IN A POST-FLT PHONE CALL THE TWR CTLR WAS LOUD; RUDE; AND BELLIGERENT. HE DID NOT LET ME STATE THE FACTS. HE WAS MORE ZEALOUS ABOUT HIS CLASS 'C' AIRSPACE THAN HIS CONCERN FOR FLT SAFETY. HIS ATTITUDE WAS THAT OF A TFC COP WITH ATTITUDE. A REVIEW OF ALL THE TAPES SHOULD SERVE TO CALM HIS ANGER AND HELP HIM REALIZE THAT A COOPERATIVE APCH WILL HELP AVOID MISUNDERSTANDINGS. SAFE FLT IS A TEAMWORK ENTERPRISE! HE WAS PROCESS ORIENTED (RIGID RULES) RATHER THAN PRODUCT ORIENTED (FLT SAFETY).