TCA PENETRATION WITHOUT CLRNC.

Narrative

THIS POSSIBLE TCA INCURSION AROSE FROM A LACK OF UNDERSTANDING AND LISTENING ON THE CTLR'S PART AND A LACK OF THOROUGH UNDERSTANDING OF THE VFR TCA PROCS ON MY PART. I CHOSE THE HOLLYWOOD PARK ROUTE BECAUSE THE MARINE LAYER WAS MOVING IN AND CAN CHANGE THE WX IN A MINUTE. THE POSSIBILITY WAS THERE THAT I MAY HAVE NEEDED TO SHOOT AN ILS INTO LGB. BEING ALREADY ESTABLISHED WITH ATC; AN INSTRUMENT CLRNC WOULD HAVE BEEN EASIER TO GET. ABOUT 20 NM N OF VNY I MADE INITIAL CONTACT WITH BUR APCH CTL ON 130.05. I STATED MY INTENTIONS OF WANTING TO TRANSITION THE LA TCA ON THE VNY 140 DEG R. A SHORT TIME LATER I WAS INSTRUCTED TO CONTACT APCH ON 120.4. APPARENTLY THE CTLR ON 130.05 DIDN'T RELAY THE INFO CORRECTLY TO THE CTLR ON 120.4. I BECAME SUSPICIOUS WHEN ATC SUGGESTED DSNDING TO A LOWER APPROPRIATE VFR ALT. I ASKED FOR A SPECIFIC ALT; AS REQUIRED BY THE HOLLYWOOD PARK ROUTE. THEY SUGGESTED 3500'. THE FREQ WAS CONGESTED. NOT BEING SURE IF THEY WERE OR WERE NOT AWARE OF MY DESIRES; I DIDN'T THINK THAT WAS A GOOD TIME TO QUESTION THEIR INSTRUCTIONS. NEAR THE END OF THEIR AIRSPACE; AT THE BEGINNING OF LAX'S; BUR ASKED ME IF I WANTED TO TRANSITION THE LA TCA IN THE SPECIAL USE AIRSPACE. I TOLD THEM I WANTED TO USE THE VNY 140 DEG R. I SHOULD HAVE TOLD THEM I WANTED THE HOLLYWOOD PARK ROUTE. I ASKED BUR APCH IF I WAS CLRED THROUGH THE LA TCA. THEY SAID NO; I DIDN'T NEED A CLRNC AND THAT I SHOULD LOOK AT THE CHART. I QUESTIONED THEM FURTHER AND THEY SAID FLY AT 3500'; SQUAWK 1201; AND MONITOR 122.75 FOR PLT TO PLT COMS. I THOUGHT THE RULES GOVERNING THE TCA MAY HAVE CHANGED AGAIN. THAT IS WHY I FOLLOWED THE CTLR'S DIRECTION. I DID REVIEW THE TCA CHART IN THE AIRPLANE; BUT I THOUGHT RIGHT OR WRONG I SHOULD BE LOOKING OUT THE WINDOW FOR OTHER TFC. I WAS TAUGHT TO: AVIATE; NAV AND COM; IN THAT ORDER. WE PROCEEDED ON THE W SIDE OF THE VNY 140 DEG R. OUR COURSE PUT US ABOUT IN THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA. WE SAW THE RWY AT LAX UNDER THE RIGHT WING; BUT ON THE NORTHERN PART OF THE SPECIAL FLT RULES AREA WE MAY HAVE ENTERED PART OF THE LA TCA. CTLRS ARE GETTING PAID TO HANDLE TFC 8 HRS/DAY: THEY SHOULD BE ABLE TO ACCEPT AND PROCESS THESE ROUTING REQUESTS WITH A LITTLE MORE SAVIOR-FAIRE. ALL THINGS CONSIDERED WE HAVE A GREAT ATC SYS. PLTS AND ATC HAVE ESTABLISHED A GOOD WORK TOGETHER RELATIONSHIP. WE COULD IMPROVE IT WITH BETTER COM; LISTENING AND UNDERSTANDING SKILLS.