"George Patterson" wrote in message

I think his point is that one can receive an altimeter setting from ATC
at times other than dealing with an arrival in or flight through airspace
related to a towered airport (and thus at times other than when an ATIS
is available to provide the altimeter setting).

In that case, he can say so instead of claiming that I'm wrong when I say
that I don't do this. The only times I talk to ATC are when I intend to
takeoff or land from a controlled field.

As I tried to make clear, a tower may not give you an altimeter setting
because you're supposed to listen to the ATIS. Granted. You used NYC
airspace as an example. How do you get into Class B without first talking
to Center, Departure or Approach? (All of them will set you up on contact.)
New York Centre won't hand you off to a tower 30 miles away and 20 miles
outside Class B. If you try to get a clearance from, say, La Guardia Tower
when you're 30 miles back, they won't give it to you. They will become
unhappy and tell you to contact approach. Approach isn't interested in
which ATIS you've been listening to. And, in NYC airspace, they're deeply
uninterested in you at all. They will give you an altimeter setting. Do
you really fly this airspace? Tell us the procedure you use for VFR into
NYC.

moo