"Jose" wrote in message
...

Supposed I asked. What would the answer be? (I'm more interested in how
long it would take for the controller to communicate the relevant
information).


Probably the airways or VORs that define the route around it.



Yes they are. We're back to Monty Python.


No, you're just being Jose. You say ATC is refusing to offer helpful
alternatives, but ATC wasn't asked for any alternatives, therefore it cannot
be said that ATC is refusing to offer helpful alternatives. Well, I guess
it can if you want to appear stupid.



The pilot wants to get to his destination efficiently.

How do you know he doesn't want to divert and wait out the weather?



The controller knows what's 'open' and what's not, or is at least in a
much better position to ascertain this.


But not in a position to know what the pilot wants.



ATC can read flight plans. Doing so would provide a clue as to what the
pilot wants, unless things are so balled up that there really isn't any
good way to get to the destination. In that case, ATC really doesn't know
what the pilot would want.


Now you're catchin' on!



"Unable direct Richmond, that takes you through Potomac. What are your
intentions?"


No, it takes me into Potomac approach. I'm no longer a thruflight, I'm now
an arrival. Potomac approach may not do thruflights, but they definitely do
arrivals.



I made that up; I'm pretty sure that you know where Potomac lies and
picked a good route, but if it were an unfamiliar approach, you might not
reasonably know that direct wherever would take you through the closed
approach. So, pretend with me that you didn't know the area, and are now
faced with my reply.


As I explainedabove, it's not a closed approach anymore.



At some point you are likely to ask for suggested routings, and that's
where I think the controller should have started.


Why would I need a route suggestion? My diversion takes care of the weather
problem, I don't need any help navigating.