In a previous article, "Bob Gardner" said:
I tell my readers (and anyone else who will listen), that "when able" also
means "when you can proceed without hitting anything." Simply getting a good
needle is not the whole story. ATC has no responsibility for keeping you out
of the trees until you reach their MIA.

The other day I was north of Syracuse and I asked for direct Rochester
(instead of flying down to Syracuse and following V2). The controller
cleared me "direct when able", and when the GPS showed that I would just
barely miss the restricted area (R-5203?), I turned. But evidently that
was too close for her, because a few minutes later she turned me 45
degrees off my course for a few minutes before she let me turn back.

I wonder if I should have said something to her about seeing the
restricted area on my GPS?

--
Paul Tomblin , not speaking for anybody
Simulated editor war, conducted by seasoned professionals in a controlled
environment. Don't try this at home.
-- Christian Bauernfeind