Greg Esres wrote:

Now I already know you don't have any idea what you're talking
about

Funny, but I was thinking the same thing about you.

what you, as a pilot, think the difference is between a heading and
a vector.

The ability to provide obstacle clearance.

And what do you think the difference is to the controller?

Depends on the controller, obviously. ;-)

They don't need to. A heading is a vector.

So you keep saying, but you offer no evidence.

Because that's what it means to everybody except you.

No, airperson said "If the tower controller can't see you on
radar he cannot vector you. He can only assign a heading."

But, the tower controller issues that heading with the expectation that
the TRACON will cause it to be a vector..eventually.

They managed to muck this up at KMRY for a long time. Whether it's
straightened out today I don't know. I do know they haven't "TERPsed" out
the prominent obstacles they have selectively chosen to display on their
MVA video map.