"Refusing to Handle You"

I am given the route via SCAPE, but I
"unable" that for weather, and they go away for a few minutes, and then
clear me as filed. I take off, and everything is fine, until I'm headed
southbound from the HGR VOR, when the Washington Center controller
calls me and says "Err, 8096J, Potomac Approach is refusing to handle
you, say intentions."

"I intend to fly my clearance. What are yours?" Hmmph.

Ok, might not put it quite that way, but I have a clearance and the
alternative of flying through thunderstorms is not acceptable. I think
I might ask what they mean "refused to handle me", but in any case a
NASA report is in order.

I would refuse to fly through thunderstorms to make them happy. If I
had spherics I would have more options, but blind and knowing what's
probably out there, I would have solid grounds for saying "unable" and
letting them sort it out later.

Jose
--
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