Phrase "landing runway" vs. "cleared to land"

Jim Carter wrote:
Robert,
When did fog start getting reported as a ceiling? 001OVC is a ceiling
report. Fog would be reported as 1/8F or smoke / haze would be 1/8K wouldn't
it?




Fog would be reported as vertical visibility and you would see it on the
METAR as VV001



Also, the controller reported that he couldn't see you, so he probably
couldn't determine if the runway was clear for your landing.

If the controller doesn't know the runway is clear he doesn't let you
land. Period. There are other ways to determine that.


The controller had no visual
sighting of you (or probably the runway) so there was nothing else for him
or her to say other than "not in sight, land at your own risk" regardless of
training level.


That was wrong on the controllers part.