Narrative:

The 'new' denver departure procedure bit me the other night. We were departing with the ACARS clearance that read xyz departure except maintain 10;000 feet. Tower cleared us for takeoff with the instructions 'cleared for takeoff runway 8 abc; fix xyz departure' we rolled. We checked- in with departure per the memo company XXX with you xyz depart to 10;000 feet.' his response was; 'roger; climb via the xyz SID.' I noted traffic on our TCAS; and given the traffic; I didn't feel comfortable with a climb above an assigned altitude (10;000 feet in this case) unless I heard our clearance limit is deleted (delete the restriction and climb via the SID) or I am cleared to climb higher (climb to 230). I simply asked him to verify that we were cleared above 10 and to 230 per the SID. He said 'climb via the SID' and nothing more in a very tense and terse tone. I asked again verify we are cleared to climb to 230; he said again climb via the SID. It went nowhere other than we were told to read the memo. Thanks for the help. I don't climb commercial airliners into traffic with the weather packet with a memo in my lap as a guiding document. I get that there is a memo and meetings have been held; but how hard is it to verify that the hold down is removed and we are cleared to climb. I do this on the ground when asked to taxi to a runway and I am unsure and the response is ' (call sign) you are cleared to cross 31C' ; we are all on the same page even if I was cleared; I wasn't sure and simply am asking to verify the clearance. Ironically we had this exact thing happen on arrival into denver. They stopped us at 9;000 feet on the STAR for traffic. When we were released to descend he said 'delete the 9;000 foot restriction traffic is no factor descend via the STAR'. When we are held down via an acars clearance; it would be nice if they used phraseology that included an altitude or a verbal verification of removal of the limitation (like when we depart ZZZ with the 2;000 foot hold down; which I have verified if I see traffic on TCAS and they never balk at the question). In the end; this guy was nothing more than a jerk; and intentionally never said 'cleared to 230' or 'delete the 10;000 foot restriction' or 'climb unrestricted via the SID.' anyone of those would have acknowledged that he knew we had a hold down; and that we are now cleared higher. I have seen too many times controllers and pilots aren't on the same page; and the radio traffic to clear it up is very simple and short in time. When we have a hold down altitude; a hold short of a runway instruction; or any other limiting clearance; making sure that it is no longer our clearance; it is both the pilot and the controllers job. In den we are being told it is not.get ATC to realize that we operate in and out of many airports; and that when we ask to verify it is for safety not to be obtuse. We are supposed to work together not play stump the dummy.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-800 Captain reported receiving a PDC for an RNAV SID with a restriction to maintain 10;000 feet. Upon check in with departure control his response was; 'Roger; climb via the SID.' When a clarification of the altitude assignment is requested the response is the same; 'climb via the SID.'

Narrative: The 'new' Denver departure procedure bit me the other night. We were departing with the ACARS clearance that read XYZ Departure except maintain 10;000 feet. Tower cleared us for takeoff with the instructions 'cleared for takeoff Runway 8 ABC; fix XYZ Departure' we rolled. We checked- in with Departure per the memo Company XXX with you XYZ depart to 10;000 feet.' His response was; 'Roger; climb via the XYZ SID.' I noted traffic on our TCAS; and given the traffic; I didn't feel comfortable with a climb above an assigned altitude (10;000 feet in this case) unless I heard our clearance limit is deleted (delete the restriction and climb via the SID) or I am cleared to climb higher (climb to 230). I simply asked him to verify that we were cleared above 10 and to 230 per the SID. He said 'climb via the SID' and nothing more in a very tense and terse tone. I asked again verify we are cleared to climb to 230; he said again climb via the SID. It went nowhere other than we were told to read the memo. Thanks for the help. I don't climb commercial airliners into traffic with the weather packet with a memo in my lap as a guiding document. I get that there is a memo and meetings have been held; but how hard is it to verify that the hold down is removed and we are cleared to climb. I do this on the ground when asked to taxi to a runway and I am unsure and the response is ' (call sign) you are cleared to cross 31C' ; we are all on the same page even if I was cleared; I wasn't sure and simply am asking to verify the clearance. Ironically we had this exact thing happen on arrival into Denver. They stopped us at 9;000 feet on the STAR for traffic. When we were released to descend he said 'delete the 9;000 foot restriction traffic is no factor descend via the STAR'. When we are held down via an ACARs clearance; it would be nice if they used phraseology that included an altitude or a verbal verification of removal of the limitation (like when we depart ZZZ with the 2;000 foot hold down; which I have verified if I see traffic on TCAS and they never balk at the question). In the end; this guy was nothing more than a jerk; and intentionally never said 'cleared to 230' or 'delete the 10;000 foot restriction' or 'climb unrestricted via the SID.' Anyone of those would have acknowledged that he knew we had a hold down; and that we are now cleared higher. I have seen too many times Controllers and Pilots aren't on the same page; and the radio traffic to clear it up is very simple and short in time. When we have a hold down altitude; a hold short of a runway instruction; or any other limiting clearance; making sure that it is no longer our clearance; it is both the Pilot and the Controllers job. In DEN we are being told it is not.Get ATC to realize that we operate in and out of many airports; and that when we ask to verify it is for safety not to be obtuse. We are supposed to work together not play stump the dummy.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.