Narrative:

XA45 local time, departed bvy for routine traffic reporting. Nearest available metars before departure were bos and lwm both reporting 10 SM. Flight visibility, as I approached bed, was approximately 6 SM. XA56 local, entered bed class D airspace and began making position reports on tower/CTAF frequency. XA57 local, began maneuvering over accident scene 1.5 mi southeast of airport. XB00 local, tower controller announced tower in operation, visibility 2 mi, field is IFR. I made a position report and advised heading south along the highway. The controller immediately stated that I was in a control zone and I was lucky there was no IFR traffic. He instructed me to continue sbound SVFR and report clear of class D airspace. His tone of voice gave me the impression that he felt I had committed an airspace violation. For fear of antagonizing this controller I simply complied with instructions and did not press the issue of flight visibility or tower hours of operation. I am unsure of how to avoid a similar situation from a pilot's perspective since I did not believe I committed any infraction. I would have gladly given this controller a PIREP had he not intimidated me into silent compliance. Perhaps nothing more than a kinder, gentler controller disposition would help avoid this confusion in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PA28 TFC WATCH PLT, ON STATION, IS IN CLASS D WHEN TWR OPENS AND ANNOUNCES VISIBILITY 2 MI. PLT ANNOUNCES POS AND ACTION. CTLR INSTRUCTS PLT TO EXIT CLASS D SEBOUND. PLT BELIEVES INFLT VISIBILITY MORE THAN 3 MI, WANTS TO ADVISE TWR, BUT DEPARTS ANYWAY. PLT BELIEVES HE WAS WRONGED.

Narrative: XA45 LCL TIME, DEPARTED BVY FOR ROUTINE TFC RPTING. NEAREST AVAILABLE METARS BEFORE DEP WERE BOS AND LWM BOTH RPTING 10 SM. FLT VISIBILITY, AS I APCHED BED, WAS APPROX 6 SM. XA56 LCL, ENTERED BED CLASS D AIRSPACE AND BEGAN MAKING POS RPTS ON TWR/CTAF FREQ. XA57 LCL, BEGAN MANEUVERING OVER ACCIDENT SCENE 1.5 MI SE OF ARPT. XB00 LCL, TWR CTLR ANNOUNCED TWR IN OP, VISIBILITY 2 MI, FIELD IS IFR. I MADE A POS RPT AND ADVISED HEADING S ALONG THE HWY. THE CTLR IMMEDIATELY STATED THAT I WAS IN A CTL ZONE AND I WAS LUCKY THERE WAS NO IFR TFC. HE INSTRUCTED ME TO CONTINUE SBOUND SVFR AND RPT CLR OF CLASS D AIRSPACE. HIS TONE OF VOICE GAVE ME THE IMPRESSION THAT HE FELT I HAD COMMITTED AN AIRSPACE VIOLATION. FOR FEAR OF ANTAGONIZING THIS CTLR I SIMPLY COMPLIED WITH INSTRUCTIONS AND DID NOT PRESS THE ISSUE OF FLT VISIBILITY OR TWR HRS OF OP. I AM UNSURE OF HOW TO AVOID A SIMILAR SIT FROM A PLT'S PERSPECTIVE SINCE I DID NOT BELIEVE I COMMITTED ANY INFRACTION. I WOULD HAVE GLADLY GIVEN THIS CTLR A PIREP HAD HE NOT INTIMIDATED ME INTO SILENT COMPLIANCE. PERHAPS NOTHING MORE THAN A KINDER, GENTLER CTLR DISPOSITION WOULD HELP AVOID THIS CONFUSION IN THE FUTURE.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.