More praise for the Military controllers. I often travel north and find they automatically hand me from one to the next giving me the appropriate squawk before handing me on.
On the other hand..! Had a bad experience with a controller at a Well known Museum close to Cambridge recently. Having phoned ahead to announce my arrival, and being more or less on time. Tuned in to the said station a few minutes before arriving to listen in. Called up with about 8 miles to run to be told very curtly to "WAIT"...! My normal cruise speed is 155Kts so I was approaching fairly quickly and he didnt come back to me. Called again to be told to Wait again. He was by no means overworked and I found his attitude to be aggressive, unfriendly and unhelpful. In the end I had to put in 2 orbits before finally announcing that I was joining right base, he then decided to speak to me!
Politeness costs nothing!