You have to wonder why any of us ATCOs even bother to come into this forum with the way we are constantly flamed and told by armchair critics how badly we do our job.
I work a Class D zone, in 15 years of ATC I have refused zone transits on 2 occasions. The first there was SAROPS on in the Zone and impossible to accommodate so I gave navigational assistance to the pilot to give him the shortest possible diversion, the second the pilots English was so poor that we were unable to get any understanding between the two of us, so Poor infact that a very stern phone call was made to his flying school advising that if they allowed him up again without a pilot unable to communicate with ATC then action would be taken against them.
I am sure that I am the norm rather than the rare ATCO as I know my colleagues would find it very hard to find a time they refused transits.
As for arrogance, well when you find people with limited knowledge telling you how badly you do your job when you know full well you go the extra mile to accommodate them ,and I come into the same Category as Alan M here , I'm well known for friendly and helpful attitude towards GA and the comments directed towards him are extremely unfair.
As for GA paying our wages, no sorry you don't it is a myth the VAT you pay on fuel comes no where near us, speak to the chancellor as to where that goes but it doesn't come into our coffers.
ATCOs don't cause Zone infringements, the number of times I have given a zone transit to pilots who haven't requested one whereas if they had continued on their track they would have infringed without a clearance, probably at least 10 a week. Something is woefully wrong, you cannot blame the CAS it has been there some time it is time something was done to improve awareness. Most ATC units welcome visitors, many ATCOs fly and freely give their time to educate pilots in many aspects of aviation. The likes of Mike T and many of my colleagues have roadshows being organised to try to educate about this, ATC is doing everything they possibly can to try to sort it but it is the Pilots who need to do something more.