Excitable ATC
Just to be clear, Ayrprox, my posting included a reference to certain areas of the world where ATC can be very excitable, not all ATC. The UK happens to boast one of the coolest and most efficient ATC organisations IMHO, and LHR are very good indeed.
I propose NOT to mention any countries where ATC may get a bit frenetic when faced with words like "Mayday", "Pan" "Bomb Threat" or the like. But believe me, there are centres not a thousand miles from Blighty where verbal panic sets in on the ground, accompanied by loud, frequent and repetitive requests for information, which only serve to make the Flight Crew's job that much harder.
Sorry for the misunderstanding.