JW411,
Whilst I don't dispute the experiences you've posted, there is the other side of the coin to consider. For many pilots (I'm speaking from my own experience here), learning RT is one of the hardest disciplines to master. Thus, when the chips are down, the pilot is under stress, and effective RT is one of the first things to go by the wayside. The longer it takes for an ATCO to ascertain what the problem is, the longer it will be before we can render any help required.
Besides, there is more to the MPL than this. I just queried it because of that aspect of my professional interest. And Lost man standing is right that even in the sim, there isn't much realism - more of an ideal.