And while some pilots were indeed silly to depart, some FS officers were overly cautious and not accepting your flight plan was more to do with protecting their backside ( in case you did go missing) than basing their decision on factual weather rather than a forecast
This was also my experience. I had my flight plan torn up several times and told "you are not going anywhere today sonny". So we just went "no sar" anyway.
Another experience with operational control was after I had an engine failure on a charter flight one night and called a pan. When I arrived in the circuit area:
ATC: "....Operational Control have instructed you to hold until they can figure it out"
And after a short pause
ATC: "..confirm POB and intentions"
Me: "...POB 3 and land"
ATC: "...clear to land and check wheels on final"
And after landing.
ATC: "...don't worry about calling up, I'll sort out Operations Control. Have a good night."
I remember speaking to the controller later and he'd had a neck full of them as well.
Dick you were right to get rid of it, Operational Control was a total waste of money.