This goes out to GTR who gave spodman a hardtime cos he didn't want "approaching FL200" when asked to report present level.
If you are unaware we don't ask for pilots to report present level cos we have nothing better to do. Before we can use our Mode C information for separation we need to verify it. Saying you are approaching FL200 when on our radar you are showing FL196 means we have to reverify you Mode C hence using up more precious time.
Its pretty simple, and I don't think pedantic on our part, to expect when asked for a present level that you just read off the one you have in front of you right then and there.
In relation to the theme of the thread, my humble opinion from working in the gulf, is that we need to find a mid point between the yanks who don't read anything back and respond to everything with "Roger" or "Wilco" and many of the Asian and Russian pilots who have been chipped so many times over their poor R/T that they read back everything (usually getting most of the content incorrect). Overall the Poms,Kiwis and Aussies who fly for Emirates, Gulf Air, and increasingly Qatar Airways have the clearest, most concise and correct readbacks of any of the nationalitys.
I have to admit I have always used the term "ride report" (Spodman you trained me for a bit can I blame you, still tell guys over here about the "SBIATH" strip and the pure fear it used to put through me when placed in the board).
The only defence I have is that I don't mention the level when asking for the ride report, eg. "ABC report ride report". He's not likely to give me a ride report for FL310 when he's cruising at FL350 is he. The only diffulty it causes is when you distribute the report to other aircraft you'll need to mention what level that aircraft was at, which from experience you need to to do anyway whether the reporting aircraft mentioned his level or not as the "cloth ears" element usually kicks in when a/c hear someone elses callsign at the start of a transmission.