Ok I want to claim this topic back from the dead......
Once again, and with the same airline
I had the situation whereby the pilot decided, 5000' from his cleared level, to reduce his rod from the assigned 1000fpm (hardly excessive) to 400fpm, smack opposite and then at the same level as the restricting traffic. After being told to expedite through safe level, I asked why he had reduced his rod. His answer, once again, was quite astounding. He said...
"oh, no reason"
So I ask the question again. Pilots, when given a rate of descent in a clearance, do you take it as an average or continuous rate??
As EuroATC said in the last post on here, there are some interesting views here, so lets keep it going.