Originally Posted by 12XU
Umm..from a mechanic to, presumably, a non-mechanic, that's quite ridiculous. Greasing the bottom bracket spindle risks scooting the crank arm further up onto the taper than it's designed to go, thus compromising the crank arm. A crank puller threaded into a crank arm should always remove the crank given the amount of pressure exerted in the process. You might have had a steel/steel crank arm/BB interface, which might've led to corrosion, but it's highly unlikely an aluminum crank arm would seize to a BB spindle.
Correct, you aren't supposed to grease the spindle or cranks. Aluminium and steel can corrode together, but a bit of penetrating oil and a crank puller should always get the job done. I've had a few that were a bit tough, but have never lost the battle. If they were cottered cranks, you did the right thing by cutting them off.