Air carrier first officer reports non standard terminology by the atl tower when issuing runway cros...

Narrative:

After landing on runway 8L; we were exiting the runway at intersection B11. As we were preparing to exit the runway; the monitoring pilot was completing his callouts and the flying pilot called for flaps 18 and after landing checklist. At that very moment; the tower controller issued a clearance to cross runway 8R. He asked us to quickly to cross runway 8R at some jet base (not defined on the airport diagram as such). Both pilots were not clear what he meant and asked the controller to clarify. The controller then rudely and with an attitude stated cross runway 8R at the jet base. I then figured the controller meant straight ahead at B10. So we crossed runway 8R at B10 and contacted ground control. No further confusion occurred and we taxed into the gate normally without incident. This was poor runway crossing instructions by this air traffic controller. We as pilots are prepared to cross runways when given a intersection or runway. However; we were unfamiliar with the jet base phraseology the controller was using. If you are going to give runway crossing instructions; it should be at the appropriate intersection and not abeam some building we may or may not be familiar with that is not labeled such on the airport diagram.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: Air Carrier First Officer reports non standard terminology by the ATL Tower when issuing runway crossing instructions at 'the jet base'. The crew is confused and the Tower is not helpful.

Narrative: After landing on runway 8L; we were exiting the runway at intersection B11. As we were preparing to exit the runway; the monitoring pilot was completing his callouts and the flying pilot called for flaps 18 and after landing checklist. At that very moment; the tower controller issued a clearance to cross runway 8R. He asked us to quickly to cross runway 8R at some Jet Base (not defined on the airport diagram as such). Both pilots were not clear what he meant and asked the controller to clarify. The controller then rudely and with an attitude stated cross runway 8R at the Jet Base. I then figured the controller meant straight ahead at B10. So we crossed runway 8R at B10 and contacted ground control. No further confusion occurred and we taxed into the gate normally without incident. This was poor runway crossing instructions by this air traffic controller. We as pilots are prepared to cross runways when given a intersection or runway. However; we were unfamiliar with the Jet Base phraseology the controller was using. If you are going to give runway crossing instructions; it should be at the appropriate intersection and not abeam some building we may or may not be familiar with that is not labeled such on the airport diagram.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2013 and automatically converted to unabbreviated mixed upper/lowercase text. This report is for informational purposes with no guarantee of accuracy. See NASA's ASRS site for official report.

Attributes
ACN	1039497
Time
Date	201209
Local Time Of Day	1201-1800
Place
Locale Reference	ATL.Tower
State Reference	GA
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Aircraft 1
Make Model Name	B717 (Formerly MD-95)
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	Taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Function	Pilot Not Flying First Officer
Qualification	Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Events
Anomaly	ATC Issue All Types Deviation - Procedural Published Material / Policy

Air carrier first officer reports non standard terminology by the atl tower when issuing runway crossing instructions at 'the jet base'. The crew is confused and the tower is not helpful.