Narrative:

We arrived in atl about 45 mins behind schedule. Our passenger were concerned about their connections. After clearing the active runway and still a long way from the gate, a number of people stood up in the aisle and started collecting their baggage. As per far's the F/a's notified the cockpit and we immediately stopped the aircraft. A PA was made stating that we could not continue until everyone was seated. After a min or two everyone took their seats and we taxiied to the gate. During deplaning, an FAA inspector idented himself to my first officer who was saying 'goodbyes' to the passenger and talked with him for a while before letting me know what was going on. This FAA inspector informed us of the people standing which we obviously knew, commended us for stopping the aircraft but, criticized us for not going back and closing the overhead compartment doors prior to taxiing. He went so far as to tell us, the cockpit crew, that we should have made a PA announcement in advance telling people not to stand up early just to make connections. I have a few problems with all of this. It could be illegal to make such a PA while taxiing because of sterile cockpit procedure. The workload for a two man cockpit is extreme at this point in clearing the active, crossing another runway, changing to ground, contacting ramp control and accomplishing 'after landing checks'. At what point is the FAA going to realize that a captain can't be responsible for everything including 142 passenger who 'do their own thing'.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PASSENGERS REFUSED TO HEED THE SEAT BELT SIGN AS ACFT WAS TAXIING TO THE GATE. EVERYONE WAS IN A HURRY TO GET OFF TO MAKE CONNECTING FLTS. THE ARRIVING FLT WAS 45 MINUTES LATE.

Narrative: WE ARRIVED IN ATL ABOUT 45 MINS BEHIND SCHEDULE. OUR PAX WERE CONCERNED ABOUT THEIR CONNECTIONS. AFTER CLRING THE ACTIVE RWY AND STILL A LONG WAY FROM THE GATE, A NUMBER OF PEOPLE STOOD UP IN THE AISLE AND STARTED COLLECTING THEIR BAGGAGE. AS PER FAR'S THE F/A'S NOTIFIED THE COCKPIT AND WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED THE ACFT. A PA WAS MADE STATING THAT WE COULD NOT CONTINUE UNTIL EVERYONE WAS SEATED. AFTER A MIN OR TWO EVERYONE TOOK THEIR SEATS AND WE TAXIIED TO THE GATE. DURING DEPLANING, AN FAA INSPECTOR IDENTED HIMSELF TO MY F/O WHO WAS SAYING 'GOODBYES' TO THE PAX AND TALKED WITH HIM FOR A WHILE BEFORE LETTING ME KNOW WHAT WAS GOING ON. THIS FAA INSPECTOR INFORMED US OF THE PEOPLE STANDING WHICH WE OBVIOUSLY KNEW, COMMENDED US FOR STOPPING THE ACFT BUT, CRITICIZED US FOR NOT GOING BACK AND CLOSING THE OVERHEAD COMPARTMENT DOORS PRIOR TO TAXIING. HE WENT SO FAR AS TO TELL US, THE COCKPIT CREW, THAT WE SHOULD HAVE MADE A PA ANNOUNCEMENT IN ADVANCE TELLING PEOPLE NOT TO STAND UP EARLY JUST TO MAKE CONNECTIONS. I HAVE A FEW PROBS WITH ALL OF THIS. IT COULD BE ILLEGAL TO MAKE SUCH A PA WHILE TAXIING BECAUSE OF STERILE COCKPIT PROC. THE WORKLOAD FOR A TWO MAN COCKPIT IS EXTREME AT THIS POINT IN CLRING THE ACTIVE, XING ANOTHER RWY, CHANGING TO GND, CONTACTING RAMP CTL AND ACCOMPLISHING 'AFTER LNDG CHKS'. AT WHAT POINT IS THE FAA GOING TO REALIZE THAT A CAPT CAN'T BE RESPONSIBLE FOR EVERYTHING INCLUDING 142 PAX WHO 'DO THEIR OWN THING'.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of July 2007 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.