Narrative:

After clearing runway 26L at C-4 I began a slow taxi toward gate. A company flight was pushed back abeam gate blocking the alley to gate. Since they would be turning left on their taxi out I pulled slightly left of the yellow taxi line in order to give them more than adequate room to utilize the yellow line. I was still taxiing extremely slowly when a competing company's baggage tug drove in front of me, apparently unaware of our presence. As the tug came to a point directly in front of my aircraft he seemed to suddenly see us but instead of moving out of our direction of movement he stopped forcing me to stop. After a very brief stop he then continued to drive past our aircraft and to a point between our airplane and our company flight. As our company flight began to taxi the tug started to pass behind that airplane but was still impeding our route to gate. I again resumed a very slow taxi toward gate trailing behind the tug as I did. Soon the tug started to turn slightly right to pass behind our departing company flight thus clearing the lane to gate. As I came abeam the tug he suddenly made a right 360 degree turn and stopped, apparently to pick up something he had dropped. At this point he was not a factor in our taxi to gate, so we continued to the gate. Approximately 15 mins later as we began to push back from gate to resume our journey I was advised by company via radio that the tug driver had telephoned operations with the news that he intended to file a report of the conflict and that he had the right of way. Many ground vehs around the country seem to think that airplanes should give way to them. Only emergency vehs have the right-of-way over moving aircraft. Pilots have to be constantly vigilant and alert to these kamikaze ground vehs. Should one of them hit an airplane no doubt the captain of the airplane would risk being accused of careless and reckless operation (91.7). These folks should be reminded the aircraft have the right-of-way and that contrary behavior could have extremely serious consequences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: GND VEHICLE DRIVER THREATENS A REPORT TO ARPT MANAGEMENT THAT AN ACFT TOOK THE RIGHT OF WAY AHEAD OF THE GND VEHICLE AS THE ACFT WAS TAXIING TO THE GATE.

Narrative: AFTER CLRING RWY 26L AT C-4 I BEGAN A SLOW TAXI TOWARD GATE. A COMPANY FLT WAS PUSHED BACK ABEAM GATE BLOCKING THE ALLEY TO GATE. SINCE THEY WOULD BE TURNING L ON THEIR TAXI OUT I PULLED SLIGHTLY L OF THE YELLOW TAXI LINE IN ORDER TO GIVE THEM MORE THAN ADEQUATE ROOM TO UTILIZE THE YELLOW LINE. I WAS STILL TAXIING EXTREMELY SLOWLY WHEN A COMPETING COMPANY'S BAGGAGE TUG DROVE IN FRONT OF ME, APPARENTLY UNAWARE OF OUR PRESENCE. AS THE TUG CAME TO A POINT DIRECTLY IN FRONT OF MY ACFT HE SEEMED TO SUDDENLY SEE US BUT INSTEAD OF MOVING OUT OF OUR DIRECTION OF MOVEMENT HE STOPPED FORCING ME TO STOP. AFTER A VERY BRIEF STOP HE THEN CONTINUED TO DRIVE PAST OUR ACFT AND TO A POINT BTWN OUR AIRPLANE AND OUR COMPANY FLT. AS OUR COMPANY FLT BEGAN TO TAXI THE TUG STARTED TO PASS BEHIND THAT AIRPLANE BUT WAS STILL IMPEDING OUR RTE TO GATE. I AGAIN RESUMED A VERY SLOW TAXI TOWARD GATE TRAILING BEHIND THE TUG AS I DID. SOON THE TUG STARTED TO TURN SLIGHTLY R TO PASS BEHIND OUR DEPARTING COMPANY FLT THUS CLRING THE LANE TO GATE. AS I CAME ABEAM THE TUG HE SUDDENLY MADE A R 360 DEG TURN AND STOPPED, APPARENTLY TO PICK UP SOMETHING HE HAD DROPPED. AT THIS POINT HE WAS NOT A FACTOR IN OUR TAXI TO GATE, SO WE CONTINUED TO THE GATE. APPROX 15 MINS LATER AS WE BEGAN TO PUSH BACK FROM GATE TO RESUME OUR JOURNEY I WAS ADVISED BY COMPANY VIA RADIO THAT THE TUG DRIVER HAD TELEPHONED OPS WITH THE NEWS THAT HE INTENDED TO FILE A RPT OF THE CONFLICT AND THAT HE HAD THE RIGHT OF WAY. MANY GND VEHS AROUND THE COUNTRY SEEM TO THINK THAT AIRPLANES SHOULD GIVE WAY TO THEM. ONLY EMER VEHS HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY OVER MOVING ACFT. PLTS HAVE TO BE CONSTANTLY VIGILANT AND ALERT TO THESE KAMIKAZE GND VEHS. SHOULD ONE OF THEM HIT AN AIRPLANE NO DOUBT THE CAPT OF THE AIRPLANE WOULD RISK BEING ACCUSED OF CARELESS AND RECKLESS OPERATION (91.7). THESE FOLKS SHOULD BE REMINDED THE ACFT HAVE THE RIGHT-OF-WAY AND THAT CONTRARY BEHAVIOR COULD HAVE EXTREMELY SERIOUS CONSEQUENCES.

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.