Narrative:

The problem which I have perceived at lax for many months is in the attitudes of some of the tower controllers toward the operators of aircraft that are not 'heavy iron' or 'airline.' I speak from the experience of a former airline pilot who frequently flew scheduled passenger service in and out of lax. I have since turned to charter jet and turbo-propeller flying for the last two yrs. I have been silent much too long about the all too often unjust controller treatment toward the movement of my aircraft at lax. Their often prejudicial and condescending attitudes toward what they apparently perceive me to be as 'the little guy' is unhealthy, hampers our expeditious movement, is unsafe and breeds an arena for accidents to happen. The incident I'm about to describe is the latest example among others I could offer you, backing up my claim. Upon turning off the runway to the right on one of the high-speed exits, we called the tower for taxi instructions (still on the tower frequency 120.95). There was no response even after 3 calls as we continued our taxi across the closed parallel runway (25R). The ATIS was calling runway 25R to be closed and we confirmed that it was in fact unlighted. As we came to a stop the tower controller finally answered us. Her first statement came as an interogation, 'do you know what you just did?' then came our indictment, 'first, you landed without a clearance and then you just crossed two active runways without clearance!' several thoughts occur to me at this point. First, what about tower controller responsibility for safety? Is there a game to be played here such as 'lets watch him.' lax is a busy airport but not at am. Why couldn't the controller monitor our progress (ie, approach, landing, taxi) and be courteous and professional enough to say something to us once or twice. We have the radio on and tuned in. Just talk to us. Tell us what or what not to do. That's your job. That's why you're up there in the tower looking over us; able to see what we cannot see. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information. It was suggested to reporter that a phone call to tower as soon as possible after an incident is the best means of amicably settling incidents. Supervisors are always on duty and willing to listen and can do something about complaints or poor ATC controling. Reporter admitted possible guard down because of early morning hour.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: RPTR LAMENTS POOR HANDLING OF HIS FLT BY LAX TWR CTLR.

Narrative: THE PROBLEM WHICH I HAVE PERCEIVED AT LAX FOR MANY MONTHS IS IN THE ATTITUDES OF SOME OF THE TWR CTLRS TOWARD THE OPERATORS OF ACFT THAT ARE NOT 'HVY IRON' OR 'AIRLINE.' I SPEAK FROM THE EXPERIENCE OF A FORMER AIRLINE PLT WHO FREQUENTLY FLEW SCHEDULED PAX SVC IN AND OUT OF LAX. I HAVE SINCE TURNED TO CHARTER JET AND TURBO-PROP FLYING FOR THE LAST TWO YRS. I HAVE BEEN SILENT MUCH TOO LONG ABOUT THE ALL TOO OFTEN UNJUST CTLR TREATMENT TOWARD THE MOVEMENT OF MY ACFT AT LAX. THEIR OFTEN PREJUDICIAL AND CONDESCENDING ATTITUDES TOWARD WHAT THEY APPARENTLY PERCEIVE ME TO BE AS 'THE LITTLE GUY' IS UNHEALTHY, HAMPERS OUR EXPEDITIOUS MOVEMENT, IS UNSAFE AND BREEDS AN ARENA FOR ACCIDENTS TO HAPPEN. THE INCIDENT I'M ABOUT TO DESCRIBE IS THE LATEST EXAMPLE AMONG OTHERS I COULD OFFER YOU, BACKING UP MY CLAIM. UPON TURNING OFF THE RWY TO THE R ON ONE OF THE HIGH-SPD EXITS, WE CALLED THE TWR FOR TAXI INSTRUCTIONS (STILL ON THE TWR FREQ 120.95). THERE WAS NO RESPONSE EVEN AFTER 3 CALLS AS WE CONTINUED OUR TAXI ACROSS THE CLOSED PARALLEL RWY (25R). THE ATIS WAS CALLING RWY 25R TO BE CLOSED AND WE CONFIRMED THAT IT WAS IN FACT UNLIGHTED. AS WE CAME TO A STOP THE TWR CTLR FINALLY ANSWERED US. HER FIRST STATEMENT CAME AS AN INTEROGATION, 'DO YOU KNOW WHAT YOU JUST DID?' THEN CAME OUR INDICTMENT, 'FIRST, YOU LANDED WITHOUT A CLRNC AND THEN YOU JUST CROSSED TWO ACTIVE RWYS WITHOUT CLRNC!' SEVERAL THOUGHTS OCCUR TO ME AT THIS POINT. FIRST, WHAT ABOUT TWR CTLR RESPONSIBILITY FOR SAFETY? IS THERE A GAME TO BE PLAYED HERE SUCH AS 'LETS WATCH HIM.' LAX IS A BUSY ARPT BUT NOT AT AM. WHY COULDN'T THE CTLR MONITOR OUR PROGRESS (IE, APCH, LNDG, TAXI) AND BE COURTEOUS AND PROFESSIONAL ENOUGH TO SAY SOMETHING TO US ONCE OR TWICE. WE HAVE THE RADIO ON AND TUNED IN. JUST TALK TO US. TELL US WHAT OR WHAT NOT TO DO. THAT'S YOUR JOB. THAT'S WHY YOU'RE UP THERE IN THE TWR LOOKING OVER US; ABLE TO SEE WHAT WE CANNOT SEE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO. IT WAS SUGGESTED TO RPTR THAT A PHONE CALL TO TWR AS SOON AS POSSIBLE AFTER AN INCIDENT IS THE BEST MEANS OF AMICABLY SETTLING INCIDENTS. SUPVRS ARE ALWAYS ON DUTY AND WILLING TO LISTEN AND CAN DO SOMETHING ABOUT COMPLAINTS OR POOR ATC CTLING. RPTR ADMITTED POSSIBLE GUARD DOWN BECAUSE OF EARLY MORNING HR.

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.