Narrative:

We were taxiing into the san francisco ramp area under control of ground control, proceeding to our gate we were asked by ground control to give way to outgoing traffic then proceed to our gate. We pulled aside to let the traffic pass and proceeded to the gate uneventfully. About 15 mins after arriving at the gate a company representative came to the aircraft and presented us with a ticket for taxiway deviation given to him by the airport police to give to us. The ticket stated we had left the 'designated' taxiway area in violation of a local ordinance. We had left the 'designated' taxiway area to give way to the outgoing traffic as instructed by ground control. At no time did ground control object to our taxi route choice. The airport police officer who issued the ticket never came to talk to the crew about what he had thought had happened or the consequences of getting a ticket of this nature. The area chosen to taxi was in no way marked as an area you couldn't taxi on. In the future if the san francisco airport police wish to issue tickets to taxiing aircraft they should at least meet the crew and explain the circumstances and coordinate their efforts with ground control. Callback conversation with reporter revealed the following information: the reporter said that he had not heard from the sfo airport police since receiving the 'ticket.' his captain had called a tower supervisor and he had said that this was a program to identify perceived deviations in airfield operations and to use these records to correct any dangerous trends. The supervisor also said that no flight crew should worry about these tickets since they were only going to be used by the local operations personnel. The captain told the reporter that he questioned again why he should receive a ticket for doing what the ground controller ordered and the supervisor told him not to concern himself about it.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ACR FLC IS ISSUED A TICKET BY AN ARPT POLICE OFFICER FOR TAXIING TO THE SIDE OF A TXWY TO ALLOW ON-COMING TFC TO PASS AS PER THE GND CTLR'S INSTRUCTIONS. THE TICKET STATED THAT THE FLC HAD LEFT THE DESIGNATED TXWY AREA IN VIOLATION OF THE LCL ORDINANCE.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING INTO THE SAN FRANCISCO RAMP AREA UNDER CTL OF GND CTL, PROCEEDING TO OUR GATE WE WERE ASKED BY GND CTL TO GIVE WAY TO OUTGOING TFC THEN PROCEED TO OUR GATE. WE PULLED ASIDE TO LET THE TFC PASS AND PROCEEDED TO THE GATE UNEVENTFULLY. ABOUT 15 MINS AFTER ARRIVING AT THE GATE A COMPANY REPRESENTATIVE CAME TO THE ACFT AND PRESENTED US WITH A TICKET FOR TXWY DEV GIVEN TO HIM BY THE ARPT POLICE TO GIVE TO US. THE TICKET STATED WE HAD LEFT THE 'DESIGNATED' TXWY AREA IN VIOLATION OF A LCL ORDINANCE. WE HAD LEFT THE 'DESIGNATED' TXWY AREA TO GIVE WAY TO THE OUTGOING TFC AS INSTRUCTED BY GND CTL. AT NO TIME DID GND CTL OBJECT TO OUR TAXI RTE CHOICE. THE ARPT POLICE OFFICER WHO ISSUED THE TICKET NEVER CAME TO TALK TO THE CREW ABOUT WHAT HE HAD THOUGHT HAD HAPPENED OR THE CONSEQUENCES OF GETTING A TICKET OF THIS NATURE. THE AREA CHOSEN TO TAXI WAS IN NO WAY MARKED AS AN AREA YOU COULDN'T TAXI ON. IN THE FUTURE IF THE SAN FRANCISCO ARPT POLICE WISH TO ISSUE TICKETS TO TAXIING ACFT THEY SHOULD AT LEAST MEET THE CREW AND EXPLAIN THE CIRCUMSTANCES AND COORDINATE THEIR EFFORTS WITH GND CTL. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE RPTR SAID THAT HE HAD NOT HEARD FROM THE SFO ARPT POLICE SINCE RECEIVING THE 'TICKET.' HIS CAPT HAD CALLED A TWR SUPVR AND HE HAD SAID THAT THIS WAS A PROGRAM TO IDENT PERCEIVED DEVS IN AIRFIELD OPS AND TO USE THESE RECORDS TO CORRECT ANY DANGEROUS TRENDS. THE SUPVR ALSO SAID THAT NO FLC SHOULD WORRY ABOUT THESE TICKETS SINCE THEY WERE ONLY GOING TO BE USED BY THE LCL OPS PERSONNEL. THE CAPT TOLD THE RPTR THAT HE QUESTIONED AGAIN WHY HE SHOULD RECEIVE A TICKET FOR DOING WHAT THE GND CTLR ORDERED AND THE SUPVR TOLD HIM NOT TO CONCERN HIMSELF ABOUT IT.

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.