Narrative:

Bos ground cleared us to taxi. Captain and first officer understood the clearance to be that we were cleared to taxi via taxiway C. Ground controller claims that we were to yield to another air carrier's aircraft before proceeding onto that taxiway from taxiway a. Neither of us, nor our off-line jump seater, recalled that we were directed to follow the other aircraft. We never crossed any active runways without permission from controller. There was never any danger of us colliding with the other air carrier's aircraft as they were stopped and we were well clear of their aircraft. Bos is a very demanding airport to traverse on the ground. In my opinion, it is one of the most unsafe as far as using multiple frequencys and the amount of intersecting runways. Lessons learned: from now on, I will not move my aircraft until I am absolutely certain that both ATC and my crew are in agreement with the clearance. Incidentally, our ground controller was very condescending, discourteous, and quite unprofessional over the radio. When I had my first officer radio to him that we needed another runway for departure due to aircraft performance, the controller again replied to us in a degrading and unprofessional manner. Finally, this is the first time I have ever felt the need to file an ASRS in my military and airline pilot career.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF A B737 WAS INFORMED BY GND CTLR THAT HE WAS EXPECTED TO YIELD TO ANOTHER ACR ACFT BEFORE PROCEEDING ONTO THE TXWY.

Narrative: BOS GND CLRED US TO TAXI. CAPT AND FO UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC TO BE THAT WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI VIA TXWY C. GND CTLR CLAIMS THAT WE WERE TO YIELD TO ANOTHER ACR'S ACFT BEFORE PROCEEDING ONTO THAT TXWY FROM TXWY A. NEITHER OF US, NOR OUR OFF-LINE JUMP SEATER, RECALLED THAT WE WERE DIRECTED TO FOLLOW THE OTHER ACFT. WE NEVER CROSSED ANY ACTIVE RWYS WITHOUT PERMISSION FROM CTLR. THERE WAS NEVER ANY DANGER OF US COLLIDING WITH THE OTHER ACR'S ACFT AS THEY WERE STOPPED AND WE WERE WELL CLR OF THEIR ACFT. BOS IS A VERY DEMANDING ARPT TO TRAVERSE ON THE GND. IN MY OPINION, IT IS ONE OF THE MOST UNSAFE AS FAR AS USING MULTIPLE FREQS AND THE AMOUNT OF INTERSECTING RWYS. LESSONS LEARNED: FROM NOW ON, I WILL NOT MOVE MY ACFT UNTIL I AM ABSOLUTELY CERTAIN THAT BOTH ATC AND MY CREW ARE IN AGREEMENT WITH THE CLRNC. INCIDENTALLY, OUR GND CTLR WAS VERY CONDESCENDING, DISCOURTEOUS, AND QUITE UNPROFESSIONAL OVER THE RADIO. WHEN I HAD MY FO RADIO TO HIM THAT WE NEEDED ANOTHER RWY FOR DEP DUE TO ACFT PERFORMANCE, THE CTLR AGAIN REPLIED TO US IN A DEGRADING AND UNPROFESSIONAL MANNER. FINALLY, THIS IS THE FIRST TIME I HAVE EVER FELT THE NEED TO FILE AN ASRS IN MY MIL AND AIRLINE PLT CAREER.

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.