Narrative:

Flight was uneventful until after landing. While approaching gate, my first officer and I both noticed 1) there was a marshaller and a ground member handling the nosewheel chocks -- no true wing walkers are required. 2) a truck was parked completely in the clear zone. I stopped the aircraft and signaled to the ground member manning the chocks that we needed 2 wing walkers. He threw down the wands in disgust and recruited a third ground crew man from out of our sight. The marshaller proceeded to try to marshall me in to the spot, but I refused to move because of the truck. I pointed to the truck and gave the drive signal with my hands. The original wing walker/nose gear chock person again threw his wands down and with complete contempt mouthed the words *&$%#@ and stomped over, and moved the truck. I immediately requested a supervisor to meet the aircraft via radio contact with operations. A supervisor responded quickly. I described the events. (The original marshallers had made a quick getaway and he apologized.) he also informed me this is an ongoing problem at lax. After completing the flight planning, I asked several other ground personnel about management involvement in solving the problems and they told me the lax vice president was not a hands-on type of manager. It appears that the problems of lax from yrs ago when we had aircraft damage due to illegal ground operations have not been solved. The lax chief pilot told me then that the ramp was a problem area -- similar to the miami problems and it was very difficult to get a handle on it. I don't see the confusion about wing walker requirements. Some ground personnel still don't believe they are accountable to the same rules and it shows in their attitude. I recommend the union safety committee again remind crews to stop, park, and shut down arriving aircraft, so they can be towed to the gate if the ground crews refuse to act professionally and attend to arrs as they are required.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PARKING GUIDANCE PROBS FOR AN ACR CREW AT LAX, CA.

Narrative: FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL UNTIL AFTER LNDG. WHILE APCHING GATE, MY FO AND I BOTH NOTICED 1) THERE WAS A MARSHALLER AND A GND MEMBER HANDLING THE NOSEWHEEL CHOCKS -- NO TRUE WING WALKERS ARE REQUIRED. 2) A TRUCK WAS PARKED COMPLETELY IN THE CLR ZONE. I STOPPED THE ACFT AND SIGNALED TO THE GND MEMBER MANNING THE CHOCKS THAT WE NEEDED 2 WING WALKERS. HE THREW DOWN THE WANDS IN DISGUST AND RECRUITED A THIRD GND CREW MAN FROM OUT OF OUR SIGHT. THE MARSHALLER PROCEEDED TO TRY TO MARSHALL ME IN TO THE SPOT, BUT I REFUSED TO MOVE BECAUSE OF THE TRUCK. I POINTED TO THE TRUCK AND GAVE THE DRIVE SIGNAL WITH MY HANDS. THE ORIGINAL WING WALKER/NOSE GEAR CHOCK PERSON AGAIN THREW HIS WANDS DOWN AND WITH COMPLETE CONTEMPT MOUTHED THE WORDS *&$%#@ AND STOMPED OVER, AND MOVED THE TRUCK. I IMMEDIATELY REQUESTED A SUPVR TO MEET THE ACFT VIA RADIO CONTACT WITH OPS. A SUPVR RESPONDED QUICKLY. I DESCRIBED THE EVENTS. (THE ORIGINAL MARSHALLERS HAD MADE A QUICK GETAWAY AND HE APOLOGIZED.) HE ALSO INFORMED ME THIS IS AN ONGOING PROB AT LAX. AFTER COMPLETING THE FLT PLANNING, I ASKED SEVERAL OTHER GND PERSONNEL ABOUT MGMNT INVOLVEMENT IN SOLVING THE PROBS AND THEY TOLD ME THE LAX VICE PRESIDENT WAS NOT A HANDS-ON TYPE OF MGR. IT APPEARS THAT THE PROBS OF LAX FROM YRS AGO WHEN WE HAD ACFT DAMAGE DUE TO ILLEGAL GND OPS HAVE NOT BEEN SOLVED. THE LAX CHIEF PLT TOLD ME THEN THAT THE RAMP WAS A PROB AREA -- SIMILAR TO THE MIAMI PROBS AND IT WAS VERY DIFFICULT TO GET A HANDLE ON IT. I DON'T SEE THE CONFUSION ABOUT WING WALKER REQUIREMENTS. SOME GND PERSONNEL STILL DON'T BELIEVE THEY ARE ACCOUNTABLE TO THE SAME RULES AND IT SHOWS IN THEIR ATTITUDE. I RECOMMEND THE UNION SAFETY COMMITTEE AGAIN REMIND CREWS TO STOP, PARK, AND SHUT DOWN ARRIVING ACFT, SO THEY CAN BE TOWED TO THE GATE IF THE GND CREWS REFUSE TO ACT PROFESSIONALLY AND ATTEND TO ARRS AS THEY ARE REQUIRED.

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.