Narrative:

Lnded on runway 28L at sfo at XA32 local. Turned off at taxiway D and were told to taxi via taxiway B to the gate. They were doing maintenance on taxiway a and between taxiway a and taxiway B. As we approached on taxiway B it appeared as if taxiway B was blocked with barriers and we could access our gate via the ramp between taxiway a and concourse. There were no airplanes at any of the other end gates and we would have no problem. There was a city sfo ground maintenance truck that was on the ramp and he decided he didn't want us to do this so he blocked our path and we eventually shutdown and our company came out to tow us into gate after exchange of words between us and the city sfo ground maintenance truck. There were NOTAMS of construction and also that we might have to be towed to gate, but when we checked in with company they didn't say we would have to be towed in. With the unlit and badly marked txwys and placement of the barriers, the flood lights around the work project it appeared at least to us that taxiway B was blocked and our safest course was to taxi to gate on ramp between concourse and taxiway a. If the city sfo ground maintenance truck would have just moved we could have taxied to gate at idle power with no problem but instead we were towed to gate with no problem. I believe that the city sfo ground maintenance people should put barriers all the way across the ramp and mark the area better if they don't want us there at all, this would clear up any questions about what they want. I was told after, that we were about the 4TH airplane to do this in the last week, so I believe there is a trend and something should be done. We might have stopped and asked ground, but they don't usually control our ramp. Also, if the FAA wouldn't let each airport do their own thing and made all airport standardize, we would cut down on more ground problems.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A320 CREW HAD ENTRANCE TO GATE DELIBERATELY BLOCKED BY ARPT MAINT TRUCK.

Narrative: LNDED ON RWY 28L AT SFO AT XA32 LOCAL. TURNED OFF AT TXWY D AND WERE TOLD TO TAXI VIA TXWY B TO THE GATE. THEY WERE DOING MAINT ON TXWY A AND BTWN TXWY A AND TXWY B. AS WE APCHED ON TXWY B IT APPEARED AS IF TXWY B WAS BLOCKED WITH BARRIERS AND WE COULD ACCESS OUR GATE VIA THE RAMP BTWN TXWY A AND CONCOURSE. THERE WERE NO AIRPLANES AT ANY OF THE OTHER END GATES AND WE WOULD HAVE NO PROB. THERE WAS A CITY SFO GND MAINT TRUCK THAT WAS ON THE RAMP AND HE DECIDED HE DIDN'T WANT US TO DO THIS SO HE BLOCKED OUR PATH AND WE EVENTUALLY SHUTDOWN AND OUR COMPANY CAME OUT TO TOW US INTO GATE AFTER EXCHANGE OF WORDS BTWN US AND THE CITY SFO GND MAINT TRUCK. THERE WERE NOTAMS OF CONSTRUCTION AND ALSO THAT WE MIGHT HAVE TO BE TOWED TO GATE, BUT WHEN WE CHECKED IN WITH COMPANY THEY DIDN'T SAY WE WOULD HAVE TO BE TOWED IN. WITH THE UNLIT AND BADLY MARKED TXWYS AND PLACEMENT OF THE BARRIERS, THE FLOOD LIGHTS AROUND THE WORK PROJECT IT APPEARED AT LEAST TO US THAT TXWY B WAS BLOCKED AND OUR SAFEST COURSE WAS TO TAXI TO GATE ON RAMP BTWN CONCOURSE AND TXWY A. IF THE CITY SFO GND MAINT TRUCK WOULD HAVE JUST MOVED WE COULD HAVE TAXIED TO GATE AT IDLE PWR WITH NO PROB BUT INSTEAD WE WERE TOWED TO GATE WITH NO PROB. I BELIEVE THAT THE CITY SFO GND MAINT PEOPLE SHOULD PUT BARRIERS ALL THE WAY ACROSS THE RAMP AND MARK THE AREA BETTER IF THEY DON'T WANT US THERE AT ALL, THIS WOULD CLEAR UP ANY QUESTIONS ABOUT WHAT THEY WANT. I WAS TOLD AFTER, THAT WE WERE ABOUT THE 4TH AIRPLANE TO DO THIS IN THE LAST WEEK, SO I BELIEVE THERE IS A TREND AND SOMETHING SHOULD BE DONE. WE MIGHT HAVE STOPPED AND ASKED GND, BUT THEY DON'T USUALLY CTL OUR RAMP. ALSO, IF THE FAA WOULDN'T LET EACH ARPT DO THEIR OWN THING AND MADE ALL ARPT STANDARDIZE, WE WOULD CUT DOWN ON MORE GND PROBS.

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.