Narrative:

We were taxiing to runway 16L. A DC10 took off runway 16L as we held short of runway 16L. We waited for a couple of mins assuming the sea tower was observing the wake turbulence rule. During our wait, 2 dhc-8's taxied behind us. When the tower finally transmitted, it was blocked. We came to the normal conclusion that it was for us. We transmitted back that we were position and hold. There was no correction, so we taxied onto the runway. A few seconds later, tower cleared one of the dhc-8's flts for takeoff. We stated that there was some confusion and that we were in position. He instructed us to taxi down and clear of the runway. We complied, and taxied back to the hold short lines. Tower gave no further explanation nor comment. We were cleared for takeoff and the remainder of the flight was uneventful. After shutdown in ZZZ, I called the sea tower to hear their side of the story. The person I spoke to simply told me we had pulled out in front of the dhc-8. While I admitted that I should have pressed for more clarity on the initial transmission, I asked about the aircraft sequence. The controller informed me that the sequence is irrelevant. I then asked why tower didn't correct us on our readback. The controller replied that our transmission was weak and garbled. If communication by ourselves and ATC had been verified, this wouldn't have happened. Sea tower has had a poor disposition for yrs and refuses to accept any fault in occurrences.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: E120 FLC CHALLENGE SEA TWR AND ARE CHALLENGED BY SEA TWR ABOUT RWY INCURSION AND BLOCKED OR MISSED READBACK CLRNCS.

Narrative: WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 16L. A DC10 TOOK OFF RWY 16L AS WE HELD SHORT OF RWY 16L. WE WAITED FOR A COUPLE OF MINS ASSUMING THE SEA TWR WAS OBSERVING THE WAKE TURB RULE. DURING OUR WAIT, 2 DHC-8'S TAXIED BEHIND US. WHEN THE TWR FINALLY XMITTED, IT WAS BLOCKED. WE CAME TO THE NORMAL CONCLUSION THAT IT WAS FOR US. WE XMITTED BACK THAT WE WERE POS AND HOLD. THERE WAS NO CORRECTION, SO WE TAXIED ONTO THE RWY. A FEW SECONDS LATER, TWR CLRED ONE OF THE DHC-8'S FLTS FOR TKOF. WE STATED THAT THERE WAS SOME CONFUSION AND THAT WE WERE IN POS. HE INSTRUCTED US TO TAXI DOWN AND CLR OF THE RWY. WE COMPLIED, AND TAXIED BACK TO THE HOLD SHORT LINES. TWR GAVE NO FURTHER EXPLANATION NOR COMMENT. WE WERE CLRED FOR TKOF AND THE REMAINDER OF THE FLT WAS UNEVENTFUL. AFTER SHUTDOWN IN ZZZ, I CALLED THE SEA TWR TO HEAR THEIR SIDE OF THE STORY. THE PERSON I SPOKE TO SIMPLY TOLD ME WE HAD PULLED OUT IN FRONT OF THE DHC-8. WHILE I ADMITTED THAT I SHOULD HAVE PRESSED FOR MORE CLARITY ON THE INITIAL XMISSION, I ASKED ABOUT THE ACFT SEQUENCE. THE CTLR INFORMED ME THAT THE SEQUENCE IS IRRELEVANT. I THEN ASKED WHY TWR DIDN'T CORRECT US ON OUR READBACK. THE CTLR REPLIED THAT OUR XMISSION WAS WEAK AND GARBLED. IF COM BY OURSELVES AND ATC HAD BEEN VERIFIED, THIS WOULDN'T HAVE HAPPENED. SEA TWR HAS HAD A POOR DISPOSITION FOR YRS AND REFUSES TO ACCEPT ANY FAULT IN OCCURRENCES.

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.