Narrative:

Taxi out at mci. We had recently moved our gate areas. I was given taxi clearance as 'taxi to runway 1L.' I started the taxi, planning to use taxiway M because the aircraft had been pushed back at an angle and I had to go around another aircraft that was parked on the ramp. As I started to go to taxiway M, ground said 'air carrier X, where are you going?' I was concerned because I knew what I wanted to do, but ground had other expectations. To compound the situation, another air carrier wanted to come down taxiway M to their gates at terminal. Ground then said 'pull off on the bravo hold pad.' I looked at the airport diagram and couldn't find a bravo hold pad and I asked my first officer about that and he didn't see one either. I did see a piece of asphalt that had a big yellow 'X' on it near the taxiway B and I usually don't go where there are big yellow X's. Ground then said 'air carrier X, what are you doing?' we didn't say anything because we were trying to get out of the way at this point. I turned down taxiway B. Then ground finally gave some directions and said to hold short of taxiway A9, which we did, and then we taxied via taxiway A9, taxiway a to runway 1L. The whole mix-up could be summarized by the fact that ground control had a certain expectation from us and offered no help other than asking 'what are you doing?' answer: 'taxiing' or 'to runway 1L.' there is a new ramp area that is open with few markings or control points. I was just trying to stay on marked taxi lanes to ensure wingtip clearance and predictability. I've been to kansas city many times, but we did change our gate areas. That could have thrown me off. I guess next time I will ask for a specific route to taxi to the runway.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: TXWY INCURSION AS THE PIC OF AN MD88 BECAME CONFUSED BY THE LACK OF SIGNAGE ON A NEW RAMP DURING TAXI TO RWY 1L AT MCI, MO.

Narrative: TAXI OUT AT MCI. WE HAD RECENTLY MOVED OUR GATE AREAS. I WAS GIVEN TAXI CLRNC AS 'TAXI TO RWY 1L.' I STARTED THE TAXI, PLANNING TO USE TXWY M BECAUSE THE ACFT HAD BEEN PUSHED BACK AT AN ANGLE AND I HAD TO GO AROUND ANOTHER ACFT THAT WAS PARKED ON THE RAMP. AS I STARTED TO GO TO TXWY M, GND SAID 'ACR X, WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' I WAS CONCERNED BECAUSE I KNEW WHAT I WANTED TO DO, BUT GND HAD OTHER EXPECTATIONS. TO COMPOUND THE SIT, ANOTHER ACR WANTED TO COME DOWN TXWY M TO THEIR GATES AT TERMINAL. GND THEN SAID 'PULL OFF ON THE BRAVO HOLD PAD.' I LOOKED AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM AND COULDN'T FIND A BRAVO HOLD PAD AND I ASKED MY FO ABOUT THAT AND HE DIDN'T SEE ONE EITHER. I DID SEE A PIECE OF ASPHALT THAT HAD A BIG YELLOW 'X' ON IT NEAR THE TXWY B AND I USUALLY DON'T GO WHERE THERE ARE BIG YELLOW X'S. GND THEN SAID 'ACR X, WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' WE DIDN'T SAY ANYTHING BECAUSE WE WERE TRYING TO GET OUT OF THE WAY AT THIS POINT. I TURNED DOWN TXWY B. THEN GND FINALLY GAVE SOME DIRECTIONS AND SAID TO HOLD SHORT OF TXWY A9, WHICH WE DID, AND THEN WE TAXIED VIA TXWY A9, TXWY A TO RWY 1L. THE WHOLE MIX-UP COULD BE SUMMARIZED BY THE FACT THAT GND CTL HAD A CERTAIN EXPECTATION FROM US AND OFFERED NO HELP OTHER THAN ASKING 'WHAT ARE YOU DOING?' ANSWER: 'TAXIING' OR 'TO RWY 1L.' THERE IS A NEW RAMP AREA THAT IS OPEN WITH FEW MARKINGS OR CTL POINTS. I WAS JUST TRYING TO STAY ON MARKED TAXI LANES TO ENSURE WINGTIP CLRNC AND PREDICTABILITY. I'VE BEEN TO KANSAS CITY MANY TIMES, BUT WE DID CHANGE OUR GATE AREAS. THAT COULD HAVE THROWN ME OFF. I GUESS NEXT TIME I WILL ASK FOR A SPECIFIC RTE TO TAXI TO THE RWY.

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.