Narrative:

I believe that I taxied across an active runway at a tower controled airport without the proper clearance to do so. However, I also believe that the tower controller intended for me to cross the runway. Preparing for departure, I called ground control and asked for taxi clearance. He responded with clearance to taxi to runway 35. From my position on the northeast ramp at ZZZ, this required crossing runway 35 at the north end to get to the parallel taxiway on the west side of the runway. I initially held short of the runway and asked the controller if I could continue the taxi. He replied in a condescending (some would say smart-aleck) tone in the affirmative, that the clearance was to taxi to runway 35, implying that I did not understand the original clearance. I crossed the runway and continued taxiing, but soon realized that the controller had never said verbatim to cross the runway. I should have insisted on the proper terminology, but did not. There was no conflict with other aircraft since I was the only airplane moving on ixd at the time. My 3 concerns are: 1) does this controller fully understand the 'taxi to clearance?' 2) some ATC controllers are becoming rude and condescending to pilots, which can be intimidating. 3) my biggest concern is that I allowed myself to be intimidated. I know that you are to hold short of the active runway with this type of clearance. I have studied the aim and will not allow this to happen again.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT CROSSES ACTIVE RWY.

Narrative: I BELIEVE THAT I TAXIED ACROSS AN ACTIVE RWY AT A TWR CTLED ARPT WITHOUT THE PROPER CLRNC TO DO SO. HOWEVER, I ALSO BELIEVE THAT THE TWR CTLR INTENDED FOR ME TO CROSS THE RWY. PREPARING FOR DEP, I CALLED GND CTL AND ASKED FOR TAXI CLRNC. HE RESPONDED WITH CLRNC TO TAXI TO RWY 35. FROM MY POS ON THE NE RAMP AT ZZZ, THIS REQUIRED XING RWY 35 AT THE N END TO GET TO THE PARALLEL TXWY ON THE W SIDE OF THE RWY. I INITIALLY HELD SHORT OF THE RWY AND ASKED THE CTLR IF I COULD CONTINUE THE TAXI. HE REPLIED IN A CONDESCENDING (SOME WOULD SAY SMART-ALECK) TONE IN THE AFFIRMATIVE, THAT THE CLRNC WAS TO TAXI TO RWY 35, IMPLYING THAT I DID NOT UNDERSTAND THE ORIGINAL CLRNC. I CROSSED THE RWY AND CONTINUED TAXIING, BUT SOON REALIZED THAT THE CTLR HAD NEVER SAID VERBATIM TO CROSS THE RWY. I SHOULD HAVE INSISTED ON THE PROPER TERMINOLOGY, BUT DID NOT. THERE WAS NO CONFLICT WITH OTHER ACFT SINCE I WAS THE ONLY AIRPLANE MOVING ON IXD AT THE TIME. MY 3 CONCERNS ARE: 1) DOES THIS CTLR FULLY UNDERSTAND THE 'TAXI TO CLRNC?' 2) SOME ATC CTLRS ARE BECOMING RUDE AND CONDESCENDING TO PLTS, WHICH CAN BE INTIMIDATING. 3) MY BIGGEST CONCERN IS THAT I ALLOWED MYSELF TO BE INTIMIDATED. I KNOW THAT YOU ARE TO HOLD SHORT OF THE ACTIVE RWY WITH THIS TYPE OF CLRNC. I HAVE STUDIED THE AIM AND WILL NOT ALLOW THIS TO HAPPEN AGAIN.

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.