Aircraft taxiing for departure at lax experienced conflict with vehicle.

Attributes
ACN	583572
Time
Date	200305
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1801 To 2400
Place
Locale Reference	airport : lax.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	VMC
Light	Dusk
Aircraft 1
Controlling Facilities	tracon : nct.tracon
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	Commercial Fixed Wing
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : taxi
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : private pilot : instrument pilot : flight engineer pilot : atp pilot : commercial
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 100 flight time total : 9000 flight time type : 250
ASRS Report	583572
Person 2
Affiliation	government : faa
Function	controller : ground
Events
Anomaly	ground encounters : vehicle non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	flight crew : took precautionary avoidance action
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	Airport
Primary Problem	Airport

Narrative:

We were on our ramp at lax. Our parking diagram states that we should leave the ramp via A3. A3 is part of a hugh throat from taxiway a onto our ramp. Our diagram and the airport taxiway sign is not clear as to which of 2 lines are A3. I turned left on the closest line to me which was a left turn because we were going to turn left again on taxiway a. As I started the turn, a vehicle was speeding on the taxiway on a vehicle access road and then swerved onto taxiway a and ended up between the runway and taxiway a, continued on that paved area and then back across the taxiway onto the ramp. I stopped the aircraft just after I started the turn. It was not a close call. Ground did not warn me of a vehicle on the taxiway. I assume he had clearance. He may have thought I was going to use the other line, about 50 ft further down the throat. Maybe he was trying to beat me there. The signage and taxiway lines should be clrer there.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: ACFT TAXIING FOR DEP AT LAX EXPERIENCED CONFLICT WITH VEHICLE.

Narrative: WE WERE ON OUR RAMP AT LAX. OUR PARKING DIAGRAM STATES THAT WE SHOULD LEAVE THE RAMP VIA A3. A3 IS PART OF A HUGH THROAT FROM TXWY A ONTO OUR RAMP. OUR DIAGRAM AND THE ARPT TXWY SIGN IS NOT CLR AS TO WHICH OF 2 LINES ARE A3. I TURNED L ON THE CLOSEST LINE TO ME WHICH WAS A L TURN BECAUSE WE WERE GOING TO TURN L AGAIN ON TXWY A. AS I STARTED THE TURN, A VEHICLE WAS SPDING ON THE TXWY ON A VEHICLE ACCESS ROAD AND THEN SWERVED ONTO TXWY A AND ENDED UP BTWN THE RWY AND TXWY A, CONTINUED ON THAT PAVED AREA AND THEN BACK ACROSS THE TXWY ONTO THE RAMP. I STOPPED THE ACFT JUST AFTER I STARTED THE TURN. IT WAS NOT A CLOSE CALL. GND DID NOT WARN ME OF A VEHICLE ON THE TXWY. I ASSUME HE HAD CLRNC. HE MAY HAVE THOUGHT I WAS GOING TO USE THE OTHER LINE, ABOUT 50 FT FURTHER DOWN THE THROAT. MAYBE HE WAS TRYING TO BEAT ME THERE. THE SIGNAGE AND TXWY LINES SHOULD BE CLRER THERE.

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.