Narrative:

Upon taxi out ground cleared us to taxi to runway 1R, asked for the winds and then advised ATC unable due to wind computation requested runway 28's and were cleared to taxi to runway 28L via txwys a and F, holding short of runway 1L to monitor tower 120.5. At hold short tower asked if we are #1 airbus as we replied we were #2 behind the company airbus. Tower then cleared aircraft Y to taxi and hold short of runway 28L (crossing both runway 1's). He also continued on his transmission to clear us to hold short of runway 28L. As we acknowledged and commenced our taxi behind the company airbus tower asked if we are the airbus crossing runway 1L. We confirmed and he came back by saying that 'I told you to hold short of runway 1L.' I stopped the airplane on taxiway F short of runway 1R and replied that we will hold short to clarify our taxi clearance. Tower then cleared us immediately to cross runway 1R and continue taxi. No other events thereafter. While approaching the hold short position of runway 1L both I and first officer detected a tone of voice from the tower controller to what we suspected as a possible 'task saturation' since he was snapping at an air carrier flight as we switched to his frequency. He was telling the pilot that you, air carrier flight, are the PIC and you can do whatever you want to do with your airplane and all I am trying is to expedite you off the runway. Later while we were holding short of runway 28L, preceding aircraft was given taxiway J to exit and tower came back and said rather harshly to exit at taxiway T with the same agitated voice tone as the pilot was mistakenly exiting the assigned taxiway. I file this report as an improper and mishandling by ATC.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A319 TAXIING FOR DEP AT SFO IS CONFUSED WITH ATC RWY XING CLRNC.

Narrative: UPON TAXI OUT GND CLRED US TO TAXI TO RWY 1R, ASKED FOR THE WINDS AND THEN ADVISED ATC UNABLE DUE TO WIND COMPUTATION REQUESTED RWY 28'S AND WERE CLRED TO TAXI TO RWY 28L VIA TXWYS A AND F, HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 1L TO MONITOR TWR 120.5. AT HOLD SHORT TWR ASKED IF WE ARE #1 AIRBUS AS WE REPLIED WE WERE #2 BEHIND THE COMPANY AIRBUS. TWR THEN CLRED ACFT Y TO TAXI AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28L (XING BOTH RWY 1'S). HE ALSO CONTINUED ON HIS XMISSION TO CLR US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 28L. AS WE ACKNOWLEDGED AND COMMENCED OUR TAXI BEHIND THE COMPANY AIRBUS TWR ASKED IF WE ARE THE AIRBUS XING RWY 1L. WE CONFIRMED AND HE CAME BACK BY SAYING THAT 'I TOLD YOU TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 1L.' I STOPPED THE AIRPLANE ON TXWY F SHORT OF RWY 1R AND REPLIED THAT WE WILL HOLD SHORT TO CLARIFY OUR TAXI CLRNC. TWR THEN CLRED US IMMEDIATELY TO CROSS RWY 1R AND CONTINUE TAXI. NO OTHER EVENTS THEREAFTER. WHILE APCHING THE HOLD SHORT POS OF RWY 1L BOTH I AND FO DETECTED A TONE OF VOICE FROM THE TWR CTLR TO WHAT WE SUSPECTED AS A POSSIBLE 'TASK SATURATION' SINCE HE WAS SNAPPING AT AN ACR FLT AS WE SWITCHED TO HIS FREQ. HE WAS TELLING THE PLT THAT YOU, ACR FLT, ARE THE PIC AND YOU CAN DO WHATEVER YOU WANT TO DO WITH YOUR AIRPLANE AND ALL I AM TRYING IS TO EXPEDITE YOU OFF THE RWY. LATER WHILE WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 28L, PRECEDING ACFT WAS GIVEN TXWY J TO EXIT AND TWR CAME BACK AND SAID RATHER HARSHLY TO EXIT AT TXWY T WITH THE SAME AGITATED VOICE TONE AS THE PLT WAS MISTAKENLY EXITING THE ASSIGNED TXWY. I FILE THIS RPT AS AN IMPROPER AND MISHANDLING BY ATC.

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.