Narrative:

After engine start and approach checklist, ramp cleared us to spot X for ground to contact us. Transponder was on. Just as I approached spot X, I heard some other spot mentioned and our spot X. Told to turn right on taxiway K and standard taxi to runway 35L. As is the case, sometimes you are given instructions in reference to the spot you are occupying and then the query comes for your call sign. I figured that was the situation. No other aircraft were on taxiway K within a couple of hundred yards, so we began a taxi. The ground controller was still giving taxi instructions to other aircraft when I called to verify our instructions and he said he had actually given instructions to another aircraft and asked us where we were. He idented us and told us to taxi to runway 35L. The ground controller did not seem to have issue with the situation and was rather busy. I do appreciate the professionalism of our dfw controllers, this just seemed to be a miscom, but I did not like the way it happened. Sometimes you have to comply without acknowledging your call sign -- that can be uncomfortable. Our doubts came after we were on the taxiway. No conflict came as a result of this situation. I would prefer that we acknowledge our call sign before controllers go on to the next aircraft, but I know that might slow things down for them. For my part, I will doublechk and not move in the future.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 PLT IS CONCERNED WITH CONFUSING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AT DFW.

Narrative: AFTER ENG START AND APCH CHKLIST, RAMP CLRED US TO SPOT X FOR GND TO CONTACT US. XPONDER WAS ON. JUST AS I APCHED SPOT X, I HEARD SOME OTHER SPOT MENTIONED AND OUR SPOT X. TOLD TO TURN R ON TXWY K AND STANDARD TAXI TO RWY 35L. AS IS THE CASE, SOMETIMES YOU ARE GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS IN REF TO THE SPOT YOU ARE OCCUPYING AND THEN THE QUERY COMES FOR YOUR CALL SIGN. I FIGURED THAT WAS THE SIT. NO OTHER ACFT WERE ON TXWY K WITHIN A COUPLE OF HUNDRED YARDS, SO WE BEGAN A TAXI. THE GND CTLR WAS STILL GIVING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO OTHER ACFT WHEN I CALLED TO VERIFY OUR INSTRUCTIONS AND HE SAID HE HAD ACTUALLY GIVEN INSTRUCTIONS TO ANOTHER ACFT AND ASKED US WHERE WE WERE. HE IDENTED US AND TOLD US TO TAXI TO RWY 35L. THE GND CTLR DID NOT SEEM TO HAVE ISSUE WITH THE SIT AND WAS RATHER BUSY. I DO APPRECIATE THE PROFESSIONALISM OF OUR DFW CTLRS, THIS JUST SEEMED TO BE A MISCOM, BUT I DID NOT LIKE THE WAY IT HAPPENED. SOMETIMES YOU HAVE TO COMPLY WITHOUT ACKNOWLEDGING YOUR CALL SIGN -- THAT CAN BE UNCOMFORTABLE. OUR DOUBTS CAME AFTER WE WERE ON THE TXWY. NO CONFLICT CAME AS A RESULT OF THIS SIT. I WOULD PREFER THAT WE ACKNOWLEDGE OUR CALL SIGN BEFORE CTLRS GO ON TO THE NEXT ACFT, BUT I KNOW THAT MIGHT SLOW THINGS DOWN FOR THEM. FOR MY PART, I WILL DOUBLECHK AND NOT MOVE IN THE FUTURE.

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.