Flight crew reports unprofessional attitude displayed by smf ground controller.

Attributes
ACN	639680
Time
Date	200412
Place
Locale Reference	airport : smf.airport
State Reference	CA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Flight Conditions	IMC
Weather Elements	Fog Rain
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	B737-300
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
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 250 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 5000
ASRS Report	639680
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Experience	flight time last 90 days : 220 flight time total : 11000 flight time type : 1700
ASRS Report	639682
Events
Independent Detector	other flight crewa other flight crewb
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Consequence	faa : reviewed incident with flight crew
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance FAA ATC Facility
Primary Problem	ATC Human Performance

Narrative:

After shooting an approach to minimums runway 16L in smf the tower controller told us to clear the highspeed and contact ground. So we did. As we turned to clear the highspeed onto taxiway D we had to wait to call ground because the ground controller was berating another company flight that landed on the right side of the field. When we called ground, the controller asked us, 'why we were taxiing without a clearance' very sternly, and then asked us our position on the field. We said we were short of charlie 2 on delta. Then with much attitude and sarcasm, said, 'well I guess you're just cleared to the gate you want.' so we taxied onto taxiway yankee. Moments later an operations truck asked for clearance on yankee, and the controller said, 'go ahead, there's a company jet just doing whatever he wants.' well I hit the gate, got on the phone to talk to the tower supervisor. Well I got the ground controller instead and he proceeded to yell at me over the phone, saying 'since when do you taxi without a clearance?' I told him we weren't. He said the taxi question, 'since when do you taxi without a clearance?' about five times then hung up on me. Well I called the chief pilot on duty and I told him the story. This guy was way out of line and very unprofessional. Maybe he can't handle the pressure. He barked and yelled at everyone and accused us of taxiing without a clearance. We did nothing wrong, we just cleared the runway as requested by tower and called ground! That guy should be removed! Way overstressed. Supplemental from acn 639682: switched to ground control, then waited for the ground controller to finish his rather unfriendly like remarks to another company flight before we could contact him. As I called ground, I mistakenly said we were clear of runway 16R but corrected that to 16L in the same sentence and asked for clearance to gate xx. The ground controller asked where we were again and I said 'clear of 16L on taxiway delta short of charlie 2 for gate xx'. His response was unprofessional, sarcastic like, and when were we instructed to taxi to our gate, it was without direction. Later when we taxied out for departure, we heard the same ground controller berating another carrier crew who asked a question about the current visibility.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: FLC REPORTS UNPROFESSIONAL ATTITUDE DISPLAYED BY SMF GND CTLR.

Narrative: AFTER SHOOTING AN APCH TO MINIMUMS RWY 16L IN SMF THE TWR CTLR TOLD US TO CLEAR THE HIGHSPEED AND CONTACT GND. SO WE DID. AS WE TURNED TO CLEAR THE HIGHSPEED ONTO TXWY D WE HAD TO WAIT TO CALL GND BECAUSE THE GND CTLR WAS BERATING ANOTHER COMPANY FLT THAT LANDED ON THE RIGHT SIDE OF THE FIELD. WHEN WE CALLED GND, THE CTLR ASKED US, 'WHY WE WERE TAXIING WITHOUT A CLRNC' VERY STERNLY, AND THEN ASKED US OUR POSITION ON THE FIELD. WE SAID WE WERE SHORT OF CHARLIE 2 ON DELTA. THEN WITH MUCH ATTITUDE AND SARCASM, SAID, 'WELL I GUESS YOU'RE JUST CLRED TO THE GATE YOU WANT.' SO WE TAXIED ONTO TXWY YANKEE. MOMENTS LATER AN OPS TRUCK ASKED FOR CLRNC ON YANKEE, AND THE CTLR SAID, 'GO AHEAD, THERE'S A COMPANY JET JUST DOING WHATEVER HE WANTS.' WELL I HIT THE GATE, GOT ON THE PHONE TO TALK TO THE TWR SUPERVISOR. WELL I GOT THE GND CTLR INSTEAD AND HE PROCEEDED TO YELL AT ME OVER THE PHONE, SAYING 'SINCE WHEN DO YOU TAXI WITHOUT A CLRNC?' I TOLD HIM WE WEREN'T. HE SAID THE TAXI QUESTION, 'SINCE WHEN DO YOU TAXI WITHOUT A CLRNC?' ABOUT FIVE TIMES THEN HUNG UP ON ME. WELL I CALLED THE CHIEF PLT ON DUTY AND I TOLD HIM THE STORY. THIS GUY WAS WAY OUT OF LINE AND VERY UNPROFESSIONAL. MAYBE HE CAN'T HANDLE THE PRESSURE. HE BARKED AND YELLED AT EVERYONE AND ACCUSED US OF TAXIING WITHOUT A CLRNC. WE DID NOTHING WRONG, WE JUST CLRED THE RWY AS REQUESTED BY TWR AND CALLED GND! THAT GUY SHOULD BE REMOVED! WAY OVERSTRESSED. SUPPLEMENTAL FROM ACN 639682: SWITCHED TO GND CTL, THEN WAITED FOR THE GND CTLR TO FINISH HIS RATHER UNFRIENDLY LIKE REMARKS TO ANOTHER COMPANY FLT BEFORE WE COULD CONTACT HIM. AS I CALLED GND, I MISTAKENLY SAID WE WERE CLR OF RWY 16R BUT CORRECTED THAT TO 16L IN THE SAME SENTENCE AND ASKED FOR CLRNC TO GATE XX. THE GND CTLR ASKED WHERE WE WERE AGAIN AND I SAID 'CLR OF 16L ON TXWY DELTA SHORT OF CHARLIE 2 FOR GATE XX'. HIS RESPONSE WAS UNPROFESSIONAL, SARCASTIC LIKE, AND WHEN WERE WE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI TO OUR GATE, IT WAS WITHOUT DIRECTION. LATER WHEN WE TAXIED OUT FOR DEP, WE HEARD THE SAME GND CTLR BERATING ANOTHER CARRIER CREW WHO ASKED A QUESTION ABOUT THE CURRENT VISIBILITY.

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.