Narrative:

On taxi in to gate; the 'no parking' signs and the yellow and red clear zone stripes were obscured by the 5 baggage carts and one cart tractor scattered along the left hand wall. In spite of this blockage; the taxi director and the wing walker kept motioning me in to park despite my 'brakes' hand signal and my insistent and unmistakable signaling to move the equipment. Through my open window I had to yell down to them that the aircraft was not moving until the parking area was clear before they finally moved the baggage carts and tractor. I have made this same complaint numerous times in ZZZ. 5 to 6 years ago as a different aircraft captain; I reported this dangerous practice no less than 6 separate times. It has been 4 to 5 years since I have parked at one of these two gates. Today I saw the ground crews have not changed this dangerous practice. The area between the center yellow stripe for the nosewheel and the either yellow or yellow and red stripes at the outside edges of the clear area must absolutely be clear of any obstructions before an aircraft can taxi in. I know this; the FAA knows this; the NTSB knows this; the safety department knows this; the safety committee knows this; and the ZZZ ground crews that violate this FAA item know this. Parking directors are under the mistaken impression that they can violate FAA and company regulations just because they think the area looks clear. If I move my aircraft into the parking area with ground equipment cluttering the clear area and some of it breaks loose and rolls into the aircraft or ground personnel; I will be held responsible and my license will be in jeopardy for placing the aircraft entrusted to me in an unsafe situation. The next problem is that blatant disregard of either the 2 to 3 ft tall letters stating 'no parking' or the clearly marked yellow and red clear zone stripes allows a very dangerous complacent attitude to exist and grow. The idea that safety should be circumvented to decrease workload and expedite flow will cause an accident and or injury. The only question is when this will occur. The answer is very very simple. If there is insufficient room to safely park ground equipment along the walls of X and Y; get rid of the 'no parking' signs on the walls; remove the yellow and red stripes in place now and repaint them so as to mark the 'real' clear area and continue to park equipment along the wall. However; if (as I suspect) the markings now in place safely describe the required clear area then keep that area clear. If a taxi director or wing walker motions an aircraft in to park with equipment in the clear area; take the appropriate disciplinary action to ensure they will not hazard an aircraft or their ground crew again. If the minimum standard was not good enough; it would not be the minimum. Since the standard exists; I expect it to be followed.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CAPT RPTS CONTINUED GND EQUIP PARKING INCURSIONS IN THE TAXI CLEAR AREA AT GATES X AND Y WITH TAXI DIRECTORS IGNORING THE HAZARD.

Narrative: ON TAXI IN TO GATE; THE 'NO PARKING' SIGNS AND THE YELLOW AND RED CLEAR ZONE STRIPES WERE OBSCURED BY THE 5 BAGGAGE CARTS AND ONE CART TRACTOR SCATTERED ALONG THE L HAND WALL. IN SPITE OF THIS BLOCKAGE; THE TAXI DIRECTOR AND THE WING WALKER KEPT MOTIONING ME IN TO PARK DESPITE MY 'BRAKES' HAND SIGNAL AND MY INSISTENT AND UNMISTAKABLE SIGNALING TO MOVE THE EQUIP. THROUGH MY OPEN WINDOW I HAD TO YELL DOWN TO THEM THAT THE ACFT WAS NOT MOVING UNTIL THE PARKING AREA WAS CLEAR BEFORE THEY FINALLY MOVED THE BAGGAGE CARTS AND TRACTOR. I HAVE MADE THIS SAME COMPLAINT NUMEROUS TIMES IN ZZZ. 5 TO 6 YEARS AGO AS A DIFFERENT ACFT CAPT; I RPTED THIS DANGEROUS PRACTICE NO LESS THAN 6 SEPARATE TIMES. IT HAS BEEN 4 TO 5 YEARS SINCE I HAVE PARKED AT ONE OF THESE TWO GATES. TODAY I SAW THE GND CREWS HAVE NOT CHANGED THIS DANGEROUS PRACTICE. THE AREA BETWEEN THE CENTER YELLOW STRIPE FOR THE NOSEWHEEL AND THE EITHER YELLOW OR YELLOW AND RED STRIPES AT THE OUTSIDE EDGES OF THE CLEAR AREA MUST ABSOLUTELY BE CLEAR OF ANY OBSTRUCTIONS BEFORE AN ACFT CAN TAXI IN. I KNOW THIS; THE FAA KNOWS THIS; THE NTSB KNOWS THIS; THE SAFETY DEPT KNOWS THIS; THE SAFETY COMMITTEE KNOWS THIS; AND THE ZZZ GND CREWS THAT VIOLATE THIS FAA ITEM KNOW THIS. PARKING DIRECTORS ARE UNDER THE MISTAKEN IMPRESSION THAT THEY CAN VIOLATE FAA AND COMPANY REGULATIONS JUST BECAUSE THEY THINK THE AREA LOOKS CLEAR. IF I MOVE MY ACFT INTO THE PARKING AREA WITH GND EQUIP CLUTTERING THE CLEAR AREA AND SOME OF IT BREAKS LOOSE AND ROLLS INTO THE ACFT OR GND PERSONNEL; I WILL BE HELD RESPONSIBLE AND MY LICENSE WILL BE IN JEOPARDY FOR PLACING THE ACFT ENTRUSTED TO ME IN AN UNSAFE SIT. THE NEXT PROB IS THAT BLATANT DISREGARD OF EITHER THE 2 TO 3 FT TALL LETTERS STATING 'NO PARKING' OR THE CLEARLY MARKED YELLOW AND RED CLEAR ZONE STRIPES ALLOWS A VERY DANGEROUS COMPLACENT ATTITUDE TO EXIST AND GROW. THE IDEA THAT SAFETY SHOULD BE CIRCUMVENTED TO DECREASE WORKLOAD AND EXPEDITE FLOW WILL CAUSE AN ACCIDENT AND OR INJURY. THE ONLY QUESTION IS WHEN THIS WILL OCCUR. THE ANSWER IS VERY VERY SIMPLE. IF THERE IS INSUFFICIENT ROOM TO SAFELY PARK GND EQUIP ALONG THE WALLS OF X AND Y; GET RID OF THE 'NO PARKING' SIGNS ON THE WALLS; REMOVE THE YELLOW AND RED STRIPES IN PLACE NOW AND REPAINT THEM SO AS TO MARK THE 'REAL' CLEAR AREA AND CONTINUE TO PARK EQUIP ALONG THE WALL. HOWEVER; IF (AS I SUSPECT) THE MARKINGS NOW IN PLACE SAFELY DESCRIBE THE REQUIRED CLEAR AREA THEN KEEP THAT AREA CLEAR. IF A TAXI DIRECTOR OR WING WALKER MOTIONS AN ACFT IN TO PARK WITH EQUIP IN THE CLEAR AREA; TAKE THE APPROPRIATE DISCIPLINARY ACTION TO ENSURE THEY WILL NOT HAZARD AN ACFT OR THEIR GND CREW AGAIN. IF THE MINIMUM STANDARD WAS NOT GOOD ENOUGH; IT WOULD NOT BE THE MINIMUM. SINCE THE STANDARD EXISTS; I EXPECT IT TO BE FOLLOWED.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.