Narrative:

Pushback and start were uneventful. Taxi clearance from ground was 'taxi to runway 22R; via taxiway K; taxiway north. Clearance was understood by both crew members and read back correctly. On taxiway K; ground advised 'contact tower on taxiway north.' approaching turn onto taxiway north from taxiway K and just short of the intersection of runway 33L; both captain and I noticed a learjet coming toward us in what appeared to be landing rollout at high speed. The captain slowed our aircraft as we turned left onto taxiway north trying to determine the intentions of the learjet. Ground controller then asked 'what are we doing?' I replied 'watching the learjet approaching at high speed.' ground replied 'he is holding for you.' the captain crossed the hold short line for runway 33L but then slowed our aircraft again as the learjet continued at high speed with no sign of deceleration. If we had taxied onto the runway at the learjet's speed at the time; there would have been a conflict. Ground came on again asking what we were doing and became agitated when we replied that we were still unsure of the learjet's intentions. He replied that we could 'question him once but not twice' and that we had to 'trust him because the lear was just keeping his speed up to cross the intersection of runway 22L and runway 22R.' he then told us to hold and let the learjet; who had come to a stop prior to the taxiway north intersection; continue. We then had to prompt ground; after approximately 30 seconds; to let us continue to runway 22R for takeoff. The outcome was uneventful; however; both the captain and I were extremely uncomfortable with ground's statement about 'trusting him.' he was not at the controls of the lear; so it was not really an issue of trusting him; and his insistence on us taxiing onto an active runway in the path of a high speed aircraft that would clearly have been a conflict was unnerving. To top it off; ground's inappropriate replies and attitude when the captain was clearly concerned about the safety of our aircraft were uncalled for.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B757 FLT CREW TAXIING FOR DEP AT BOS IS CLRED TO CROSS RWY BUT QUESTIONED GND CTL REGARDING ACFT APCHING AT HIGH SPD.

Narrative: PUSHBACK AND START WERE UNEVENTFUL. TAXI CLRNC FROM GND WAS 'TAXI TO RWY 22R; VIA TXWY K; TXWY N. CLRNC WAS UNDERSTOOD BY BOTH CREW MEMBERS AND READ BACK CORRECTLY. ON TXWY K; GND ADVISED 'CONTACT TWR ON TXWY N.' APCHING TURN ONTO TXWY N FROM TXWY K AND JUST SHORT OF THE INTXN OF RWY 33L; BOTH CAPT AND I NOTICED A LEARJET COMING TOWARD US IN WHAT APPEARED TO BE LNDG ROLLOUT AT HIGH SPD. THE CAPT SLOWED OUR ACFT AS WE TURNED L ONTO TXWY N TRYING TO DETERMINE THE INTENTIONS OF THE LEARJET. GND CTLR THEN ASKED 'WHAT ARE WE DOING?' I REPLIED 'WATCHING THE LEARJET APCHING AT HIGH SPD.' GND REPLIED 'HE IS HOLDING FOR YOU.' THE CAPT CROSSED THE HOLD SHORT LINE FOR RWY 33L BUT THEN SLOWED OUR ACFT AGAIN AS THE LEARJET CONTINUED AT HIGH SPD WITH NO SIGN OF DECELERATION. IF WE HAD TAXIED ONTO THE RWY AT THE LEARJET'S SPD AT THE TIME; THERE WOULD HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT. GND CAME ON AGAIN ASKING WHAT WE WERE DOING AND BECAME AGITATED WHEN WE REPLIED THAT WE WERE STILL UNSURE OF THE LEARJET'S INTENTIONS. HE REPLIED THAT WE COULD 'QUESTION HIM ONCE BUT NOT TWICE' AND THAT WE HAD TO 'TRUST HIM BECAUSE THE LEAR WAS JUST KEEPING HIS SPD UP TO CROSS THE INTXN OF RWY 22L AND RWY 22R.' HE THEN TOLD US TO HOLD AND LET THE LEARJET; WHO HAD COME TO A STOP PRIOR TO THE TXWY N INTXN; CONTINUE. WE THEN HAD TO PROMPT GND; AFTER APPROX 30 SECONDS; TO LET US CONTINUE TO RWY 22R FOR TKOF. THE OUTCOME WAS UNEVENTFUL; HOWEVER; BOTH THE CAPT AND I WERE EXTREMELY UNCOMFORTABLE WITH GND'S STATEMENT ABOUT 'TRUSTING HIM.' HE WAS NOT AT THE CTLS OF THE LEAR; SO IT WAS NOT REALLY AN ISSUE OF TRUSTING HIM; AND HIS INSISTENCE ON US TAXIING ONTO AN ACTIVE RWY IN THE PATH OF A HIGH SPD ACFT THAT WOULD CLRLY HAVE BEEN A CONFLICT WAS UNNERVING. TO TOP IT OFF; GND'S INAPPROPRIATE REPLIES AND ATTITUDE WHEN THE CAPT WAS CLRLY CONCERNED ABOUT THE SAFETY OF OUR ACFT WERE UNCALLED FOR.

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.