Narrative:

At XA36 while taxiing to the gate; I saw an md parked on the innermost gate. There was a catering truck and 3 vans parked behind it. I turned on the right landing light to let ramp service contract company know the vehicles were too close to our right wing. They continued to marshall us in to the gate. I set the parking brake; and the first officer called operations. Flashing just the right turnoff light numerous times; I tried to give them a clue. They had none. Ramp service contract company finally sent a wing walker to our right wing and once again motioned us to taxi to the gate. We both thought it didn't look safe and I made the third call to operations. Finally; ramp service contract company got in the vehicles and started to move them. Next came a 'keystone cops act' right out of the 20's. The catering truck pulled forward; stopped; backed up; almost hit one of the vans; then pulled forward out of the way. A woman got in one of the vans; drove ahead 10 ft; stopped; got out and walked away. It was still in our way; just closer to our right wing. I continued to flash the turnoff light and another ramper got in and drove it out of the way. We finally got to the gate at XA52. Catering's habit of parking vehicles behind our jets is a bad idea in this scenario; especially with the construction and barriers in front of our jet. The bottom line is that it is still not safe out there! Had we continued ahead on the taxi line; the right wing would have gone over the vehicles. All the while ramp service contract company motioned for us to continue to the gate. It was dark; the glare from the ramp lights obscured the safety zone lines; and it just didn't look right! Rain would have made it worse. When the ramp is wet; you can't see any of the lines clearly because of the glare of the ramp lights -- an ongoing problem for yrs that has not been addressed. The ground crew needs a portable VHF radio; not a cell phone. It will happen again! I think I'll start bringing my video camera.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: CAPT OF B737-400 IS DISTRESSED WITH POOR RAMP GUIDANCE AND UNSAFE LOCATION OF VEHICLES ADJACENT TO THEIR GATE.

Narrative: AT XA36 WHILE TAXIING TO THE GATE; I SAW AN MD PARKED ON THE INNERMOST GATE. THERE WAS A CATERING TRUCK AND 3 VANS PARKED BEHIND IT. I TURNED ON THE R LNDG LIGHT TO LET RAMP SVC CONTRACT COMPANY KNOW THE VEHICLES WERE TOO CLOSE TO OUR R WING. THEY CONTINUED TO MARSHALL US IN TO THE GATE. I SET THE PARKING BRAKE; AND THE FO CALLED OPS. FLASHING JUST THE R TURNOFF LIGHT NUMEROUS TIMES; I TRIED TO GIVE THEM A CLUE. THEY HAD NONE. RAMP SVC CONTRACT COMPANY FINALLY SENT A WING WALKER TO OUR R WING AND ONCE AGAIN MOTIONED US TO TAXI TO THE GATE. WE BOTH THOUGHT IT DIDN'T LOOK SAFE AND I MADE THE THIRD CALL TO OPS. FINALLY; RAMP SVC CONTRACT COMPANY GOT IN THE VEHICLES AND STARTED TO MOVE THEM. NEXT CAME A 'KEYSTONE COPS ACT' RIGHT OUT OF THE 20'S. THE CATERING TRUCK PULLED FORWARD; STOPPED; BACKED UP; ALMOST HIT ONE OF THE VANS; THEN PULLED FORWARD OUT OF THE WAY. A WOMAN GOT IN ONE OF THE VANS; DROVE AHEAD 10 FT; STOPPED; GOT OUT AND WALKED AWAY. IT WAS STILL IN OUR WAY; JUST CLOSER TO OUR R WING. I CONTINUED TO FLASH THE TURNOFF LIGHT AND ANOTHER RAMPER GOT IN AND DROVE IT OUT OF THE WAY. WE FINALLY GOT TO THE GATE AT XA52. CATERING'S HABIT OF PARKING VEHICLES BEHIND OUR JETS IS A BAD IDEA IN THIS SCENARIO; ESPECIALLY WITH THE CONSTRUCTION AND BARRIERS IN FRONT OF OUR JET. THE BOTTOM LINE IS THAT IT IS STILL NOT SAFE OUT THERE! HAD WE CONTINUED AHEAD ON THE TAXI LINE; THE R WING WOULD HAVE GONE OVER THE VEHICLES. ALL THE WHILE RAMP SVC CONTRACT COMPANY MOTIONED FOR US TO CONTINUE TO THE GATE. IT WAS DARK; THE GLARE FROM THE RAMP LIGHTS OBSCURED THE SAFETY ZONE LINES; AND IT JUST DIDN'T LOOK RIGHT! RAIN WOULD HAVE MADE IT WORSE. WHEN THE RAMP IS WET; YOU CAN'T SEE ANY OF THE LINES CLRLY BECAUSE OF THE GLARE OF THE RAMP LIGHTS -- AN ONGOING PROB FOR YRS THAT HAS NOT BEEN ADDRESSED. THE GND CREW NEEDS A PORTABLE VHF RADIO; NOT A CELL PHONE. IT WILL HAPPEN AGAIN! I THINK I'LL START BRINGING MY VIDEO CAMERA.

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.