Narrative:

We were scheduled to fly flight to ZZZ1. We had several maintenance issues to deal with prior to pushback. 3 log items inbound plus a couple deferred items. Captain's sun visor inoperative; landing light inoperative and ACARS failure as log items and APU and engine vibration monitor system deferred. Notified dispatch that we required ACARS to operate to ZZZ1. Went to aircraft at gate. Maintenance was working on ACARS and landing light issues. New ACARS was installed. 1 mechanic said landing light would be deferred; other mechanic said no he would fix it. We had to track that down and sort it out. We asked to get APU looked at. No time; we were told. WX at ZZZ1 forecast VFR. Next; fuel sheet came up with wrong fuel load. Caught fueler and remedied that. At push time told to release brakes and call for the push. Told ramp we would need to start an engine at gate. He had no idea about this and said 'they' had not flagged the inoperative APU. Now he had to call for an air cart; which took 35 mins to arrive. Further delayed due to the aircraft pushed off next door gate and need for xbleed start. We finally took off for ZZZ1 about 45 mins after block out. After 2/3 en route to ZZZ1 we saw that WX at ZZZ1 had gone down to hard IFR; 1/2 mi visibility. Notified dispatch who gave us ZZZ2 as alternate. We were scheduled to land with about 1:15 fuel at touchdown. At this time we heard that another flight bound for ZZZ1 had diverted to ZZZ and dispatch recommended that we also divert for fuel; which we did. Once on ground; we were told no gate available due to previous diversion. X on gate and regular scheduled flight ZZZ due in shortly. Sent to remote ramp. Requested external power due to no APU. After perhaps 30 mins an external power cart was brought out and hooked up. External power tripped off and ground crew walked away. Called operations to ask ground crew to get on headset for communication; which they never did. Also physically motioned to ground crew to plug in. Again they never did. Frustration starting to set in. Called operations many times to no avail since they were busy with the regular scheduled flight. Fire and rescue unit came out to light up our aircraft and assist ground crew during this ordeal but eventually left when our ground crew walked away. Flight on gate was accommodated by this time so we called several more times requesting external power or to park at another gate. Response from operations was 'we are going to fuel you up and get you out of here.' this was impossible with no APU or external power. At this time I told dispatch that due to WX conditions we would require our backup generator and asked about taking aircraft parked at other gate. WX forecast at minimums currently. At this point passenger had been held captive about 7 hours and I decided most prudent action was to cancel flight due to WX and fatigue. We were not legal to dispatch and too exhausted to risk another possible missed approach and divert. To recap: ground power finally plugged in and operable about 3.5 hours into our ground delay. Ramp folks never plugged into aircraft to communicate. Just walked away. Next morning when first officer asked csr if all passenger were accommodated her response was 'don't know don't care; all those passenger were expletive!' that statement sums up ZZZ customer service in a nutshell. This is the most blatant incident of pilot pushing in my career. The ZZZ operations agent simply wanted us out of ZZZ at all costs and refused to park us at a gate to prevent handling our flight in any way. He is unqualified to make decisions about the flight regarding WX minimums and inoperative equipment.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B737-300 CREW WITHOUT AN APU IS DISPATCHED TO AN ARPT THAT GOES BELOW MINIMUMS. FLT DIVERTS TO ARPT WITH LITTLE OR NO SUPPORT WHERE A RON IS ORDERED.

Narrative: WE WERE SCHEDULED TO FLY FLT TO ZZZ1. WE HAD SEVERAL MAINT ISSUES TO DEAL WITH PRIOR TO PUSHBACK. 3 LOG ITEMS INBOUND PLUS A COUPLE DEFERRED ITEMS. CAPT'S SUN VISOR INOP; LNDG LIGHT INOP AND ACARS FAILURE AS LOG ITEMS AND APU AND ENG VIBRATION MONITOR SYS DEFERRED. NOTIFIED DISPATCH THAT WE REQUIRED ACARS TO OPERATE TO ZZZ1. WENT TO ACFT AT GATE. MAINT WAS WORKING ON ACARS AND LNDG LIGHT ISSUES. NEW ACARS WAS INSTALLED. 1 MECH SAID LNDG LIGHT WOULD BE DEFERRED; OTHER MECH SAID NO HE WOULD FIX IT. WE HAD TO TRACK THAT DOWN AND SORT IT OUT. WE ASKED TO GET APU LOOKED AT. NO TIME; WE WERE TOLD. WX AT ZZZ1 FORECAST VFR. NEXT; FUEL SHEET CAME UP WITH WRONG FUEL LOAD. CAUGHT FUELER AND REMEDIED THAT. AT PUSH TIME TOLD TO RELEASE BRAKES AND CALL FOR THE PUSH. TOLD RAMP WE WOULD NEED TO START AN ENG AT GATE. HE HAD NO IDEA ABOUT THIS AND SAID 'THEY' HAD NOT FLAGGED THE INOP APU. NOW HE HAD TO CALL FOR AN AIR CART; WHICH TOOK 35 MINS TO ARRIVE. FURTHER DELAYED DUE TO THE ACFT PUSHED OFF NEXT DOOR GATE AND NEED FOR XBLEED START. WE FINALLY TOOK OFF FOR ZZZ1 ABOUT 45 MINS AFTER BLOCK OUT. AFTER 2/3 ENRTE TO ZZZ1 WE SAW THAT WX AT ZZZ1 HAD GONE DOWN TO HARD IFR; 1/2 MI VISIBILITY. NOTIFIED DISPATCH WHO GAVE US ZZZ2 AS ALTERNATE. WE WERE SCHEDULED TO LAND WITH ABOUT 1:15 FUEL AT TOUCHDOWN. AT THIS TIME WE HEARD THAT ANOTHER FLT BOUND FOR ZZZ1 HAD DIVERTED TO ZZZ AND DISPATCH RECOMMENDED THAT WE ALSO DIVERT FOR FUEL; WHICH WE DID. ONCE ON GND; WE WERE TOLD NO GATE AVAILABLE DUE TO PREVIOUS DIVERSION. X ON GATE AND REGULAR SCHEDULED FLT ZZZ DUE IN SHORTLY. SENT TO REMOTE RAMP. REQUESTED EXTERNAL PWR DUE TO NO APU. AFTER PERHAPS 30 MINS AN EXTERNAL PWR CART WAS BROUGHT OUT AND HOOKED UP. EXTERNAL PWR TRIPPED OFF AND GND CREW WALKED AWAY. CALLED OPS TO ASK GND CREW TO GET ON HEADSET FOR COM; WHICH THEY NEVER DID. ALSO PHYSICALLY MOTIONED TO GND CREW TO PLUG IN. AGAIN THEY NEVER DID. FRUSTRATION STARTING TO SET IN. CALLED OPS MANY TIMES TO NO AVAIL SINCE THEY WERE BUSY WITH THE REGULAR SCHEDULED FLT. FIRE AND RESCUE UNIT CAME OUT TO LIGHT UP OUR ACFT AND ASSIST GND CREW DURING THIS ORDEAL BUT EVENTUALLY LEFT WHEN OUR GND CREW WALKED AWAY. FLT ON GATE WAS ACCOMMODATED BY THIS TIME SO WE CALLED SEVERAL MORE TIMES REQUESTING EXTERNAL PWR OR TO PARK AT ANOTHER GATE. RESPONSE FROM OPS WAS 'WE ARE GOING TO FUEL YOU UP AND GET YOU OUT OF HERE.' THIS WAS IMPOSSIBLE WITH NO APU OR EXTERNAL PWR. AT THIS TIME I TOLD DISPATCH THAT DUE TO WX CONDITIONS WE WOULD REQUIRE OUR BACKUP GENERATOR AND ASKED ABOUT TAKING ACFT PARKED AT OTHER GATE. WX FORECAST AT MINIMUMS CURRENTLY. AT THIS POINT PAX HAD BEEN HELD CAPTIVE ABOUT 7 HRS AND I DECIDED MOST PRUDENT ACTION WAS TO CANCEL FLT DUE TO WX AND FATIGUE. WE WERE NOT LEGAL TO DISPATCH AND TOO EXHAUSTED TO RISK ANOTHER POSSIBLE MISSED APCH AND DIVERT. TO RECAP: GND PWR FINALLY PLUGGED IN AND OPERABLE ABOUT 3.5 HRS INTO OUR GND DELAY. RAMP FOLKS NEVER PLUGGED INTO ACFT TO COMMUNICATE. JUST WALKED AWAY. NEXT MORNING WHEN FO ASKED CSR IF ALL PAX WERE ACCOMMODATED HER RESPONSE WAS 'DON'T KNOW DON'T CARE; ALL THOSE PAX WERE EXPLETIVE!' THAT STATEMENT SUMS UP ZZZ CUSTOMER SVC IN A NUTSHELL. THIS IS THE MOST BLATANT INCIDENT OF PLT PUSHING IN MY CAREER. THE ZZZ OPS AGENT SIMPLY WANTED US OUT OF ZZZ AT ALL COSTS AND REFUSED TO PARK US AT A GATE TO PREVENT HANDLING OUR FLT IN ANY WAY. HE IS UNQUALIFIED TO MAKE DECISIONS ABOUT THE FLT REGARDING WX MINIMUMS AND INOP EQUIP.

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.