Narrative:

Clearing runway 29 onto taxiway Y at oak; ground control was busy issuing a flight clearance. Once we were able to get a hold of him; we told him we were going to gate X. At this point; to the best of my recollection; he told us to taxi via txwys west; B; and T; noting our gate was occupied. My belief was that he was going to have us hold at the remote taxiway tango parking area abeam our gates. My very thorough and professional first officer even placed the taxi clearance into the scratch pad of the FMC. Just past the ground run-up enclosure off of taxiway T; ground queried another aircraft what he was doing. Silence. He then queried the aircraft on taxiway T; 'where are you going?' realizing we were the only aircraft on taxiway T; I stopped the aircraft and my first officer read back the clearance he had been given. The controller told us we had taken the clearance for the aircraft behind us. My first officer told him that he had read back the clearance with our call sign earlier. At this point the situation reiterated and the controller became very aggressive and impatient. He told us to make a 180 degree turn on taxiway T and taxi back to taxiway B; noting that we were holding everyone up. I wasn't comfortable doing a 180 degree turn on taxiway T. I could not turn left due to construction barriers. I could turn right; the taxi lights were embedded; but I wasn't sure what was behind me. With a wide open remote taxiway tango parking area off our right; I requested the controller to allow us to merely pull ahead and to the right into parking area to allow the aircraft behind to pass (the most prudent and safe thing to do). At this point; the controller seemed to go on a power trip of epic proportions. He demanded that we just follow his instructions and again noted we were holding everyone up. Making a slow right 180 degree turn; my alert first officer told me to come to an immediate stop. The flush taxi lights became raised taxi lights behind us and we were coming very close to hitting one. We told ground we could not make a 180 degree turn. He told us to taxi forward on taxiway T; right onto the ramp area and follow it around to taxiway south and taxiway B. Basically; he was taking us through the ramp area belonging to another carrier; of which I was not familiar. Not being comfortable with his plan; I again requested to hold next to company on the remote parking area (there was enough room for 3 B747's). At this point; the controller became downright abusive and instructed us to remain silent. While taxiing very slowly down a very crowded cargo ramp area with numerous cargo loaders moving around; the controller again berated us for going too slow. He noted company was waiting for us at taxiway west. He could have easily held us on taxiway B and allowed company in. At this point; I realized that this had become personal for the controller and he was going to make us suffer. My first officer told him we were unfamiliar with this area and that we intended to take things slow and safe. Then the controller said we were holding up traffic behind us. This was a blatant lie in an attempt to get us to rush. When we reversed from taxiway B onto taxiway V; it confirmed my belief that the controller was in fact lying. There was no traffic behind us. The controller continued to ridicule us on the frequency telling other aircraft that we were holding everything up and couldn't follow instructions. We were following instructions; just not at the rapid pace he wanted us to. While holding on taxiway V; we requested a contact number. Another controller came on; gave us the number and told us to continue on taxiway T; in a calm and professional manner. Ironically; she told us to pull over onto the taxiway T remote parking area until our gate opened up; the same location where previous controller refused to let us park. Further taxi to the gate was completed without incident. It's quite common in oakland for ground control to work clearance delivery as well. This tends to tie up the frequency and increase the workload of the controller. I believe the controller had confused aircraft. I believe we had done all that we were asked. I became very concerned when the controller became abusive and unprofessional. He attempted to make us do an unsafe maneuver by making a 180 degree turn on taxiway T with raised taxi lights behind our wing. At this point; we slowed things way down and remained professional despite the controller ridiculing us on the radio. This controller had numerous safe alternatives available to him. We requested twice to pull right of taxiway T and hold on the remote parking pad which was wide open. His response was a harsh; 'remain silent!' this would have been the safest course of action and we would have been out of the way of all other traffic. Instead; he took us through a darkened ramp area and a very busy ramp area belonging to another carrier; which we were not familiar with. He made a tense and difficult situation and turned it into an unsafe situation. He even lied about holding up traffic behind us that wasn't there in an attempt to make us look bad to all others on the frequency. In the future; when a controller becomes belligerent and unsafe; I will set the brake and not move until a new controller takes over or the current controller can do his job safely and professionally.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737-700 FLT CREW US BERATED BY THE LCL GND CTLR FOR TAKING ANOTHER ACFT'S CLRNC.

Narrative: CLRING RWY 29 ONTO TXWY Y AT OAK; GND CTL WAS BUSY ISSUING A FLT CLRNC. ONCE WE WERE ABLE TO GET A HOLD OF HIM; WE TOLD HIM WE WERE GOING TO GATE X. AT THIS POINT; TO THE BEST OF MY RECOLLECTION; HE TOLD US TO TAXI VIA TXWYS W; B; AND T; NOTING OUR GATE WAS OCCUPIED. MY BELIEF WAS THAT HE WAS GOING TO HAVE US HOLD AT THE REMOTE TXWY TANGO PARKING AREA ABEAM OUR GATES. MY VERY THOROUGH AND PROFESSIONAL FO EVEN PLACED THE TAXI CLRNC INTO THE SCRATCH PAD OF THE FMC. JUST PAST THE GND RUN-UP ENCLOSURE OFF OF TXWY T; GND QUERIED ANOTHER ACFT WHAT HE WAS DOING. SILENCE. HE THEN QUERIED THE ACFT ON TXWY T; 'WHERE ARE YOU GOING?' REALIZING WE WERE THE ONLY ACFT ON TXWY T; I STOPPED THE ACFT AND MY FO READ BACK THE CLRNC HE HAD BEEN GIVEN. THE CTLR TOLD US WE HAD TAKEN THE CLRNC FOR THE ACFT BEHIND US. MY FO TOLD HIM THAT HE HAD READ BACK THE CLRNC WITH OUR CALL SIGN EARLIER. AT THIS POINT THE SITUATION REITERATED AND THE CTLR BECAME VERY AGGRESSIVE AND IMPATIENT. HE TOLD US TO MAKE A 180 DEG TURN ON TXWY T AND TAXI BACK TO TXWY B; NOTING THAT WE WERE HOLDING EVERYONE UP. I WASN'T COMFORTABLE DOING A 180 DEG TURN ON TXWY T. I COULD NOT TURN L DUE TO CONSTRUCTION BARRIERS. I COULD TURN R; THE TAXI LIGHTS WERE EMBEDDED; BUT I WASN'T SURE WHAT WAS BEHIND ME. WITH A WIDE OPEN REMOTE TXWY TANGO PARKING AREA OFF OUR R; I REQUESTED THE CTLR TO ALLOW US TO MERELY PULL AHEAD AND TO THE R INTO PARKING AREA TO ALLOW THE ACFT BEHIND TO PASS (THE MOST PRUDENT AND SAFE THING TO DO). AT THIS POINT; THE CTLR SEEMED TO GO ON A POWER TRIP OF EPIC PROPORTIONS. HE DEMANDED THAT WE JUST FOLLOW HIS INSTRUCTIONS AND AGAIN NOTED WE WERE HOLDING EVERYONE UP. MAKING A SLOW R 180 DEG TURN; MY ALERT FO TOLD ME TO COME TO AN IMMEDIATE STOP. THE FLUSH TAXI LIGHTS BECAME RAISED TAXI LIGHTS BEHIND US AND WE WERE COMING VERY CLOSE TO HITTING ONE. WE TOLD GND WE COULD NOT MAKE A 180 DEG TURN. HE TOLD US TO TAXI FORWARD ON TXWY T; R ONTO THE RAMP AREA AND FOLLOW IT AROUND TO TXWY S AND TXWY B. BASICALLY; HE WAS TAKING US THROUGH THE RAMP AREA BELONGING TO ANOTHER CARRIER; OF WHICH I WAS NOT FAMILIAR. NOT BEING COMFORTABLE WITH HIS PLAN; I AGAIN REQUESTED TO HOLD NEXT TO COMPANY ON THE REMOTE PARKING AREA (THERE WAS ENOUGH ROOM FOR 3 B747'S). AT THIS POINT; THE CTLR BECAME DOWNRIGHT ABUSIVE AND INSTRUCTED US TO REMAIN SILENT. WHILE TAXIING VERY SLOWLY DOWN A VERY CROWDED CARGO RAMP AREA WITH NUMEROUS CARGO LOADERS MOVING AROUND; THE CTLR AGAIN BERATED US FOR GOING TOO SLOW. HE NOTED COMPANY WAS WAITING FOR US AT TXWY W. HE COULD HAVE EASILY HELD US ON TXWY B AND ALLOWED COMPANY IN. AT THIS POINT; I REALIZED THAT THIS HAD BECOME PERSONAL FOR THE CTLR AND HE WAS GOING TO MAKE US SUFFER. MY FO TOLD HIM WE WERE UNFAMILIAR WITH THIS AREA AND THAT WE INTENDED TO TAKE THINGS SLOW AND SAFE. THEN THE CTLR SAID WE WERE HOLDING UP TFC BEHIND US. THIS WAS A BLATANT LIE IN AN ATTEMPT TO GET US TO RUSH. WHEN WE REVERSED FROM TXWY B ONTO TXWY V; IT CONFIRMED MY BELIEF THAT THE CTLR WAS IN FACT LYING. THERE WAS NO TFC BEHIND US. THE CTLR CONTINUED TO RIDICULE US ON THE FREQ TELLING OTHER ACFT THAT WE WERE HOLDING EVERYTHING UP AND COULDN'T FOLLOW INSTRUCTIONS. WE WERE FOLLOWING INSTRUCTIONS; JUST NOT AT THE RAPID PACE HE WANTED US TO. WHILE HOLDING ON TXWY V; WE REQUESTED A CONTACT NUMBER. ANOTHER CTLR CAME ON; GAVE US THE NUMBER AND TOLD US TO CONTINUE ON TXWY T; IN A CALM AND PROFESSIONAL MANNER. IRONICALLY; SHE TOLD US TO PULL OVER ONTO THE TXWY T REMOTE PARKING AREA UNTIL OUR GATE OPENED UP; THE SAME LOCATION WHERE PREVIOUS CTLR REFUSED TO LET US PARK. FURTHER TAXI TO THE GATE WAS COMPLETED WITHOUT INCIDENT. IT'S QUITE COMMON IN OAKLAND FOR GND CTL TO WORK CLRNC DELIVERY AS WELL. THIS TENDS TO TIE UP THE FREQ AND INCREASE THE WORKLOAD OF THE CTLR. I BELIEVE THE CTLR HAD CONFUSED ACFT. I BELIEVE WE HAD DONE ALL THAT WE WERE ASKED. I BECAME VERY CONCERNED WHEN THE CTLR BECAME ABUSIVE AND UNPROFESSIONAL. HE ATTEMPTED TO MAKE US DO AN UNSAFE MANEUVER BY MAKING A 180 DEG TURN ON TXWY T WITH RAISED TAXI LIGHTS BEHIND OUR WING. AT THIS POINT; WE SLOWED THINGS WAY DOWN AND REMAINED PROFESSIONAL DESPITE THE CTLR RIDICULING US ON THE RADIO. THIS CTLR HAD NUMEROUS SAFE ALTERNATIVES AVAILABLE TO HIM. WE REQUESTED TWICE TO PULL R OF TXWY T AND HOLD ON THE REMOTE PARKING PAD WHICH WAS WIDE OPEN. HIS RESPONSE WAS A HARSH; 'REMAIN SILENT!' THIS WOULD HAVE BEEN THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION AND WE WOULD HAVE BEEN OUT OF THE WAY OF ALL OTHER TFC. INSTEAD; HE TOOK US THROUGH A DARKENED RAMP AREA AND A VERY BUSY RAMP AREA BELONGING TO ANOTHER CARRIER; WHICH WE WERE NOT FAMILIAR WITH. HE MADE A TENSE AND DIFFICULT SITUATION AND TURNED IT INTO AN UNSAFE SITUATION. HE EVEN LIED ABOUT HOLDING UP TFC BEHIND US THAT WASN'T THERE IN AN ATTEMPT TO MAKE US LOOK BAD TO ALL OTHERS ON THE FREQ. IN THE FUTURE; WHEN A CTLR BECOMES BELLIGERENT AND UNSAFE; I WILL SET THE BRAKE AND NOT MOVE UNTIL A NEW CTLR TAKES OVER OR THE CURRENT CTLR CAN DO HIS JOB SAFELY AND PROFESSIONALLY.

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.