Narrative:

As we approached assigned gate; noticed a catering truck blocking our way to parking. As we came to a stop and at 90 degrees to the 'lead-in' line a guideman established herself on the lead-in-line and directed the catering truck to exit the ramp area. At this time the guideman appeared to be establishing control and responsibility for the ramp area. Additionally; she was wearing a reflective ramp vest and had an airport identify visible; appearing to be our assigned marshaller. She gave me the lead-in signal and we began our approach into the parking area. Once established on the lead-in line both the first officer and myself visually cleared both the left and right sides and announced 'clear right' and 'clear left.' as we came within 10 ft of the stop area we noticed that the guide signals from our guideman were no longer standard and were confusing to me. I elected to stop the aircraft short of the jetway and short of the stop point. As we came to a stop a second guideman came into view and took over from the first guideman. Second guideman used standard signals and brought us forward and to a stop at the correct position. I watched our first guideman exit the area and join a group of ramp/cabin personnel. Based on my observation I began to question the qualification of our original guideman. After completion of our shutdown and parking checklist items I exited the aircraft and went down on the ramp to speak with the second guideman. He informed me that the first guideman was not qualified to marshall us into the gate area and was indeed a cabin cleaner. I looked for this individual but was unable to locate her. The second guideman informed me that he would take the matter up with the station manager/supervisor. No damage to aircraft; personnel or ground equipment occurred but this event has the potential for a very different outcome.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A CABIN CLEANER ATTEMPTS TO MARSHAL AN A320 INTO ITS ASSIGNED GATE.

Narrative: AS WE APCHED ASSIGNED GATE; NOTICED A CATERING TRUCK BLOCKING OUR WAY TO PARKING. AS WE CAME TO A STOP AND AT 90 DEGS TO THE 'LEAD-IN' LINE A GUIDEMAN ESTABLISHED HERSELF ON THE LEAD-IN-LINE AND DIRECTED THE CATERING TRUCK TO EXIT THE RAMP AREA. AT THIS TIME THE GUIDEMAN APPEARED TO BE ESTABLISHING CTL AND RESPONSIBILITY FOR THE RAMP AREA. ADDITIONALLY; SHE WAS WEARING A REFLECTIVE RAMP VEST AND HAD AN ARPT IDENT VISIBLE; APPEARING TO BE OUR ASSIGNED MARSHALLER. SHE GAVE ME THE LEAD-IN SIGNAL AND WE BEGAN OUR APCH INTO THE PARKING AREA. ONCE ESTABLISHED ON THE LEAD-IN LINE BOTH THE FO AND MYSELF VISUALLY CLRED BOTH THE L AND R SIDES AND ANNOUNCED 'CLR R' AND 'CLR L.' AS WE CAME WITHIN 10 FT OF THE STOP AREA WE NOTICED THAT THE GUIDE SIGNALS FROM OUR GUIDEMAN WERE NO LONGER STANDARD AND WERE CONFUSING TO ME. I ELECTED TO STOP THE ACFT SHORT OF THE JETWAY AND SHORT OF THE STOP POINT. AS WE CAME TO A STOP A SECOND GUIDEMAN CAME INTO VIEW AND TOOK OVER FROM THE FIRST GUIDEMAN. SECOND GUIDEMAN USED STANDARD SIGNALS AND BROUGHT US FORWARD AND TO A STOP AT THE CORRECT POS. I WATCHED OUR FIRST GUIDEMAN EXIT THE AREA AND JOIN A GROUP OF RAMP/CABIN PERSONNEL. BASED ON MY OBSERVATION I BEGAN TO QUESTION THE QUALIFICATION OF OUR ORIGINAL GUIDEMAN. AFTER COMPLETION OF OUR SHUTDOWN AND PARKING CHKLIST ITEMS I EXITED THE ACFT AND WENT DOWN ON THE RAMP TO SPEAK WITH THE SECOND GUIDEMAN. HE INFORMED ME THAT THE FIRST GUIDEMAN WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO MARSHALL US INTO THE GATE AREA AND WAS INDEED A CABIN CLEANER. I LOOKED FOR THIS INDIVIDUAL BUT WAS UNABLE TO LOCATE HER. THE SECOND GUIDEMAN INFORMED ME THAT HE WOULD TAKE THE MATTER UP WITH THE STATION MGR/SUPVR. NO DAMAGE TO ACFT; PERSONNEL OR GND EQUIP OCCURRED BUT THIS EVENT HAS THE POTENTIAL FOR A VERY DIFFERENT OUTCOME.

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.