Narrative:

Received aircraft in ZZZ with 3 MEL's. Read all and seemed nothing out of ordinary. Have had MEL's for backgnd lighting before and this backgnd lighting was on first officer side so I really didn't notice much; plus we had dome light on until pushback. On taxi out; noticed first officer was struggling to enter weight and balance numbers in mcdu and could not see frequencys on rnp 2 or any buttons on acp 2. We were about 20 in line for departure; so we had time to evaluate the situation. We thought about having an engine fire; rapid depressurization; or some other big emergency and how that would limit our level of safety. Unless of course we got out a flashlight or turned on the dome light. But both those procedures would not help with safety by fumbling for a huge awkward flashlight and a dome light that decreases outside visibility. I looked closer at the MEL and the part that stated 'individual lights could be inoperative as long as remaining lights were sufficient for essential equipment.' what remaining lights? It was completely black on his side for those 3 essential instruments. It really started to upset me that maintenance had added this MEL under these circumstances and now the pressure was being put on me. Of course; this would not have been an issue if it were daytime. We decided that we were not comfortable with the level of safety and decided to go back to the gate to see if it could be fixed. Contract maintenance came on and tried to fix quickly but determined something in wiring was wrong. Of course; pressure was put on us about possibly having to cancel and why this wasn't found before we pushed back. Finally; I determined that with rnp 3 on the first officer side it could be backup for rnp 2 and give us enough safety to take the plane back to ZZZ2. When we got to destination; we noticed the plane was continuing on to ZZZ3. I thought maintenance would for sure pull it off line and fix this controversial MEL in night conditions. They just put the pressure on another victim to take a marginally safe aircraft. In maintenance's and management's rush to get planes back on line; they lightly interpretation MEL's and the level of safety needed in case of a bad emergency.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PROPRIETY OF DEFERRED COCKPIT LIGHTING IS QUESTIONED BY A320 FLT CREW.

Narrative: RECEIVED ACFT IN ZZZ WITH 3 MEL'S. READ ALL AND SEEMED NOTHING OUT OF ORDINARY. HAVE HAD MEL'S FOR BACKGND LIGHTING BEFORE AND THIS BACKGND LIGHTING WAS ON FO SIDE SO I REALLY DIDN'T NOTICE MUCH; PLUS WE HAD DOME LIGHT ON UNTIL PUSHBACK. ON TAXI OUT; NOTICED FO WAS STRUGGLING TO ENTER WT AND BAL NUMBERS IN MCDU AND COULD NOT SEE FREQS ON RNP 2 OR ANY BUTTONS ON ACP 2. WE WERE ABOUT 20 IN LINE FOR DEP; SO WE HAD TIME TO EVALUATE THE SITUATION. WE THOUGHT ABOUT HAVING AN ENG FIRE; RAPID DEPRESSURIZATION; OR SOME OTHER BIG EMER AND HOW THAT WOULD LIMIT OUR LEVEL OF SAFETY. UNLESS OF COURSE WE GOT OUT A FLASHLIGHT OR TURNED ON THE DOME LIGHT. BUT BOTH THOSE PROCS WOULD NOT HELP WITH SAFETY BY FUMBLING FOR A HUGE AWKWARD FLASHLIGHT AND A DOME LIGHT THAT DECREASES OUTSIDE VISIBILITY. I LOOKED CLOSER AT THE MEL AND THE PART THAT STATED 'INDIVIDUAL LIGHTS COULD BE INOP AS LONG AS REMAINING LIGHTS WERE SUFFICIENT FOR ESSENTIAL EQUIP.' WHAT REMAINING LIGHTS? IT WAS COMPLETELY BLACK ON HIS SIDE FOR THOSE 3 ESSENTIAL INSTS. IT REALLY STARTED TO UPSET ME THAT MAINT HAD ADDED THIS MEL UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES AND NOW THE PRESSURE WAS BEING PUT ON ME. OF COURSE; THIS WOULD NOT HAVE BEEN AN ISSUE IF IT WERE DAYTIME. WE DECIDED THAT WE WERE NOT COMFORTABLE WITH THE LEVEL OF SAFETY AND DECIDED TO GO BACK TO THE GATE TO SEE IF IT COULD BE FIXED. CONTRACT MAINT CAME ON AND TRIED TO FIX QUICKLY BUT DETERMINED SOMETHING IN WIRING WAS WRONG. OF COURSE; PRESSURE WAS PUT ON US ABOUT POSSIBLY HAVING TO CANCEL AND WHY THIS WASN'T FOUND BEFORE WE PUSHED BACK. FINALLY; I DETERMINED THAT WITH RNP 3 ON THE FO SIDE IT COULD BE BACKUP FOR RNP 2 AND GIVE US ENOUGH SAFETY TO TAKE THE PLANE BACK TO ZZZ2. WHEN WE GOT TO DEST; WE NOTICED THE PLANE WAS CONTINUING ON TO ZZZ3. I THOUGHT MAINT WOULD FOR SURE PULL IT OFF LINE AND FIX THIS CONTROVERSIAL MEL IN NIGHT CONDITIONS. THEY JUST PUT THE PRESSURE ON ANOTHER VICTIM TO TAKE A MARGINALLY SAFE ACFT. IN MAINT'S AND MGMNT'S RUSH TO GET PLANES BACK ON LINE; THEY LIGHTLY INTERP MEL'S AND THE LEVEL OF SAFETY NEEDED IN CASE OF A BAD EMER.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.