Narrative:

On jul/xx/08; I arrived mco on flight XXXX parking gate xa. To the left within the marked safety zone is an area for 'empty dollies only' (painted on ramp). 1 dolly had a bin on it. The guide man signaled us in; but I stopped the plane and called operations about the bin. An angry employee pushed the bin off the dolly and the guide man signaled us to continue. The bin was well within the safety clear zone; so I did not release the brakes and called operations again. The same employee then started the tug he was sitting in and rammed the bin with such force as to cause a several ft gash in the side and a dent. He pushed the cart over 40 yards to the next gate then drove back. With the area clear and the guide man again signaling; I proceeded to park. Later in the day; I arrived mco on flight XXX to gate X again (different ground crew). On the left side were dollies filled with bins and several inside the yellow markings for the 'empty dollies only.' again I stopped and called operations. Now a non-uniform man with a radio was on the ramp watching. Ground personnel moved the train of dollies that were not in the yellow marked area. Operations called back and said the customer service manager says the area is clear and to continue to park. Guide man was signaling us in. I called back to operations and said there are still over 9 dollies with bins on them inside the safety zone and we would not be moving till the clear zone was clear. It took several mins but the area was eventually clear and we parked. We asked the customer service manager to come to the cockpit; but he didn't. I went to operations to speak to him but couldn't find him. Another supervisor in the ramp office tried to reach him but got no answer. I then explained the situation on the ramp to her and asked her to relay the information to him when she met up with him. There appears to be a major disconnect on policy. Neither the customer service manager nor ramp personnel know the policy on equipment within the safety clear zone. They signal us in with known hazards. I assume pilots must be taxiing in with equipment violating the zone when they have marshallers and a guide man (otherwise this would not continue). It is my understanding that we cannot pull in with any equipment within the striped safety zone except for empty dollies or the low fueling cart and only if they are within specific marked areas.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 CREW REPORTS MCO GND CREW'S RELUCTANCE TO AND HOSTILITY AT HAVING TO REMOVE PROHIBITED GND EQUIPMENT FROM A GATE RAMP SAFETY ZONE.

Narrative: ON JUL/XX/08; I ARRIVED MCO ON FLT XXXX PARKING GATE XA. TO THE L WITHIN THE MARKED SAFETY ZONE IS AN AREA FOR 'EMPTY DOLLIES ONLY' (PAINTED ON RAMP). 1 DOLLY HAD A BIN ON IT. THE GUIDE MAN SIGNALED US IN; BUT I STOPPED THE PLANE AND CALLED OPS ABOUT THE BIN. AN ANGRY EMPLOYEE PUSHED THE BIN OFF THE DOLLY AND THE GUIDE MAN SIGNALED US TO CONTINUE. THE BIN WAS WELL WITHIN THE SAFETY CLR ZONE; SO I DID NOT RELEASE THE BRAKES AND CALLED OPS AGAIN. THE SAME EMPLOYEE THEN STARTED THE TUG HE WAS SITTING IN AND RAMMED THE BIN WITH SUCH FORCE AS TO CAUSE A SEVERAL FT GASH IN THE SIDE AND A DENT. HE PUSHED THE CART OVER 40 YARDS TO THE NEXT GATE THEN DROVE BACK. WITH THE AREA CLR AND THE GUIDE MAN AGAIN SIGNALING; I PROCEEDED TO PARK. LATER IN THE DAY; I ARRIVED MCO ON FLT XXX TO GATE X AGAIN (DIFFERENT GND CREW). ON THE L SIDE WERE DOLLIES FILLED WITH BINS AND SEVERAL INSIDE THE YELLOW MARKINGS FOR THE 'EMPTY DOLLIES ONLY.' AGAIN I STOPPED AND CALLED OPS. NOW A NON-UNIFORM MAN WITH A RADIO WAS ON THE RAMP WATCHING. GND PERSONNEL MOVED THE TRAIN OF DOLLIES THAT WERE NOT IN THE YELLOW MARKED AREA. OPS CALLED BACK AND SAID THE CUSTOMER SVC MGR SAYS THE AREA IS CLR AND TO CONTINUE TO PARK. GUIDE MAN WAS SIGNALING US IN. I CALLED BACK TO OPS AND SAID THERE ARE STILL OVER 9 DOLLIES WITH BINS ON THEM INSIDE THE SAFETY ZONE AND WE WOULD NOT BE MOVING TILL THE CLR ZONE WAS CLR. IT TOOK SEVERAL MINS BUT THE AREA WAS EVENTUALLY CLR AND WE PARKED. WE ASKED THE CUSTOMER SVC MGR TO COME TO THE COCKPIT; BUT HE DIDN'T. I WENT TO OPS TO SPEAK TO HIM BUT COULDN'T FIND HIM. ANOTHER SUPVR IN THE RAMP OFFICE TRIED TO REACH HIM BUT GOT NO ANSWER. I THEN EXPLAINED THE SITUATION ON THE RAMP TO HER AND ASKED HER TO RELAY THE INFO TO HIM WHEN SHE MET UP WITH HIM. THERE APPEARS TO BE A MAJOR DISCONNECT ON POLICY. NEITHER THE CUSTOMER SVC MGR NOR RAMP PERSONNEL KNOW THE POLICY ON EQUIP WITHIN THE SAFETY CLR ZONE. THEY SIGNAL US IN WITH KNOWN HAZARDS. I ASSUME PLTS MUST BE TAXIING IN WITH EQUIP VIOLATING THE ZONE WHEN THEY HAVE MARSHALLERS AND A GUIDE MAN (OTHERWISE THIS WOULD NOT CONTINUE). IT IS MY UNDERSTANDING THAT WE CANNOT PULL IN WITH ANY EQUIP WITHIN THE STRIPED SAFETY ZONE EXCEPT FOR EMPTY DOLLIES OR THE LOW FUELING CART AND ONLY IF THEY ARE WITHIN SPECIFIC MARKED AREAS.

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.