Narrative:

When taxiing at ord, one ground controller is used for departing aircraft and another ground controller on a different frequency is used for arrival aircraft. As a result you will be cleared to go in front of an aircraft that is not talking to your controller, on numerous occasions that aircraft has not yielded and the ground controller is not able to talk to the aircraft directly. I have had to apply heavy braking on several occasions taxiing out at bravo south. We were cleared to enter the outer taxiway in front of a widebody transport that never slowed down, we stopped abruptly. This is an unsafe operation, particularly with cold WX and potential poor braking conditions. It would appear that having one ground controller handle all aircraft on half of the airport and one for the other half, as is done at lax and sfo, would be a safer operation.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: PLT OF LGT HAD TO BRAKE TAXIING WHEN WDB ON ANOTHER GND FREQ DID NOT GIVE WAY.

Narrative: WHEN TAXIING AT ORD, ONE GND CTLR IS USED FOR DEPARTING ACFT AND ANOTHER GND CTLR ON A DIFFERENT FREQ IS USED FOR ARR ACFT. AS A RESULT YOU WILL BE CLRED TO GO IN FRONT OF AN ACFT THAT IS NOT TALKING TO YOUR CTLR, ON NUMEROUS OCCASIONS THAT ACFT HAS NOT YIELDED AND THE GND CTLR IS NOT ABLE TO TALK TO THE ACFT DIRECTLY. I HAVE HAD TO APPLY HEAVY BRAKING ON SEVERAL OCCASIONS TAXIING OUT AT BRAVO SOUTH. WE WERE CLRED TO ENTER THE OUTER TXWY IN FRONT OF A WDB THAT NEVER SLOWED DOWN, WE STOPPED ABRUPTLY. THIS IS AN UNSAFE OPERATION, PARTICULARLY WITH COLD WX AND POTENTIAL POOR BRAKING CONDITIONS. IT WOULD APPEAR THAT HAVING ONE GND CTLR HANDLE ALL ACFT ON HALF OF THE ARPT AND ONE FOR THE OTHER HALF, AS IS DONE AT LAX AND SFO, WOULD BE A SAFER OPERATION.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of August 2007 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.