Narrative:

The tower controller was giving us light transport X taxi instructions to get us to the ramp. We had landed runway 15 and cleared at the end. We were instructed to remain on the tower frequency and hold short of runway 21 on F. Keep in mind it is dark and the hold short point for runway 21 is actually the intersection of runways 18/36 and 21/03. After an large transport landed, we were instructed to taxi onto runway 21 but hold short of runway 18. As we moved ahead slowly past the hold short line, the tower controller asked us to pull ahead further, stating 'taxi right onto the runway.' we hardly taxied an additional 10' when we were instructed to clear the runway any way possible. (This area of the airport, the intersection of 21/03, F and 18/36, is poorly defined.) I honestly believe that we were not on runway 18 when asked to 'clear all runways anyway possible.' an large transport Y was on very short final to runway 18. After clearing the runways we were handed off to ground. Nothing was ever said to anybody by anybody--us, ground or tower. From the left seat I couldn't see if there was any traffic for runway 21 when asked to clear all runways. Dca is under construction, but the runway/taxiway markings should be kept freshly painted. Until that time, particularly at night, we should not try to get so fancy in our quest to get to the ramp. The controllers might even consider less direct taxi rtes if it aids their ability to move traffic across runways.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: LCL CTLR USES NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY IN PROVIDING DETAILED TAXI INSTRUCTIONS AND THEN, REALIZING HE MIGHT BE CAUSING A CRITICAL GND CONFLICT, USES MORE NON STANDARD PHRASEOLOGY IN CLEARING THE SITUATION.

Narrative: THE TWR CTLR WAS GIVING US LTT X TAXI INSTRUCTIONS TO GET US TO THE RAMP. WE HAD LANDED RWY 15 AND CLRED AT THE END. WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO REMAIN ON THE TWR FREQ AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 21 ON F. KEEP IN MIND IT IS DARK AND THE HOLD SHORT POINT FOR RWY 21 IS ACTUALLY THE INTXN OF RWYS 18/36 AND 21/03. AFTER AN LGT LANDED, WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO TAXI ONTO RWY 21 BUT HOLD SHORT OF RWY 18. AS WE MOVED AHEAD SLOWLY PAST THE HOLD SHORT LINE, THE TWR CTLR ASKED US TO PULL AHEAD FURTHER, STATING 'TAXI RIGHT ONTO THE RWY.' WE HARDLY TAXIED AN ADDITIONAL 10' WHEN WE WERE INSTRUCTED TO CLR THE RWY ANY WAY POSSIBLE. (THIS AREA OF THE ARPT, THE INTXN OF 21/03, F AND 18/36, IS POORLY DEFINED.) I HONESTLY BELIEVE THAT WE WERE NOT ON RWY 18 WHEN ASKED TO 'CLR ALL RWYS ANYWAY POSSIBLE.' AN LGT Y WAS ON VERY SHORT FINAL TO RWY 18. AFTER CLRING THE RWYS WE WERE HANDED OFF TO GND. NOTHING WAS EVER SAID TO ANYBODY BY ANYBODY--US, GND OR TWR. FROM THE LEFT SEAT I COULDN'T SEE IF THERE WAS ANY TFC FOR RWY 21 WHEN ASKED TO CLR ALL RWYS. DCA IS UNDER CONSTRUCTION, BUT THE RWY/TXWY MARKINGS SHOULD BE KEPT FRESHLY PAINTED. UNTIL THAT TIME, PARTICULARLY AT NIGHT, WE SHOULD NOT TRY TO GET SO FANCY IN OUR QUEST TO GET TO THE RAMP. THE CTLRS MIGHT EVEN CONSIDER LESS DIRECT TAXI RTES IF IT AIDS THEIR ABILITY TO MOVE TFC ACROSS RWYS.

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