Narrative:

Our flight landed at dfw uneventfully and was cleared to exit our landing runway 36L and hold short of runway 36R. We did so, and later were cleared to cross runway 36R by dfw tower controller, which we did. In many previous experiences at the airport, we have been encouraged by controllers to expedite clearing the runway first, then contact ground control once clear. Traditionally, in over 5 yrs of flying into this airport, my experience has been that ground controllers were very relaxed, and most likely to just let us pick the taxi route we desired to our gate. I mentioned this because it defines a pattern that controllers at dfw had developed through custom and repetition, so it became a taxi method we came to expect because it 'helped dfw controllers out.' in this case however, it was different. We cleared runway 36R, expected clearing the runway, and as we had many times in the past continued taxiing slightly as we attempted to contact ground control. We received no response. At this moment we were on taxiway week, slightly past taxiway F, expecting ground to clear us to our gate via taxiway G. Ground control finally responded on frequency, asking if we saw an rj on adjoining taxiway G. The ground controller said this rather testily. We responded that yes we saw the rj, at which point ground controller rebuked us saying that in the future, we should never continue taxiing until cleared by ground with a specific clearance.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 CREW IS CHASTISED BY A DFW GND CTLR FOR CONTINUING TO TAXI AFTER CLRING THE RWY.

Narrative: OUR FLT LANDED AT DFW UNEVENTFULLY AND WAS CLRED TO EXIT OUR LNDG RWY 36L AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 36R. WE DID SO, AND LATER WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 36R BY DFW TWR CTLR, WHICH WE DID. IN MANY PREVIOUS EXPERIENCES AT THE ARPT, WE HAVE BEEN ENCOURAGED BY CTLRS TO EXPEDITE CLRING THE RWY FIRST, THEN CONTACT GND CTL ONCE CLR. TRADITIONALLY, IN OVER 5 YRS OF FLYING INTO THIS ARPT, MY EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT GND CTLRS WERE VERY RELAXED, AND MOST LIKELY TO JUST LET US PICK THE TAXI RTE WE DESIRED TO OUR GATE. I MENTIONED THIS BECAUSE IT DEFINES A PATTERN THAT CTLRS AT DFW HAD DEVELOPED THROUGH CUSTOM AND REPETITION, SO IT BECAME A TAXI METHOD WE CAME TO EXPECT BECAUSE IT 'HELPED DFW CTLRS OUT.' IN THIS CASE HOWEVER, IT WAS DIFFERENT. WE CLRED RWY 36R, EXPECTED CLRING THE RWY, AND AS WE HAD MANY TIMES IN THE PAST CONTINUED TAXIING SLIGHTLY AS WE ATTEMPTED TO CONTACT GND CTL. WE RECEIVED NO RESPONSE. AT THIS MOMENT WE WERE ON TXWY WK, SLIGHTLY PAST TXWY F, EXPECTING GND TO CLR US TO OUR GATE VIA TXWY G. GND CTL FINALLY RESPONDED ON FREQ, ASKING IF WE SAW AN RJ ON ADJOINING TXWY G. THE GND CTLR SAID THIS RATHER TESTILY. WE RESPONDED THAT YES WE SAW THE RJ, AT WHICH POINT GND CTLR REBUKED US SAYING THAT IN THE FUTURE, WE SHOULD NEVER CONTINUE TAXIING UNTIL CLRED BY GND WITH A SPECIFIC CLRNC.

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.