MD80 taxiing to the gate at phl is confused with spot markings as depicted on charts.

Attributes
ACN	587676
Time
Date	200307
Day	Thu
Local Time Of Day	1201 To 1800
Place
Locale Reference	airport : phl.airport
State Reference	PA
Altitude	agl single value : 0
Environment
Light	Daylight
Aircraft 1
Operator	common carrier : air carrier
Make Model Name	MD-80 Super 80
Operating Under FAR Part	Part 121
Flight Phase	ground : parked
Flight Plan	IFR
Person 1
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : captain oversight : pic
Qualification	pilot : atp
ASRS Report	587676
Person 2
Affiliation	company : air carrier
Function	flight crew : first officer
Events
Anomaly	incursion : taxiway non adherence : published procedure
Independent Detector	other flight crewa
Resolutory Action	none taken : anomaly accepted
Supplementary
Problem Areas	ATC Human Performance Airport Company Flight Crew Human Performance
Primary Problem	Flight Crew Human Performance

Narrative:

When reviewing the phl pages, the spots look like boxes. When we reviewed the 10-9A pages at phl, it looked like the spots were boxes, so after landing on runway 27R, I taxied off and went to the box. At 7 we contacted ramp, and they wanted us to take the outer, but I was too far in the box. They then said, take the inner, but there were maintenance vehicles there, so I had to infringe on ramp space. There were no airplanes there, so there was no conflict, but there was confusion. Ground and ramp had no comments, but I thought the intent of the pages unclr.

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: MD80 TAXIING TO THE GATE AT PHL IS CONFUSED WITH SPOT MARKINGS AS DEPICTED ON CHARTS.

Narrative: WHEN REVIEWING THE PHL PAGES, THE SPOTS LOOK LIKE BOXES. WHEN WE REVIEWED THE 10-9A PAGES AT PHL, IT LOOKED LIKE THE SPOTS WERE BOXES, SO AFTER LNDG ON RWY 27R, I TAXIED OFF AND WENT TO THE BOX. AT 7 WE CONTACTED RAMP, AND THEY WANTED US TO TAKE THE OUTER, BUT I WAS TOO FAR IN THE BOX. THEY THEN SAID, TAKE THE INNER, BUT THERE WERE MAINT VEHICLES THERE, SO I HAD TO INFRINGE ON RAMP SPACE. THERE WERE NO AIRPLANES THERE, SO THERE WAS NO CONFLICT, BUT THERE WAS CONFUSION. GND AND RAMP HAD NO COMMENTS, BUT I THOUGHT THE INTENT OF THE PAGES UNCLR.

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.