Narrative:

Routine flight from dfw to iad. WX at iad 200 scattered, 500 broken, 800 overcast, good visibility underneath. First officer flying. Potomac approach gave us the normal slow down, slow down to 210 KTS then 180 KTS then 170 KTS to the marker, drove us across the localizer then 150 KTS right turn back in to intercept runway 01L. All normal except they told us to contact tower around eight outside of the marker after affirming 170 KTS to the marker. We were squeezed by another aircraft on approach who was right at 2.5 NM behind us. We maintained 165-175 KTS to the marker, broke out around 400-500 ft to see the rj ahead of us still on the runway and passing a makeable turnoff. He advised tower that he could not make the turnoff and tower, without any urgency about our proximity to landing, told him to just take the next one. I told the first officer to be ready for a missed approach and a few seconds later tower told us to go around. We were about 250 ft at this point and could have continued the approach for a few more seconds for the rj to possibly clear the runway. Nevertheless, when tower said go, we went. Missed approach through landing and taxi in were uneventful. Outcome was time, money, connections, gas, and passenger goodwill wasted due to tower not having advised rj, before landing, to make the mid point turnoff due to potomac app squeezing us too close (inattentive or misjudgment on potomac's part) to the rj ahead. Comment: the dulles ATC community, potomac approach, ground and tower are consistently reactive rather than proactive and spend our gas and time in a way that is uniquely wasteful relative to the rest of our operating system. Radio discipline is poor, bordering on unprofessional, routinely saying more than necessary when controlling and occupying important airtime for others to inquire, confirm, acknowledge, etc. Even in benign traffic states, tower and ground routinely seem behind and lacking a plan to control an environment that is, at worst, recess level of activity for ord. Many washington pilots agree with this assessment. With traffic increasing at iad and no apparent improvement to the operating culture of performance, I believe this environment is an accident waiting to happen. I say this with restraint.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: B737 FLC EXPERIENCED GAR ATTRIBUTED TO ARR SPACING BEHIND A LNDG CRJ.

Narrative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

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.