Narrative:

Taxiing from gate to runway 28R at sfo. Upon entering taxiway B at K as terminal lights became less of a factor; noticed that taxiway centerline lights were too bright. Their brightness completely blanked out silhouette of an A320 ahead of us and would have caused a smaller aircraft such as an rj to be completely hidden from view. I asked the ground controller to reduce light intensity of the centerline lights but told he was unable to do so and that numerous aircraft had similar complaints about taxiway centerline lights being too bright. He suggested I write a safety report as the only way to get this unsafe condition resolved. These lights are very blinding with the B757 cockpit height and angle. These lights were designed for low visibility conditions. When the visibility is over 10 NM; there needs to be a lower step on the intensity of these lights for clear nights as is available for runway approach lights.

Related reports:

Google
 

Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: A B757 FLT CREW TAXIING AT SFO NOTICE THE TXWY LIGHTS ARE OVERFLY BRIGHT; RESULTING IN DIFFICULTY SEEING THE ACFT AHEAD. GND CTLR IS UNABLE TO DIM LIGHTS.

Narrative: TAXIING FROM GATE TO RWY 28R AT SFO. UPON ENTERING TXWY B AT K AS TERMINAL LIGHTS BECAME LESS OF A FACTOR; NOTICED THAT TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS WERE TOO BRIGHT. THEIR BRIGHTNESS COMPLETELY BLANKED OUT SILHOUETTE OF AN A320 AHEAD OF US AND WOULD HAVE CAUSED A SMALLER ACFT SUCH AS AN RJ TO BE COMPLETELY HIDDEN FROM VIEW. I ASKED THE GND CTLR TO REDUCE LIGHT INTENSITY OF THE CTRLINE LIGHTS BUT TOLD HE WAS UNABLE TO DO SO AND THAT NUMEROUS ACFT HAD SIMILAR COMPLAINTS ABOUT TXWY CTRLINE LIGHTS BEING TOO BRIGHT. HE SUGGESTED I WRITE A SAFETY REPORT AS THE ONLY WAY TO GET THIS UNSAFE CONDITION RESOLVED. THESE LIGHTS ARE VERY BLINDING WITH THE B757 COCKPIT HEIGHT AND ANGLE. THESE LIGHTS WERE DESIGNED FOR LOW VIS CONDITIONS. WHEN THE VIS IS OVER 10 NM; THERE NEEDS TO BE A LOWER STEP ON THE INTENSITY OF THESE LIGHTS FOR CLEAR NIGHTS AS IS AVAILABLE FOR RWY APCH LIGHTS.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of January 2009 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.