Narrative:

My aircraft this day had numerous open items; 2 of which required me to take specific actions before departure. The maintenance action required me to get a lavatory service sheet prior to departure for an inoperative lavatory waste indicator. I called operations 3 times and was told it was in the computer and that was good enough. That's not what the maintenance action said so I made them bring me a physical copy. I cannot intentionally violate the maintenance action just because someone told me to! The second item was an inoperative cockpit to ground interphone and that required me to talk face to face with the pushback crew to verify the nosewheel steering disconnect was annunciated. Again; I called 3 times before I got anyone to talk to. I also looked around outside to find someone to no avail. I am leery of the training and abilities of our ground people after multiple incidents; including having ramp in ZZZ destroy my engine. I went over hand signals and what we were going to do. The ground man gave me proper signals and we started our pushback. He then just walked away! Another ramp man came out from under the nose after pushback and put his hands up without the proper signal. I told my first officer I think they are going to pull the tow bar without giving us a set brake signal. Sure enough they did; but I knew it was coming and put on the parking brake instantly. Someone is going to get hurt or killed if these people are not trained well enough with enough supervision. We also got a call later on telling us we got a delay because I did the right thing and complied properly with the maintenance action. Well; I will do the right thing every single time and take anything anyone wants to give me if it is the safest course of action. In-flight we lost our #2 engine hydraulic pump. We sent the maintenance code and maintenance control later sent a message for us to turn it back on to see if it worked. My ptu was working fine and what he suggested was not covered in our flight manual. The pump could have disintegrated and then we would have had a real mess. I elected to not do such a thing and take any chance of putting my flight in jeopardy. Sometimes our company makes it real hard to keep doing the right thing every time.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN A319 PLT RPTS THAT INTERACTIONS WITH RAMP AND MAINT PERSONNEL DO NOT PROVIDE HIM WITH A SAFE ENVIRONMENT WHEN OPERATING HIS FLTS.

Narrative: MY ACFT THIS DAY HAD NUMEROUS OPEN ITEMS; 2 OF WHICH REQUIRED ME TO TAKE SPECIFIC ACTIONS BEFORE DEP. THE MAINT ACTION REQUIRED ME TO GET A LAVATORY SVC SHEET PRIOR TO DEP FOR AN INOP LAVATORY WASTE INDICATOR. I CALLED OPS 3 TIMES AND WAS TOLD IT WAS IN THE COMPUTER AND THAT WAS GOOD ENOUGH. THAT'S NOT WHAT THE MAINT ACTION SAID SO I MADE THEM BRING ME A PHYSICAL COPY. I CANNOT INTENTIONALLY VIOLATE THE MAINT ACTION JUST BECAUSE SOMEONE TOLD ME TO! THE SECOND ITEM WAS AN INOP COCKPIT TO GND INTERPHONE AND THAT REQUIRED ME TO TALK FACE TO FACE WITH THE PUSHBACK CREW TO VERIFY THE NOSEWHEEL STEERING DISCONNECT WAS ANNUNCIATED. AGAIN; I CALLED 3 TIMES BEFORE I GOT ANYONE TO TALK TO. I ALSO LOOKED AROUND OUTSIDE TO FIND SOMEONE TO NO AVAIL. I AM LEERY OF THE TRAINING AND ABILITIES OF OUR GND PEOPLE AFTER MULTIPLE INCIDENTS; INCLUDING HAVING RAMP IN ZZZ DESTROY MY ENG. I WENT OVER HAND SIGNALS AND WHAT WE WERE GOING TO DO. THE GND MAN GAVE ME PROPER SIGNALS AND WE STARTED OUR PUSHBACK. HE THEN JUST WALKED AWAY! ANOTHER RAMP MAN CAME OUT FROM UNDER THE NOSE AFTER PUSHBACK AND PUT HIS HANDS UP WITHOUT THE PROPER SIGNAL. I TOLD MY FO I THINK THEY ARE GOING TO PULL THE TOW BAR WITHOUT GIVING US A SET BRAKE SIGNAL. SURE ENOUGH THEY DID; BUT I KNEW IT WAS COMING AND PUT ON THE PARKING BRAKE INSTANTLY. SOMEONE IS GOING TO GET HURT OR KILLED IF THESE PEOPLE ARE NOT TRAINED WELL ENOUGH WITH ENOUGH SUPERVISION. WE ALSO GOT A CALL LATER ON TELLING US WE GOT A DELAY BECAUSE I DID THE RIGHT THING AND COMPLIED PROPERLY WITH THE MAINT ACTION. WELL; I WILL DO THE RIGHT THING EVERY SINGLE TIME AND TAKE ANYTHING ANYONE WANTS TO GIVE ME IF IT IS THE SAFEST COURSE OF ACTION. INFLT WE LOST OUR #2 ENG HYD PUMP. WE SENT THE MAINT CODE AND MAINT CTL LATER SENT A MESSAGE FOR US TO TURN IT BACK ON TO SEE IF IT WORKED. MY PTU WAS WORKING FINE AND WHAT HE SUGGESTED WAS NOT COVERED IN OUR FLT MANUAL. THE PUMP COULD HAVE DISINTEGRATED AND THEN WE WOULD HAVE HAD A REAL MESS. I ELECTED TO NOT DO SUCH A THING AND TAKE ANY CHANCE OF PUTTING MY FLT IN JEOPARDY. SOMETIMES OUR COMPANY MAKES IT REAL HARD TO KEEP DOING THE RIGHT THING EVERY TIME.

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.