Narrative:

Beginning our right turn in to gate at ZZZ; a service vehicle in the service lane cut us off by failing to yield. I had to slow the aircraft markedly to avoid an uncomfortably close pass -- think of hitting the brakes for a red light runner. Note that by our count; 7 employees in red and yellow vests were standing around doing nothing but watching us try to self-park rather than being in position as wing walkers. Note further that with wing walkers this incident would not have happened. Rhetorical question: are the 1.2 seconds allegedly saved by this new policy really worth the costs associated with a bent airplane and/or injured personnel that will result from it? 1) fire air carrier management and replace with competent; ethical people. 2) utilize wing walkers. 3) implement union safety recommendations for parking aircraft. Operating in compliance with company procedures was the problem.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN ENCOUNTER WITH AN UNYIELDING VEHICLE PROMPTS B737 CAPTAIN TO RELATE CONCERNS ABOUT RELAXED COMPANY POLICY REGARDING PERSONNEL ASSIGNED TO AID IN PARKING ACFT.

Narrative: BEGINNING OUR R TURN IN TO GATE AT ZZZ; A SVC VEHICLE IN THE SVC LANE CUT US OFF BY FAILING TO YIELD. I HAD TO SLOW THE ACFT MARKEDLY TO AVOID AN UNCOMFORTABLY CLOSE PASS -- THINK OF HITTING THE BRAKES FOR A RED LIGHT RUNNER. NOTE THAT BY OUR COUNT; 7 EMPLOYEES IN RED AND YELLOW VESTS WERE STANDING AROUND DOING NOTHING BUT WATCHING US TRY TO SELF-PARK RATHER THAN BEING IN POS AS WING WALKERS. NOTE FURTHER THAT WITH WING WALKERS THIS INCIDENT WOULD NOT HAVE HAPPENED. RHETORICAL QUESTION: ARE THE 1.2 SECONDS ALLEGEDLY SAVED BY THIS NEW POLICY REALLY WORTH THE COSTS ASSOCIATED WITH A BENT AIRPLANE AND/OR INJURED PERSONNEL THAT WILL RESULT FROM IT? 1) FIRE ACR MGMNT AND REPLACE WITH COMPETENT; ETHICAL PEOPLE. 2) UTILIZE WING WALKERS. 3) IMPLEMENT UNION SAFETY RECOMMENDATIONS FOR PARKING ACFT. OPERATING IN COMPLIANCE WITH COMPANY PROCS WAS THE PROB.

Data retrieved from NASA's ASRS site as of May 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.