Narrative:

Taxiing into gate; getting close to the stop position. Taxi director gives me a very tentative; non SOP stop signal. I stop the aircraft and am looking at him; it looks to me we are a couple of feet short of where we need to be parked. As I reach down to turn the parking brake on the aircraft marshaller begins moving his wands in a non standard manner; signaling me (I think) to move the aircraft forward. I am holding the brakes deciding what I should do. He is telling me to move forward but I am not comfortable with his use of the wands; lack of SOP; close proximity to the terminal and equipment and what looks to me an overall lack of situational awareness displayed by the taxi director. The aircraft is stationary; not moving with the #2 engine secured. At this point we get an ECAM that our aft cargo door has been opened. Taxi director is still moving his wands telling me to pull forward. I instantly set the parking brake with the taxi director still giving me the non standard 'move forward signal.' I shake my head no and signal him to plug in. He comes up on the interphone and I tell him that he was telling me to move the aircraft while someone was opening the cargo doors. He utters some response I could not understand then says 'stand by' and unplugs. By this time jetbridge is at door 1L and cabin door is being opened. I call aft and ask flight attendant if the jetway is in a safe position for the passenger to deplane. She reports 'yes' and I turn off the seat belt sign. I advise ramp control on the radio what had happened and ask them to make a supervisor aware. My actions to disregard the signal of the taxi director to move forward unquestionably prevented either damage to equipment or possibly injury or worse to those on the ramp. Had I followed his direction something bad would have happened. The person giving me taxi instructions looked young and confused. Considering the value of the A320 I was taxiing and the possibility of serious injury or worse to fellow workers on the ground; this type of incident must be avoided. This taxi director may have been having a bad day but it is my opinion he should receive additional training before he is allowed to marshal any more aircraft. This had the potential to be expensive or deadly and was totally avoidable.

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Original NASA ASRS Text

Title: AN AIRBUS CAPT REPORTS A RAMP AGENT GIVING NON-SOP TAXI DIRECTIONS CAUSED HIM TO STOP SHORT OF THE GATE. WHEN THE AGENT ATTEMPTED TO MOVE HIM FORWARD; THE CAPT REFUSED BECAUSE THE CARGO DOOR HAD BEEN OPENED.

Narrative: TAXIING INTO GATE; GETTING CLOSE TO THE STOP POS. TAXI DIRECTOR GIVES ME A VERY TENTATIVE; NON SOP STOP SIGNAL. I STOP THE ACFT AND AM LOOKING AT HIM; IT LOOKS TO ME WE ARE A COUPLE OF FEET SHORT OF WHERE WE NEED TO BE PARKED. AS I REACH DOWN TO TURN THE PARKING BRAKE ON THE ACFT MARSHALLER BEGINS MOVING HIS WANDS IN A NON STANDARD MANNER; SIGNALING ME (I THINK) TO MOVE THE ACFT FORWARD. I AM HOLDING THE BRAKES DECIDING WHAT I SHOULD DO. HE IS TELLING ME TO MOVE FORWARD BUT I AM NOT COMFORTABLE WITH HIS USE OF THE WANDS; LACK OF SOP; CLOSE PROX TO THE TERMINAL AND EQUIP AND WHAT LOOKS TO ME AN OVERALL LACK OF SITUATIONAL AWARENESS DISPLAYED BY THE TAXI DIRECTOR. THE ACFT IS STATIONARY; NOT MOVING WITH THE #2 ENG SECURED. AT THIS POINT WE GET AN ECAM THAT OUR AFT CARGO DOOR HAS BEEN OPENED. TAXI DIRECTOR IS STILL MOVING HIS WANDS TELLING ME TO PULL FORWARD. I INSTANTLY SET THE PARKING BRAKE WITH THE TAXI DIRECTOR STILL GIVING ME THE NON STANDARD 'MOVE FORWARD SIGNAL.' I SHAKE MY HEAD NO AND SIGNAL HIM TO PLUG IN. HE COMES UP ON THE INTERPHONE AND I TELL HIM THAT HE WAS TELLING ME TO MOVE THE ACFT WHILE SOMEONE WAS OPENING THE CARGO DOORS. HE UTTERS SOME RESPONSE I COULD NOT UNDERSTAND THEN SAYS 'STAND BY' AND UNPLUGS. BY THIS TIME JETBRIDGE IS AT DOOR 1L AND CABIN DOOR IS BEING OPENED. I CALL AFT AND ASK FLT ATTENDANT IF THE JETWAY IS IN A SAFE POS FOR THE PAX TO DEPLANE. SHE RPTS 'YES' AND I TURN OFF THE SEAT BELT SIGN. I ADVISE RAMP CTL ON THE RADIO WHAT HAD HAPPENED AND ASK THEM TO MAKE A SUPVR AWARE. MY ACTIONS TO DISREGARD THE SIGNAL OF THE TAXI DIRECTOR TO MOVE FORWARD UNQUESTIONABLY PREVENTED EITHER DAMAGE TO EQUIP OR POSSIBLY INJURY OR WORSE TO THOSE ON THE RAMP. HAD I FOLLOWED HIS DIRECTION SOMETHING BAD WOULD HAVE HAPPENED. THE PERSON GIVING ME TAXI INSTRUCTIONS LOOKED YOUNG AND CONFUSED. CONSIDERING THE VALUE OF THE A320 I WAS TAXIING AND THE POSSIBILITY OF SERIOUS INJURY OR WORSE TO FELLOW WORKERS ON THE GND; THIS TYPE OF INCIDENT MUST BE AVOIDED. THIS TAXI DIRECTOR MAY HAVE BEEN HAVING A BAD DAY BUT IT IS MY OPINION HE SHOULD RECEIVE ADDITIONAL TRAINING BEFORE HE IS ALLOWED TO MARSHAL ANY MORE ACFT. THIS HAD THE POTENTIAL TO BE EXPENSIVE OR DEADLY AND WAS TOTALLY AVOIDABLE.

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.