B757-200
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 200; Flight Crew Total 15000; Flight Crew Type 8600
Other / Unknown; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
Conflict Ground Conflict; Critical
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Human Factors; Procedure; Airport
We had been cleared to taxi but were behind an [RJ] who was parking at a gate ahead of us in the alley. We moved out onto Taxiway A; but had not completely turned onto it when we had to stop and wait for the plane to pull into the gate. While we were waiting; another small jet taxied passed us also on Taxiway A. He had to pull way over to the left to go around us. We were clearly on the same taxi way; our nose very close to the centerline; but we were at an angle so he had minimum room to pass with his moving over to the left. Ground then told us to follow him and said he did not know he was going to do that. Lucky not to have made contact.
When the reporter's B757-200 stopped on a taxiway to allow an aircraft ahead to park at the gate; an anxious commuter jet flight crew elected to narrowly pass them to the left instead of holding.