B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 150; Flight Crew Type 10000
Time Pressure; Distraction
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Procedure; Company Policy; Human Factors
I want to highlight my perceived Safety threat from the BOS Agent staff and also the Pushback Crew.   While preparing our originator in BOS; the door closed early and we completed our checklist items shortly thereafter.   When calling for pushback clearance; we were given a runway and departure change.  This required reloading the FMC flight plan; re-briefing the RNAV departure; re-briefing our expected taxi plan; reviewing the associated 10-7 pages; [re-calculating the weight and balance]; re-loading the FMC performance data; and re-accomplishing the Before Push Check. Before this change occurred; I had already checked in with the Pushback Crew and specifically told them: it was still early; we still had a minute or two of tasks to complete; and that I would call them when ready (I have learned that if I check in with them ahead of time; it prevents them from calling us in the middle of our checklists).   Not less than a minute later; I was signaled by both the Pushback Crew and the Agent and was asked to release the brakes.   I told the Ramp Agent that I was not ready to do so; that we had a runway change and that I will call him back when ready since we were still busy.   We were still very early and we continued with our tasks.  I felt no time pressure at this point.  This is a complicated airport; has an unusual/complex geometry layout; a unique pushback clearance process; a large amount of NOTAMs; and complex RNAV departures.   We purposely took our time as we realized all of this well ahead of the changes.   It is also not a familiar airport to me personally (been there maybe two other times).   Before we were finished; we were again interrupted by the Pushback Crew and were asked to release the brakes once again.   These interruptions were not only just annoying but also distracting.   I again told them to wait as I was not ready.   Upon landing at destination; the DR sheet showed a one-minute delay and the comment; 'door closed seven minutes prior to departure Captain did not release the breaks...'  (Yes; I know how to spell 'brakes' but I assume that is what they meant--aircraft brakes). Our delay of one minute will likely go completely unnoticed but I wanted to highlight a real Safety [issue] that is not likely discoverable in the Company's increased; daily focus with ontime departures. I perceive a few problems in this situation.  1)  BOS Station Ops has their operational priorities misaligned.  It appears to me that an ontime departure is their first priority.  I see this occasionally as a Station specific 'cultural' issue (it is easier for the smaller Stations to start drifting in such manners).  I specifically told them I was busy and they continued not only interrupt me but specifically requested for me to release the brakes.  I have not ever seen such a direct and specific request like this before but it is clear all personnel there know how that triggers the clock.  I was not at all inclined to release the brakes in this situation.  We had a lot going on and were specifically focused on doing our job carefully due to the complexity in BOS.  The brakes being set gives me great comfort; especially in an unknown environment.  A brief moment is one thing but knowing it was going to take us several minutes is quite different.   2)  I wonder if the FAA/Company looks at the practice of releasing the brakes early with no intention of pushing momentarily as fraudulent. In this case; we could have easily released the brakes but not yet moved for nearly 10 minutes.   Is that practice not driving other costs such as artificial block time (placing time on the airframe when nothing is really happening)? I also informed the Chief Pilot office upon landing in the attempt to possibly get a correction made well before it takes this ASAP process to play out.  In closing; I believe it is inappropriate for anyone outside the cockpit to make such requests.  It is impossible for them to have the full picture and not atall in their domain.  The parking brake being set keeps me in the Green; especially when I am 'heads down' for quite a while.  I am also concerned that this is a Station specific problem/work around and it may go unnoticed for quite a while.  I also worry that their ontime desire will pressure another Crew who will fall victim to rushing.  It is an easy trap to fall into.   I hope to lessen that burden by correcting the BOS Station's actions.
B737 Captain perceives safety threats from agents and ground personnel who are constantly badgering flight crews to release the brakes for an on time departure; before they have completed cockpit set up and briefing.