B737 Undifferentiated or Other Model
Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine; Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 236; Flight Crew Type 1910
Situational Awareness; Training / Qualification
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
Weather; Company Policy; Human Factors; Procedure
The flight was uneventful [to ZZZ]. As we got closer to the airport we received gate X. I had never heard of or parked at [gate X]. Upon searching and finding nothing about or where this parking spot was; we sent a message to ZZZ ops and they responded with the information. Approaching XXL there was a level 5 thunderstorm at the south end of airport boundary. We landed safely and taxied off XXL and was told by tower to contact ramp for entry. As we were on [taxiway 1] talking to ramp they said that the ramp was closed due lightening on the field. We sat on [taxiway 1] for a few minutes waiting for the ramp to open; a [company] ramp agent shows up in a van with illuminated wands in hand gets into position and begins to marshal us into the parking spot. My FO (First Officer) and myself were unfamiliar with this parking spot and it was dark poorly lit with heavy rain/wind and lightening everywhere. My thinking at the time was we were on an active taxiway and our tail would be blocking it; so we proceeded in parking.As I set the parking brake and both confirmed that the parking brake was set my FO shut the engines down. The ramp agent instead of putting chalks around the wheels he runs over to the portable passenger bridge pushes it up to the aircraft; runs up to the XYL door without confirmation from the purser; opens the door completely surprising the purser as she was making an announcement on the PA. That door could have still been armed and I don't need to tell anyone what would have happened if the slide had blown; a lot of people could have been hurt. The agent then runs back to his vehicle and waits. In the meantime the boarding area and first class galley are taking on a lot of water. After speaking with ZZZ ops about what had happened they had advised me that no one should have been out on the ramp when closed!! There is so much pressure to crack a door to trip the ACARS; I see it day in and day out. In my eyes it's becoming a safety issue as I have just explained. It's ridiculous. I have a feeling that someone in ZZZ ops sent him out there to do what he did and that's not right or safe for both parties.
B737 Captain reported ramp agent approached aircraft at remote parking spot during lightning storm to open door and triggered ACARS.