A320
Confusion; Situational Awareness; Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance
Airport; Human Factors; Procedure
After clearing 25L at H-6; we joined H and were instructed to 'face west and hold short of P.' The intersection of H and P is not a sharp 90 degree turn; but rather a gradual easement (i.e.; a high-speed turnoff). Taking care not to encroach onto any portion of P; we stopped short of the point where the pavement begins to diverge from H onto P. After stopping; ATC insisted that we 'move up and hold short of P.' This was perplexing as; in our best assessment; we were doing just that; and moving forward would have constituted an incursion onto P. Before we could ask for clarification; ATC then told us; with some urgency; to move forward as we were 'blocking the runway.' Presumably; ATC meant that we were blocking the exits for 25L; which are in close proximity to P. Since we were well established on H; no part of the aircraft was over any runway hold line. We then moved forward; passing P; and were instructed to hold further west on H; behind another aircraft which was holding short of T. There a few possible explanations for this confusion. First; it may me possible that ATC intended us to hold short of T; behind the other aircraft; rather than hold in the area near P; which is in the vicinity of the several 25L turnoffs. ATC may have mistakenly said P; meaning T; as we all sometimes do. The other is that ATC may have indeed wanted us to hold short of P but we did not move far enough forward. If so; there are inadequate pavement markings with which to determine the proper holding position.
An A320 flight crew and ATC at LAX had a conflict over where to hold short of Taxiway P when Westbound on H. The 'quasi' high speed entrance to P at H combined with the lack of any hold short markings were contributing factors.