B737-700
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 424
Communication Breakdown
ATC Issue All Types; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Clearance; Ground Incursion Taxiway
Air Traffic Control Issued New Clearance; Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Human Factors; Procedure
After landing and exiting XXR on the reverse Taxiway XX we were cleared to cross XXL and contact Ground. As soon as we switched over to Ground Control; we heard our call sign and the instructions to taxi XX1; XX2. The First Officer read it back with clarification 'XX1; XX2; XX3 to the gate.' No correction was received. A short while later; while we were on XX1; we heard a Company flight get tersely queried; 'Why aren't you moving?' The Company flight stated they were doing what they were told. The Controller replied; 'No you're not.' A quick back and forth argument ensued. We made our turn on XX2 and then XX3 and held behind the 'offending' Company aircraft. Shortly after we heard 'XXXX what are YOU doing?' We replied with the clearance as we understood it (and read back). ATC said (again tersely) 'No; you guys must've taken each other's calls....' He then cleared us to taxi to the gate as able. It was very busy on frequency and the whole thing was easily sorted. There were no traffic conflicts (maybe just an efficiency hit in the whole operation). I write this report because the Controller was very perturbed; and who knows; maybe we did make an error. In fairness to the Controller; I wasn't paying attention to the other call sign. It might have been similar; which would be a potential explanation. That said....1. Our read back was not corrected2. The other Company flight clearly didn't take our clearance either; as they never moved.3. The above combined makes me think the Controller might have been the confused party.
B737 Captain reported confusion with an ATC ground clearance and possible Controller personality related problems.