B737-800
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP)
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 228
Communication Breakdown
Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy; Ground Event / Encounter Other / Unknown
General None Reported / Taken
Airport; Procedure; Company Policy
We were waiting to pull in to the gate at the top of the J-line with the Marshaller repeatedly waving us in with NUMEROUS baggage carts clearly in the Safety Zone. A Supervisor was also present along with several other Ramp Agents. One Ramp Agent gave us a thumbs up to come in standing right next to one of the baggage carts clearly in the Safety Zone. The Marshaller continued to wave us in even while the Supervisor started moving carts and was in the middle of the Safety Zone walking to move some carts on the other side. Several Ramp Agents; a Marshaller and a Supervisor were all present and still we were being waved in with an additional thumbs up from a Ramp Agent with numerous obstructions in the Zone. If this had been at night or in the rain it may have been difficult to see more clearly and we would have hit one of the carts with our Scimitar winglets. A complete failure of the Ramp to follow Safety procedures. We made numerous radio calls to Operations and we refused to taxi until the Safety Zone was clear.Preventative Measures: Serious documented training and probation for all Ramp Agents involved. This would have caused a serious problem/damage to the aircraft if the Flight Crew had not parked at the top of the J-line and made numerous radio calls and hand gestures to the Ramp Agents demanding the Safety Zone be cleared properly before proceeding. This also caused us to sit there burning fuel and wasting time and delaying our Passengers.
B737 Captain reported he refused to taxi into a gate area with baggage carts in the safety zone.