Large Transport; Low Wing; 2 Turbojet Eng
Flight Crew Air Transport Pilot (ATP); Flight Crew Instrument; Flight Crew Multiengine
Flight Crew Last 90 Days 240; Flight Crew Total 10462
Communication Breakdown; Situational Awareness; Confusion
ATC Issue All Types; Conflict Ground Conflict; Less Severe; Deviation / Discrepancy - Procedural Published Material / Policy
Flight Crew Requested ATC Assistance / Clarification
Procedure; Human Factors; Weather
On taxi in during night time raining operations I had to deconflict our aircraft from two other aircraft autonomously without ATC ground instruction. Taxiing in on K with clear unrestricted instructions to taxi to our gate via A9; A. When approaching taxiway B on K I saw an Airbus taxiing at high speed approaching our common intersection from the left. I chose to stop my aircraft in the interest of safety because they did not appear as if they were going to give way; and did not.I was now in question of my taxi clearance due to the collision avoidance I had to take. Also; this being my 5th leg in two days with 5 total such occurrences I feared multiple de-conflicted aircraft now on taxiway B and/or A. I proceeded with extreme caution due to night time rainy conditions and the potential for collision with another aircraft. As I proceeded slowly with the previous clearance the ground controller came on and restated the clearance in a condescending tone and that I was holding up traffic. But I saw an aircraft under tow on B as I approached A9; they were turning onto A7 and fearing that my clearance would again cause a conflict with that aircraft under tow assuming his turn was going to be right on A and into the south port. To avoid turning into that aircraft on A; I stopped my aircraft on A9 again in the interest of safety. Indeed the tow was turning into us onto A and into the south port. The ground controller again now in an irritated and condescending tone barked the same clearance again as if we could just squeeze by them with no conflict.We should have never been given the last clearance without give way instructions for the [aircraft] under tow. Had I been taxiing at higher speeds and not given way the conflict would have resulted in either a standoff at A8 on A or worse yet another potential collision. We taxied to the gate without a collision. I called the tower supervisor and discussed the incident. The tower manager called me two days later and said indeed there were two or three aircraft conflicts that were never de-conflicted. Our talk was congenial and professional.
Air Carrier Captain reported confusion and conflictions from Ground Controller's clearance to gate.