Yeah, tower shouldn't have gotten on them like that. But there's nothing we can do about it. That goes into the file called "Well, its JFK, they're just doing the best they can." My company did that for a while. But lately they've been cleaning up the JFK operation.
On a side note, I'll be flying into JFK tomorrow (Thursday) around 15:45ish as COM202 from AUS in a CR9. Then we depart Friday afternoon as COM17, headed down to ATL in a CR7 at 13:30. I'll be thinking about all you guys when I'm taxiing around JFK getting yelled at for not using the grass.