Where aircraft park at their terminal is between the airlines and the ramp control who operate the terminal. I am sure each company has a publication on ramp procedures but you would have to contact each airline to find out what their ramp procedures are. Its not going to be an FAR, or be in the AIM or the 7110.65. It is a company procedure, not an ATC procedure, and it would be a local procedure for each individual airport. Just because is not published in the AIM, 7110.65 or FAR doesn't mean local procedures don't exist.
As far as the exchange, the ground controller is asking the pilot where he is parking for the ramp. They pilot gets that from his company or ramp control and then relays that to the controller. As you said, that part of imformation gathering exists outside the ATC system (thats between pilot and company) The controller is asking where he needs to enter the ramp so he can get him to the entrance point.
As for the point, "if is not in the rules it doesn't exist" you have to learn some more about ATC. It is not a black and white world.
Hi Juice. Thanks for your post. I don't want to be argumentative, and I considered not responding given your ridiculous last comment, so I'll cut this short.
Ramp controls operate under letters of agreement between carriers and the FAA. These letters then become extensions of the FARs, AIM, Orders, etc. They most certainly are "ATC procedures," and they are in "black and white."
If there is a letter of agreement for this airline that requires the pilot to specify his entrance taxiway (which there very well may be, in fact, I expect there is, and that's why I keep asking for a reference), then the pilot should have been prepared to specify the taxiway.
But that in no way justifies the controller's communication. The controller asked a question that the pilot answered (where do you park), and then there was the confusing yelling, as discussed at length above.
Let me suggest that the controller should have said "XXX, say entrance taxiway assigned by the ramp tower." That would have been more clear, no? Well, that wording is, in fact, from the FAA's sample letter of agreement appended to the Order on Standardized Taxi Routes.
See how following the "black and white" rules actually averts problems?
Best wishes,
Flyer