AN MLG SCRAPED ITS L WINGTIP WHILE TAXIING INTO THE GATE.

Narrative

UPON ENTERING 'ALLEY' FOR GATE X; NO GND PERSONNEL WERE VISIBLE. COMPANY OPS HAD BEEN ADVISED; AT LEAST 4-5 MINS PRIOR; OF ACFT'S ARR. A FUELING TRUCK AND CATERING TRUCK WERE LOCATED BTWN THE LEAD-IN LINE FOR GATE X AND A PARKED LGT ON GATE Y. AS THE ACFT TURNED INTO THE PARKING LANE; I NOTED THE PROX OF THE FUEL TRUCK ON THE L OF THE ACFT. THE CAPT PROCEEDED CAUTIOUSLY AND CLRED THE FUEL TRUCK. I THEN DOUBLE-CHKED CLRNC ON THE ACFTS R. MOMENTS LATER THE L WINGTIP OF OUR ACFT 'BRUSHED' THE CATERING TRUCK; RESULTING IN MINOR DAMAGE TO BOTH. IN RETROSPECT; I WOULD SAY THAT MANY; MANY INDIVIDUALS WERE TO BLAME IN THIS EVENT. I CERTAINLY COULD HAVE BEEN MORE HELP; EVEN IF TO MERELY URGE CAUTION. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 220675: AFTER A LONG NIGHT WITH MANY DELAYS; I TAXIED IN TO THE GATE AT GLA. THE AREA WAS CROWDED WITH A FUEL TRUCK TO THE R AND CATERING TRUCK TO THE L. LOOKED LIKE EVERYTHING WAS JUST CLR OF SAFETY LINES. THE MAINT PERSONNEL WHO WERE SUPPOSED TO PARK US WERE NOWHERE TO BE FOUND; SO I CREEPED SLOWLY TOWARDS GATE ON THE TAXI LINE. I OPENED L WINDOW TO WATCH WINGTIP AND CATERING TRUCK. A PERSON IN THE CATERING TRUCK WHO WAS SIGNALING ME (MY IMPRESSION WAS A THUMBS UP). IT LOOKED LIKE THE TIP WOULD CLR AND I WAS EXPECTING THE MAINT PERSON ON TAXI LINE TO START HELPING ME AT ANY MOMENT. INSTEAD; HE TURNED AROUND TO PUT ON A HEADSET. ABOUT THAT TIME WINGTIP HIT TRUCK. THANK GOODNESS; MINIMAL DAMAGE TO ACFT AND TRUCK; BUT CONTACT NONETHELESS (WINGTIP REPLACED). LOOKING BACK; THERE WERE MANY CONFUSING LINES PAINTED AROUND GATE. WHO KNOWS WHICH ONE IS ACTUALLY THE SAFE LINE. PERSON IN TRUCK APPEARED TO BE OF A NATIONALITY WHO MAY HAVE MEANT SOMETHING ELSE BY HIS SIGNAL (PERHAPS HE WAS TRYING TO WAVE ME AWAY). THE MAINT PERSON ALMOST APPEARED TO SET ME UP. THEY ARE IN 30 DAY COOLING OFF PERIOD WITH COMPANY AND DON'T SEEM TO FEEL THE IMPORTANCE OF THE OP. DON'T KNOW IF IT WAS INTENTIONAL; BUT LOOKING BACK; THAT WAS MY IMPRESSION. BOTTOM LINE WAS; IT IS STILL MY RESPONSIBILITY AND MY ATTEMPT TO EXPEDITE RESULTED IN A GND INCIDENT. PATIENCE MUST PERSIST.