CAPT OF ACR LGT ACFT MISUNDERSTOOD TAXI CLRNC AFTER LNDG AND TAXIED TO GATE PARKING WITHOUT CLRNC.

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UPON ARR DTW THE FOLLOWING TAXI INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED BY TWR AND 2 DIFFERENT ATC GND FREQS: THE FIRST INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED DURING LNDG ROLL ON RWY 21L. 1. TWR: 'ACR FLT NUMBER; TURN R AT HIGH SPD AND HOLD SHORT OF CTR RWY ON FOX;' (AFTER APPROX 3 DEPS ON CTR RWY); 2. 'CROSS 21C HOLD SHORT OF UNIFORM ON FOX AND CONTACT GND 119.45;' (AFTER XING AND CONTACTING GND). 3. 'ACR FLT NUMBER SAY GATE AND IF OPEN.' (WE INFORMED CTLR GATE NUMBER WAS OPEN). 4. 'ACR FLT NUMBER; HOLD SHORT OF WOLF ON UNIFORM AND MONITOR GND ON 132.72.' (WE COMPLIED WITH INSTRUCTIONS AND THERE WAS A LONG LINE-UP OF ACFT PROCEEDING TO GATES ON OUTER TAXIWAY BEYOND WOLF). 5. 'ACR FLT NUMBER; FOLLOW MLG ACFT AT 1 O'CLOCK POS ON OUTER.' (THERE WAS NO MLG ACFT AT THAT POS; HOWEVER; THERE WAS AT 11 O'CLOCK SO WE INQUIRED AND WERE TOLD TO FOLLOW HIM). PAST PROC HAS ALWAYS BEEN TO TAXI TO GATE VIA THE CLOSEST INTXN IF NO 'HOLD SHORT' INSTRUCTIONS HAVE BEEN GIVEN. AFTER WE WERE PARKED; GND ASKED OUR LOCATION. WHEN WE TOLD GND WE WERE AT GATE; THE CTLR STATED; 'YOU KNOW; YOU'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO THAT.' THEN; FREQ CONGESTION CONTINUED AND WE NEVER FOUND OUT WHAT WE'RE NOT ALLOWED TO DO. EVIDENTLY; SOME NEW LCL RULE OR PROC HAS BEEN IMPLEMENTED THAT REQUIRES INBOUND ACFT TO CONTINUE ON OUTER TAXIWAY TO N END OF FIELD AND THEN DOUBLING BACK ON INNER TO THE GATE. NOT ONLY WERE THESE INSTRUCTIONS NOT ISSUED TO US IN THE NUMEROUS TRANSMISSIONS MADE BY ATC; BUT THERE IS NO MENTION OF THIS PROC IN FAA OR COMPANY NOTAMS. THERE IS A MENTION OF 'NEW UNFAMILIAR GND PROCS;' BUT NO ELABORATION. THIS TYPE OF CONFUSION OCCURS ON A DAILY BASIS. ANOTHER DISASTER HERE IS IMMINENT; AND A TFC LIGHT XING SYS IS DESPERATELY NEEDED ON RWY 21C.