MLG TAKES OFF WITHOUT RECEIVING AN ATC RTE CLRNC.

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WE CANE INTO PHL FROM PITTSBURGH. WE HAD A SCHEDULED ACFT CHANGE IN PHILADELPHIA. WE ARRIVED IN THE ACFT WITH MORE THAN ENOUGH TIME. I PERFORMED THE EXTERIOR PREFLT INSPECTION. AFTERWARDS I LOADED THE ACARS AND SET UP THE ACFT FOR OUR FILED RTE. I ATTEMPTED TO OBTAIN AN ATC CLRNC VIA THE PRE-DEP CLRNC PROGRAM 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP. THE PRE-DEP CLRNC WOULD NOT ISSUE A CLRNC. I DECIDED TO WAIT UNTIL 20 MINS PRIOR TO DEP; AT WHICH TIME I WOULD TRY AGAIN. WE BECAME DISTRACTED IN THE COCKPIT AND FORGOT TO OBTAIN THE CLRNC. AT DEP TIME WE TAXIED OUT WITH PHILADELPHIA GND AND WERE CLRED FOR TKOF BY TWR. WHEN WE SWITCHED OVER TO DEP CTL; HE ASKED US OUR DEST AND ISSUED US OUR XPONDER CODE. IT WASN'T UNTIL THIS TIME THAT I REALIZED WE HAD NO CLRNC. I SUGGEST THAT A PROGRAM BE PUT IN PLACE AT ALL PRE-DEP CLRNC STATIONS SUCH AS THE ONE AT LA GUARDIA. AT LGA AFTER YOU RECEIVE YOUR ATC CLRNC; YOU MUST CONTACT CLRNC DELIVERY AND TELL THEM YOUR XPONDER CODE. IF THEY ARE NOT CONTACTED; GND CTL WILL NOT ALLOW YOU TO TAXI. SOME OF THE REASONS FOR THIS EVENT INCLUDE: 1) AT SOME PRE-DEP CLRNC STATIONS YOU MAY OBTAIN A CLRNC 30 MINS PRIOR TO DEP; BUT AT OTHERS YOU MUST WAIT UNTIL EXACTLY 20 MINS PRIOR. 2) FAMILIARITY WITH THE FLT PLAN RTE AND SETTING UP THE NAVIGATIONAL AIDS PRIOR TO OBTAINING AN ATC CLRNC (A COMMON PRACTICE). 3) THE MULTITUDES OF DISTRS IN THE COCKPIT PRIOR TO TAXI. 4) NO BACKUP ON THE PART OF MOST GND CTL STATIONS. 5) NO PROVISION FOR ATC CLRNC ON THE CHKLIST.