RPTR BELIEVES ROUTINELY USING RWYS AS TXWYS IS UNSAFE.

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UNSAFE GND CTL PRACTICES -- HIGH POTENTIAL FOR RWY INCURSION. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI FROM CONCOURSE B TO RWY 21C VIA TXWY F; RWY 9L AND TXWY M. IT APPEARS TO BE STANDARD PRACTICE FOR DETROIT GND CTL TO USE RWYS NOT IN USE FOR TKOF/LNDG AS TXWYS (IE; TAXI ON RWY 9/27 WHILE TAKING OFF AND LNDG ON RWY 3/21). THIS IS A POTENTIALLY HAZARDOUS PRACTICE FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS. THE COCKPIT IN A TRANSPORT CATEGORY ACFT IS QUITE BUSY WHEN TAXIING FOR TKOF (CHKLISTS; CLOSEOUT NUMBER CALCULATIONS; ETC). IT'S NOT UNUSUAL FOR 1 CREWMEMBER TO HAVE HIS HEAD DOWN LEAVING ONLY 1 SET OF EYES OUTSIDE THE TAXI INSTRUCTIONS GIVEN (NO DOUBT MANY TIMES A DAY) REQUIRE; WITHOUT EXCEPTION; THAT THE ACFT IS TURNED FROM THE RWY (USED FOR TAXI) ONTO A TXWY (IN THIS CASE RWY 9L TO TXWY M). IF THE TURN IS MISSED THE ACFT IS IMMEDIATELY IN THE MIDDLE OF AN ACTIVE RWY (IN THIS CASE; BEING USED FOR HIGH VOLUME MORNING DEPS; EVERY 3 MINS). THERE ARE NO HOLD BARS AND VERY LITTLE IN THE WAY OF A TXWY DESIGNATOR UNLESS THE CREW HAPPENS TO LOOK WELL TO THE L. (CONSIDER RWY WIDTH OF 200 FT FOR RWY 9L -- NEAREST TXWY DESIGNATOR IS AT LEAST 100-120 FT AWAY!) ONLY A MOMENT OF INATTN OR JUST A LOOK DOWN AT THE ARPT DIAGRAM COULD BE DISASTROUS -- AND THIS IS WITH 3 MI VISIBILITY. FROM MY EXPERIENCE; DETROIT IS THE ONLY ARPT IN THE UNITED STATES THAT USES THIS PRACTICE OF TAXIING ON RWYS AS A REGULAR PROC. I THINK WITH DETROIT'S HISTORY OF RWY INCURSION ACCIDENTS THEY WOULD WANT TO DO EVERYTHING POSSIBLE TO PREVENT FUTURE PROBS. THE SOLUTION IS SIMPLE: USE TXWYS FOR TAXI AND RWYS FOR TKOF/LNDG. CONVINCE THE DETROIT TWR CHIEF TO ABANDON THIS UNSAFE PRACTICE. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THIS RPTR WAS IN AN MD80 (SUPER). HE HAD SEVERAL PEOPLE TELL HIM THAT USING THE RWY FOR TAXI IS A REGULAR PROC AT DTW. HE FEELS THIS IS AN ACCIDENT WAITING TO HAPPEN. A MOMENTARY DISTR TAXIING E SO AS TO MISS TXWY M AND THE ACFT WOULD BE OUT ON RWY 21C BEFORE ANYONE COULD DO ANYTHING ABOUT IT. HE REITERATED THE RWY IS 200 FT WIDE; NOT THE NORMAL 150 FT AND NO HOLD LINE OR MARKING AND THE SIGNS ARE NOT PARTICULARLY OBVIOUS TO INDICATE OR DIFFERENTIATE THE TXWYS. AND IT SEEMS SO UNNECESSARY FROM THE PLT POINT OF VIEW.