GND CREW HAD NOT RELEASED FLC OF MLG TO TAXI RESULTING IN THE NOSE TIRE BEING DAMAGED WHEN HITTING TOW BAR DURING ATTEMPTED TAXI.

Narrative

PUSHBACK WAS MADE ONTO ACTIVE TXWY G FROM GATE AT LAX; 45 MINS LATE; AND PUSHBACK GND CREW WAS 1 MAN SHORT. I RESPONDED TO REQUEST FROM GND CREW ON INTERCOM THAT BRAKES WERE SET AND CLR TO DISCONNECT. 2 ENGS WERE STARTED AND THE DISTRS STARTED. THE SENIOR FLT ATTENDANT CAME TO THE COCKPIT AND RPTED THE SMELL OF BURNING RUBBER AT ROW 30. THE FE WENT TO THE CABIN AND COULD NOT CONFIRM THE SMELL. CABIN AIR PACK SETTINGS WERE ALTERED AND DURING THIS TIME A RAMP AGENT WAS OBSERVED WALKING TOWARDS THE AREA OF GATE XY ADJACENT TO THE L WING. RAMP TWR CALLED WITH CHANGES TO THE PAX COUNT AND TKOF WT. ANOTHER ACFT HAD PUSHED BACK FROM GATE XZ AND WAS WAITING FOR US TO MOVE. THE COPLT CALLED FOR TAXI AND REPEATED THAT WE WERE CLR TO TAXI. NONE OF THE GND CREW WAS OBSERVED NEAR THE ACFT AND BRAKES WERE RELEASED. THE ACFT ROLLED 2-3 FT AND NOSEWHEEL STRUCK TOW BAR NECESSITATING THE CHANGE OF THE NOSE TIRE. THE COMBINATION OF A LONG SIT AFTER PUSH BACK; ABOUT 5 MINS; COUPLED WITH NO VISUAL SIGNAL FROM GND CREW; SITTING ON AN ACTIVE TXWY; AND THE COPLT REPEATING THE INSTRUCTIONS TO TAXI NOW; CAUSED A REACTION OF RELEASING THE BRAKES PRIOR TO MY REALIZING THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN VISUALLY RELEASED WITH A SALUTE. WITH THE REPLACEMENT OF MANY OF OUR PERMANENT GND PERSONNEL WITH TEMPORARY EMPLOYEES; THE PUSH BACK ENVIRONMENT HAS CHANGED FROM ONE OF PRECISION TO ONE OF ACCEPTING WHAT YOU GET. THIS CHANGE INCLUDES CASES WHERE 4 ATTEMPTS WERE NEEDED TO GET THE ACFT PUSHED AWAY FROM THE GATE ON A PRIOR OCCASION; BROKEN TOW BARS; LACK OF A SIGNAL MAN IN VIEW AS REQUIRED BY COMPANY REGS; AND THE SIGNAL MAN CASUALLY WAVING YOU AWAY IN LIEU OF A SALUTE.