AN ACR B737-500 CREW STATES THAT THEY WERE ALLOWED TO TAXI TOO FAR FORWARD CAUSING THEIR #1 ENG COWL TO HIT THE JET BRIDGE. ERROR ADMITTED BY GND MARSHALLER. THERE WERE BOUNDARY LINES OUTLINING SAFE AREA FOR ACFT PARKING.

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DURING TAXI TO GATE; THE GND GUIDE DIRECTED THE CAPT UP THE LINE AND GAVE A NORMAL STOP SIGNAL. THE CAPT BROUGHT THE ACFT TO A STOP WITHIN INCHES OF THE STOP SIGNAL. GND PERSONNEL ENTERED COCKPIT AND INFORMED US THAT THE #1 ENG HAD CONTACTED THE JETWAY. I NOTICED A SMALL SCRATCH ON THE INLET APPROX 2 INCHES LONG. I NOTICED THAT THE NOSEWHEEL WAS FORWARD OF THE B737 INDEX MARK PAINTED ON THE GND. I FOUND THE ACFT WAS 5 FT 4 INCHES FORWARD OF THE INDEX MARK. I MUST REITERATE THAT THE CAPT STOPPED THE ACFT WITHIN INCHES OF THE SIGNAL MAN'S STOP SIGNAL. SINCE THE JETWAY WAS MOVED INTO POS AFTER THE ACFT WAS BROUGHT TO A FULL STOP; I CANNOT SAY WITH CERTAINTY THAT THE JETWAY DID NOT STRIKE THE ACFT. A LOGBOOK ENTRY WAS MADE AND MAINT PERSONNEL INSPECTED THE DAMAGE. THE LOGBOOK WAS CLRED AND THE ACFT RETURNED TO SVC. I WOULD LIKE TO SEE THE COMPANY PAINT BOUNDARY LINES ON THE GND SO THAT FLCS CAN READILY IDENT IF A JETWAY IS OUT OF POS AND POSSIBLY A HAZARD TO THE ACFT. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 360044: MARSHALLER AND WING WALKERS WERE IN PLACE. MARSHALLER GAVE ME THE STOP SIGNAL AND I SET THE PARKING BRAKE. WE SAW A VERY SMALL DENT IN THE COWLING AT THE 11:30 POS INBOARD FROM THE COWLING LIP APPROX 8 INCHES. (THE DENT WAS VERY SHALLOW AND LCL MAINT WAS ABLE TO BUFF IT CLEAN.) THE COWLING HAD GONE UNDER THE JETWAY. I TALKED TO THE MARSHALLER AND HIS INITIAL SHOT AT ME WAS THAT WE WERE TAXIING TOO FAST. BS! WHEN I CHALLENGED HIM; HE CHANGED HIS STORY AND SAID HE WAS BLINDED BY THE SUN. THE JETWAY HAD NOT BEEN POSITIONED PROPERLY. COMPANY SAFETY HAS INVESTIGATED AND THE CHIEF PLT CALLED ME TO SAY THAT THE GND MARSHALLER ADMITTED FAULT. AT NO TIME DID HE EVER WAVE HIS WANDS FRANTICALLY OR ACT AS IF SOMETHING BAD WAS ABOUT TO HAPPEN.