MD80 FLC IS ASKED IF THEY CAN TURN OFF THE RWY AT TXWY N. AS THEY BEGIN THE TURN CTLR SAYS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 33. AT THIS POINT THEY HAVE CROSSED THE HOLD LINES PAINTED ON THE RWY FOR LAHSO OPERATIONS. THEY CONTINUE THE TURN.

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LANDED RWY 36 DCA. DURING ROLLOUT ON RWY 36 TWR ASKS IF WE CAN MAKE TXWY N. WE REPLY YES. AS WE APPROACH TXWY N EXITING RWY 36 TWR SAYS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 33. NOT A PROB SINCE I AM TURNING OFF ON TXWY N. HOWEVER I SEE THAT WE ARE CROSSING THE LAHSO HOLD LINES FOR RWY 33 AS WE TURN ON TXWY N. IF TWR WANTED ME TO HOLD SHORT OF THE LAHSO LINES IT WAS TOO LATE. TO HOLD SHORT OF THESE LINES YOU COULD NOT EXIT ON TXWY N. YOU WOULD HAVE TO STOP ON RWY 36 POINTED AT TXWY N. I CALLED THE TWR BY PHONE TO MAKE SURE WE DID WHAT THE TWR WANTED US TO DO. TALKING TO THE DCA TWR HE EXPLAINED THAT THEY DID NOT WANT US TO ROLL THROUGH RWY 33 WHICH WE DID NOT. I EXPLAINED TO HIM THAT WHEN TURNING OFF OF RWY 36 ON TO TXWY N. IF TWR SAYS TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 33 YOU WOULD HAVE TO STOP ON RWY 36. HE SAID NO PROB; THAT WE DID WHAT WE WERE SUPPOSED TO DO. MY POINT IS; THAT WITH TFC TO DEPART RWY 33; LNDG TFC BEHIND US ON RWY 36 WITH THE HOLD LINES AT TXWY N IF I HAD MORE TIME TO SEE THE HOLD LINES I WOULD HAVE STOPPED ON RWY 36. PROBABLY CAUSING A GAR FOR THE TFC BEHIND US AND NOT DOING WHAT THE TWR EXPECTED US TO DO. P.S. WE WERE NOT DOING A LAHSO OPERATION. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: RPTR STATED THIS IS A CONFUSING SITUATION DUE TO THE PLACEMENT OF THE HOLD LINES. THESE ARE YELLOW HOLD LINES PAINTED ON THE RWY ALONG WITH RED RWY SIGNAGE ON EACH SIDE OF THE RWY. HAD RPTR SEEN THEM SOONER HE WOULD HAVE STOPPED RIGHT ON THE RWY AS STATED. RPTR FEELS THERE IS ROOM TO MOVE THESE LINES BEYOND TXWY N AND STILL ALLOW ENOUGH DISTANCE TO REMAIN SHORT OF RWY 15-33. THERE WAS NO VIOLATION IN THIS INSTANCE AND RPTR FEELS THE CTLR JUST WANTED TO AFFIRM THAT THEY WERE TURNING OFF AT TXWY N AS DIRECTED. THE MD80 WAS LIGHT AND THERE WAS NO TROUBLE TURNING AS DIRECTED BUT HAD THEY BEEN HEAVY IT MIGHT HAVE BEEN DIFFERENT. COMPANY DID GET BACK TO THE RPTR IN 4 DAYS AND INDICATED THEY WOULD TAKE THE MATTER UP WITH THEIR ATC LIAISON PERSON.