CAPT OF A B737-200 PERMITTED SOME PAX TO GO TO THE LAVATORY AND HAVE A SOFT DRINK WHILE GND HOLDING FOR SEVERE WX IN THE ARPT AREA. THE GND HOLD WAS OVER 1 HR. AN FAA INSPECTOR ABOARD THE ACFT CAME TO THE COCKPIT JUST BEFORE STARTING BACK UP AND COMPLAINED THAT THE PAX MOVEMENT WAS IN NON COMPLIANCE WITH THE FARS.

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I OPERATED FLT ON JUL/XA/98 FROM ATL TO FLL. WE GOT OFF TO A LATE START DUE TO FACT THAT THE INBOUND ACFT ARRIVED AT THE GATE 20 MINS BEFORE SCHEDULED DEP TIME. IT WAS FURTHER COMPOUNDED BY THE CATERERS AND CLEANERS TAKING ANOTHER 30 MINS TO GET TO THE ACFT. WE STARTED THE BOARDING PROCESS AT APPROX XA40Z AND WE PUSHED OFF THE GATE AT XB00Z. BECAUSE OF THE UNNECESSARY DELAY INCURRED AT THE GATE; WE PUSHED AT A TIME WHEN THEY HAD SEVERAL TSTMS DEVELOPED AT AND AROUND THE ATL ARPT. THE TSTM ACTIVITY SHUT DOWN THE DEPS GOING E AND S OF THE ARPT. WE TAXIED OUT ONTO TXWY M AND BECAUSE OF THE LONG LINEUP AND NONMOVEMENT OF THE ACFT AHEAD OF US I DECIDED TO LEAVE THE APU RUNNING AND SHUT DOWN 1 OF THE ENGS. WE WERE STOPPED AT THIS POS FOR ABOUT 45 MINS TO 1 HR. BECAUSE OF THE DELAY AND THE WARM TEMP IN THE ACFT THE PAX BEGAN TO GET UPSET. SINCE THE ACFT WAS STOPPED; A FEW PAX WERE ALLOWED TO USE THE LAVATORY AND A FEW WERE GIVEN SOME SODAS. WE WERE ABOUT READY TO CONTINUE TAXIING THE ACFT WHEN AN FAA INSPECTOR; UNANNOUNCED AND WITHOUT PERMISSION; CAME THROUGH THE COCKPIT DOOR. HE FLASHED HIS IDENT AND BEGAN TO INFORM ME THAT I HAD PAX GOING TO THE LAVATORY AND THE LEAD FLT ATTENDANT WAS SERVING DRINKS. HIS INTERP OF THE REG SUGGESTS THAT THE OP WAS ILLEGAL AND UNSAFE EVEN WHEN THE ACFT IS STOPPED AND THE PARKING BRAKE IS SET. I DID NOT APPRECIATE HIM COMING INTO THE COCKPIT THE WAY HE DID; BUT I WAS NOT ABOUT TO GET INTO A 'PISSING CONTEST' WITH HIM. I SUGGESTED THAT WE DISCUSS THE MATTER FURTHER WHEN WE GET TO FLL AND HE AGREED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 409082: AFTER THE FLT; THE CAPT DISCUSSED OVER A COPY OF THE PRINTED REG WITH THE INSPECTOR HOW HE BELIEVED IT APPLIED AND THAT HE WAS COMPLYING WITH IT. THE INSPECTOR DID NOT AGREE WITH THE INTERP.