A PIC AND THE LCL CTLR GET INTO A VERBAL CONTEST AFTER THE B737-300 TAXIES ACROSS RWY 23R IN FRONT OF A C182 ON HIS LNDG ROLLOUT AT PVD; RI.

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WE LANDED ON RWY 23L AT PVD AND THE LCL CTLR INSTRUCTED US TO 'TURN R AND STAY WITH HIM.' AS WE CLRED THE RWY; I TOLD LCL CTL WE WERE GOING TO GATE XY. I CALLED COMPANY TO RPT ON THE GND. I SAW A C182 TAXIING ON RWY 23R AND AS FAR AS I KNEW HE WAS GOING TO FOLLOW US. AS WE CROSSED RWY 23R THE CESSNA SAYS THAT HE DIDN'T THINK WE WERE GOING TO CROSS IN FRONT OF HIM. THEN LCL CTL SAYS THAT HE INSTRUCTED US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23R. I SAID I DIDN'T REMEMBER HEARING THAT; BUT ONLY WE WERE TOLD TO STAY WITH HIM. LCL CLRS US TO THE GATE. WE CALLED THE TWR TO FIND OUT WHAT WAS UP AND THEY SAID THEY WERE GOING TO PULL THE TAPE AND FOR US TO CALL BACK. I CALLED BACK AND THEY HADN'T LISTENED TO THE TAPE; BUT GAVE HIM 10 MINS MORE. I CALLED BACK A THIRD TIME AND HE SAID HE DIDN'T KNOW WHAT HAPPENED BUT THAT HE WAS GOING TO PROTECT HIMSELF AND FILE A PLTDEV. I SAID I HAD TO PROTECT MYSELF ALSO AND I WOULD FILE A NASA RPT AND REQUEST A COPY OF THE TAPE. HE SAID FINE AND HUNG UP. (THE NEXT DAY THE ASSISTANT MGR VERIFIED NO HOLD INSTRUCTIONS WERE ISSUED TO US FOR RWY 23R.) THAT WOULD HAVE ENSURED THAT THIS WOULD NEVER HAVE HAPPENED. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 443272: I THINK THAT IF THE CTLR HAD SAID; 'TURN R AND HOLD SHORT OF RWY 23R FOR LNDG TFC' OR 'FOLLOW TFC TO RWY 23R;' THAT WOULD HAVE PREVENTED ANY POSSIBLE CONFLICT.