A DC9 FLC CROSSED A RWY WITHOUT CLRNC AT DFW.

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FO LANDED ACFT ON RWY 17C. AS I TOOK CTL OF ACFT NEAR THE TURNOFF POINT (TXWY M6) I NOTED 3 ACFT AT TXWYS A AND B HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 17R (BTWN THE RWYS). THEY ALSO HAD LANDED RECENTLY; AND WERE ENRTE TO THEIR RESPECTIVE RAMPS. AS WE EXITED RWY 17C; THESE ACFT HAD JUST BEEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 17R; AND WERE BEGINNING TO MOVE. TWR CLRED US TO HOLD SHORT OF RWY 17R AT TXWY A. THE FO HEARD AND CORRECTLY UNDERSTOOD THE CLRNC. I; ON THE OTHER HAND; HEARD WHAT I EXPECTED TO HEAR; A CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 17R AT TXWY A RIGHT BEHIND THE OTHER ACFT. IN NEGOTIATING THE TURNOFF; DOUBLE CHKING THE LOCATION OF TXWY A; AND NOTING THE MOVEMENT OF THE OTHER ACFT; I'D MISSED NOT ONLY THE ORIGINAL CLRNC; BUT ALSO THE FO'S READBACK. I'M SURE THE FO WOULD HAVE STOPPED ME FROM XING RWY 17R IF NOT FOR THE FOLLOWING BREAKDOWN. AS WE EXITED RWY 17C; I SAID 'OK; TXWY A;' TO THE FO; AND HE SAID HE'D CHK WITH RAMP ON RADIO #2 (ABOUT OUR RAMP ENTRY POINT AND GATE LOCATION) IF I'D HANDLE RADIO #1. AS I PROCEEDED TO TXWY A; MY EAR MOLD RADIO HEADSET JIGGLED LOOSE FROM EAR MOMENTARILY. AS I READJUSTED IT FOR JUST A COUPLE OF SECONDS (ALL THE TIME; KEEPING MY SPD UP TO CROSS RWY 17R). THE FO (AS HE SPOKE TO RAMP CTL ON RADIO #2) NOTICED ME PUTTING MY HAND TO MY EAR; AND ASSUMED THAT I WAS TALKING TO TWR; GETTING CLRNC TO CROSS RWY 17R; SO HE WASN'T ALARMED THAT I WAS XING. AS I APCHED THE RWY 17R; I LOOKED TO THE R TO ENSURE THERE WERE NO ACFT ON TKOF OR LNDG ROLL. IT WAS CLR; AND I CROSSED. AS I DID; TWR NOTED AND MENTIONED MY MISTAKE. THERE WAS NEVER ANY CONFLICT; OR LOSS OF SEPARATION; BUT THE INCIDENT REALLY GOT MY ATTN. I CONTACTED THE TWR CTLR BY PHONE WHEN WE GOT TO THE RAMP. HE ENSURED ME THAT MY MISTAKE HADN'T CAUSED ANY PROBS; AND SAID THAT RWY INCURSIONS HAD BECOME A GROWING PROB AT DFW (WITH ALL THE XINGS). BOTH THE CTLR AND MY FO DID THEIR JOBS. THE LAPSE WAS CLRLY MINE. I HAVE ADOPTED A POLICY OF HAVING THE FO STAY WITH ME ON RADIO #1 (NOT GO TO RADIO #2 AND GET RAMP INFO) WHEN BTWN RWYS WAITING TO CROSS. I CLRLY COULD HAVE USED THE BACKUP IN THIS CASE (ESPECIALLY AT THE END OF 5 DAYS OF FLYING).