CARJ FLC TAXI WITHOUT CLRNC TO NEW POS AT STL WITH CLRNC. CTLR FREQ MGMNT ATTITUDE A CONCERN.

Narrative

TAXIING AWAY FROM THE GATE AT STL; GND CTL WAS ONCE AGAIN SOMEWHAT GARBLED AS THOUGH THE CTLR'S MIKE WAS TOO CLOSE TO HIS MOUTH AS HE SPOKE WITH GREAT VOLUME AND SPD. THIS HAPPENS MOST TIMES THAT I'VE BEEN TO STL AND I HAVE HEARD OTHERS COMPLAIN AS WELL. ANYHOW; ATC TOLD US TO GIVE WAY TO 'THE FAIRCHILD' AND 'TAXI TO RWY 12L; HOLD SHORT RWY 12R AT RWY 6.' AFTER CLARIFYING THAT 'THE FAIRCHILD' WAS A SAAB 340; WE TAXIED ONTO RWY 6 AND WERE THEN CLRED TO CROSS RWY 12R. AT THIS POINT; WE COULD HAVE REMAINED ON RWY 6; SHORT OF RWY 12L; AS THE TAXI CLRNC IMPLIED; BUT THE CAPT INSTEAD FELT MORE COMFORTABLE TAXIING OFF OF RWY 6 AND HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 12L AT TXWY C INSTEAD. THERE WERE NO OTHER ACFT ANYWHERE CLOSE TO OUR POS TO CONFLICT WITH THE CAPT'S DECISION. NEVERTHELESS; I ASKED IF WE SHOULD CONFER WITH GND TO MAKE SURE THE HOLD AT TXWY C WAS OK. THE CAPT AND I HAD HEARD THE GND CTLR FORCEFULLY CHASTISE A PLT WHO MADE AN ERROR IN HIS READBACK; SO THE CAPT IN RESPONSE TO MY QUESTION; MADE IT CLR THAT WE WOULD MAKE THE SLIGHT TAXI RTE CHANGE WITHOUT TALKING TO GND -- SO AS NOT TO INSIGHT HIS IRE. HERE ARE MY SUGGESTIONS FOR REDUCING RWY INCURSIONS AND TAXI ERRORS: 1) DURING TAXI; BOTH PLTS SHOULD BE USING HEADSETS; HAVE THEIR TAXI DIAGRAMS IN FRONT OF THEM; AND BE CONCENTRATING ONLY ON TAXIING (NOT STARTING ENGS; MAKING CABIN ANNOUNCEMENTS; DOING FLOWS; OR RUNNING CHKLISTS). 2) CTLR SHOULD SPEAK CLRLY AND AT A SPD THAT ALLOWS A NORMAL HUMAN A FIGHTING CHANCE TO COPY THE CLRNC. 3) IF UNSURE ABOUT ROUTING/POS; A PLT SHOULD STOP AND ASK; ATC SHOULD COOPERATE BY CLARIFYING THE PLT'S CONCERN IN A PROFESSIONAL MANNER.