A B757-200 FO RPTED THAT SFO TWR IMPROPERLY ENCOURAGED THE CAPT TO GO PAST A BRASILIA IN VERY CLOSE PROX WHILE TAXIING.

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TAXIING OUT OF GATE AT SFO; IT WAS NIGHT; CLR WX. CLRNC WAS TXWY B TO RWY 1L. APCHING TXWY T; WE SAW A BRASILIA CLRING RWY 28L ON TXWY T; HDG TOWARDS US. WE IMMEDIATELY STOPPED ON TXWY B. THE BRASILIA STOPPED ON TXWY T WITH HIS NOSE SHORT OF TXWY B. WE COULD NOT ENSURE THAT OUR L WING WOULD LATERALLY CLR THE BRASILIA IF WE CONTINUED ON TXWY B. WE ADVISED ATC THAT WE WERE HOLDING ON TXWY B UNTIL WE COULD GUARANTEE THAT WE COULD SAFELY CONTINUE ON TXWY B. FOM REQUIRES US TO DO THIS: 'IF IN DOUBT ABOUT CLRNC; STOP THE AIRPLANE AND REQUEST GUIDANCE FROM AUTHORIZED PERSONNEL.' THE GND CTLR ENCOURAGED US TO CONTINUE. WE TOLD HIM WE WERE UNABLE FOR SAFETY REASONS. THE GND CTLR HAD TO BACK-TAXI 2 BRASILIAS ONTO RWY 28L (A SECOND ONE STOPPED IN THE MEANTIME ON TXWY T BEHIND THE FIRST ONE); CAUSING AN ACFT ON RWY 28L FIRST TO GO AROUND. WHEN BOTH BRASILIAS WERE CLR; WE ASKED FOR AND RECEIVED CLRNC TO CONTINUE ON TXWY B. BOTTOM LINE: WE WERE NOT SURE IF WE COULD SAFELY CONTINUE PAST THE BRASILIA. WE STOPPED AS REQUIRED BY COMMON SENSE (AND THE FOM); AND WE WORKED WITH ATC AND THE ACR CREWS TO SAFELY COMPLETE OUR TAXI TO RWY 1L. KUDOS TO MY CAPT FOR STICKING BY HIS GUT FEELING AND NOT LETTING ATC TALK US INTO SOMETHING WE WEREN'T COMFORTABLE WITH.