AFTER COMPLETING PUSHBACK PROC; A B757-200 PIC RELEASES THE BRAKES AND ATTEMPTS TO TAXI BEFORE RECEIVING AN ALL CLR SALUTE; ALMOST CREATING A CONTACT PROB WITH THE TUG STILL ATTACHED TO THE ACFT.

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DURING PUSHBACK; WE WERE CLRED TO START ENGS. DURING START; THE PUSH WAS COMPLETED AND THE CAPT WAS INSTRUCTED TO PARK THE BRAKES. THE CAPT DID THIS AND HE CLRED THE GND CREW TO DISCONNECT. I WAS BUSY WITH ENG START AND AFTER-ENG START ITEMS; AND ABOUT THE TIME I WAS FINISHED; THE CAPT INSTRUCTED ME TO CALL FOR TAXI. SINCE I HADN'T SEEN THE TUG DISCONNECT BECAUSE I WAS PERFORMING CHKLIST ITEMS; I ASKED HIM IF HE HAD RECEIVED A SALUTE. HE SAID 'YES.' I CALLED FOR TAXI FROM RAMP. WE WERE CLRED TO TAXI AND THE CAPT BEGAN TO PUSH THE THROTTLES FORWARD. AS THE ENGS BEGAN TO WIND UP; WE BOTH HEARD THE GND PERSON ON HEADSET THROUGH THE CAPT'S SPEAKER YELLING. THE CAPT IMMEDIATELY RETARDED THE THROTTLES TO IDLE BEFORE THE ACFT MOVED. NO ONE WAS INJURED AND NO ACFT DAMAGE WAS RPTED. THE GND PERSON SUBSEQUENTLY INFORMED US THEY HAD BEEN HAVING TROUBLE DISCONNECTING THE TOW BAR WHICH CREATED A LONGER THAN NORMAL TIME FROM DISCONNECT APPROVAL TO PIN DISPLAY. THE QUICK REACTION BY THE GND CREW PREVENTED POSSIBLE PERSONNEL INJURY/ACFT DAMAGE. SUPPLEMENTAL INFO FROM ACN 617039: DURING PUSHBACK; WHILE AWAITING SALUTE; I WAS DISTR BY 2 COMPANY PLT CONVERSATIONS ON RAMP FREQ REGARDING HOW POORLY THE RAMP WAS MANAGING TFC AND HOW MUCH IT WAS COSTING COMPANY IN FUEL. I WAS EMBARRASSED AND ANGRY AT THEIR REMARKS AND ANSWERED 'I HAVE A SALUTE' WHEN THE FO ASKED. OBVIOUSLY; I DID NOT SINCE AS I RAN UP THE ENGS TO TAXI; I HEARD SCREAMS FROM THE TUG DRIVER WHO WAS UNABLE TO DISCONNECT THE TOW BAR AFTER THE PUSHBACK. LUCKILY NO ONE INJURED THIS TIME. MY FAULT ENTIRELY FOR ALLOWING IDIOTIC CONVERSATIONS ON THE RAMP FREQUENCY TO DISTRACT ME FROM THE SAFE OP ON THE RAMP.