ACFT PIC COMPLAINT OF COMPANY'S INABILITY TO GET THE RAMP TAXI LINES REPAINTED AND REVISED TO PROVIDE SAFE TAXI GUIDANCE INTO THE GATE AREA AT DCA; DC.

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WHILE TAXIING IN AND OUT OF DCA OVER THE LAST 6 WEEKS; WE HAVE BEEN CONFUSED AND DELAYED BY NON STANDARD OR NON EXISTENT TAXI LINES IN THE GATE AREA IN DCA. WE HAVE BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE ATTENTION OF OPS SEVERAL TIMES AND HAVE BEEN MET WITH RESIGNATION AND EXASPERATION OF THE STAFF OVER A POLITICAL ISSUE WITH THE ACR OVER THEIR INABILITY TO PAINT PROPER STANDARD AND/OR APPROPRIATE TAXI LINES FOR ENTRY INTO THE GATE AREA. THE LINES ARE NOT VISIBLE FROM THE COCKPIT UNTIL YOU ARE ON TOP OF THEM; AND CAN NOT BE SEEN AT ALL IF THERE IS ANY FORM OF STANDING WATER ON THE RAMP. THIS IS CAUSING SIGNIFICANT CONFUSION FOR THE CREWS AND DOES NOT SEEM TO BE RESOLVABLE LOCALLY AS NOTHING HAS BEEN DONE AFTER OUR REPEATED REQUESTS. CALLBACK CONVERSATION WITH RPTR REVEALED THE FOLLOWING INFO: THE TAXI LINES ARE LOCATED BY THE 'NEWER' MAIN TERMINAL AT DCA. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT THESE LINES; '...HAVE NOT BEEN REPAINTED IN YEARS...' WITH MULTIPLE ACFT TYPES UTILIZING THE GATE AREAS BY THESE LINES. THE CAPT STATED THAT HE BROUGHT THIS ISSUE TO THE ATTENTION OF MGMNT 7 MONTHS AGO; AROUND DECEMBER 2003. AFTER TALKING TO HIS CHIEF PLT; THE LCL UNION REP AND SAFETY DEPT; HE WAS ADVISED BY ALL TO DOCUMENT THE ISSUE. THE RPTR ALLEGES THAT THIS IS A REAL TIME SAFETY PROB WITH SEPARATION FROM GND EQUIP AND MAKING THE ACFT PARKING PROCS MUCH MORE CHALLENGING.