AN MD88 FLT CREW IS TOLD TO RUSH FORWARD BY RAMP CTLR DUE TO A LOOSE ACFT ON THE RAMP.

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I SERVED AS FO ON THIS FLT. THE CAPT WAS RECEIVING A LINE CHK. PUSHBACK WAS NORMAL EXCEPT FOR A BIT OF DIFFICULTY GETTING THE TUG STARTED. WE HAD TO CALL RAMP TO DELAY THE PUSH INITIALLY UNTIL THEY COULD START THE TUG AND SHORTLY THEREAFTER CALLED AGAIN AND RECEIVED A SECOND PUSHBACK CLRNC. ENG START OF THE L ENG ONLY AND DISCONNECT WERE NORMAL. I LOOKED OUT THE WINDOW TO CLR THE ACFT FOR TAXI AND OBSERVED THE TAIL OF A B757 ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAMP AND SOMEWHAT BEHIND OUR ACFT MOVING BACKWARD. SHORTLY THEREAFTER THE RAMP CTLR TOLD US IN A FIRM VOICE TO TAXI FORWARD AND TO 'RUSH.' THE CAPT APPLIED PWR BUT OUR ACFT DID NOT IMMEDIATELY BEGIN TO MOVE. HE CONTINUED TO ADD ADDITIONAL PWR WITH LITTLE EFFECT. WHILE THIS OCCURRED; RAMP KEPT TELLING US TO MOVE FORWARD AND RUSH. AT THIS TIME WE STILL DIDN'T KNOW WHAT THE REASON FOR THE RUSH WAS. RAMP TOLD US THAT THERE WAS A LOOSE ACFT ON THE RAMP AND THAT WE COULD BE HIT. I COULD SEE A RAMP PERSON LOOKING IN OUR DIRECTION FROM THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RAMP AND; SEEING THAT I SAW HIM; BEGAN MOTIONING TO ME BY WAVING TO US TO MOVE FORWARD. I OPENED MY WINDOW AT SOME POINT AND ATTEMPTED TO SEE WHAT WAS GOING ON; BUT MY SHOULDER HARNESS KEPT ME FROM GETTING MY HEAD OUT THE WINDOW. AFTER WE HAD MOVED FORWARD A BIT; RAMP CTL TOLD US THAT THE ACFT MISSED US BY ABOUT A FOOT. RAMP COORDINATED WITH MAINT TO INSPECT OUR ACFT. WE SPOKE WITH ALL OF THE FLT ATTENDANTS; TOLD THEM WHAT HAPPENED; AND CONFIRMED WITH THEM THAT THEY DID NOT FEEL OR SEE ANYTHING UNUSUAL. THE CAPT MADE A PA. A MECH PLUGGED INTO THE INTERPHONE AND TOLD US THAT THE ACFT HAD BEEN INSPECTED WITHOUT FINDING ANYTHING OUT OF THE ORDINARY.