A B737-300 CREW AWAITING PUSHBACK WAS INCORRECTLY TOLD THAT THE RAMP CHKS WERE COMPLETE AND THAT THEREFORE; THE ACFT BRAKES COULD BE RELEASED. THE CARGO DOOR WAS NOT CLOSED AND THEREFORE RAMPS CHKS WERE NOT COMPLETE. CREW DECLINED RELEASE OF BRAKES UNTIL DOOR WAS CLOSED.

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WE WERE IN THE COCKPIT; PREFLT CHKS COMPLETE; WAITING FOR RAMP TO CLOSE UP THE FORWARD ACFT PIT AND CHK IN ON THE FLT INTERPHONE. RAMP PERSON CHKED IN WITH 'RAMP CHKS ARE COMPLETE; YOU ARE CLRED TO RELEASE THE BRAKES.' THE FORWARD PIT WAS STILL OPEN AND I INFORMED THE RAMP PERSON THAT I COULD NOT COMPLETE MY BEFORE PUSHBACK CHKLIST AND RELEASE THE BRAKES UNTIL THE DOOR WAS CLOSED. HER REPLY WAS; 'HE (THE GUY AT THE BELT LOADER) SAID YOU CAN RELEASE BRAKES; WE'LL HOLD YOU; AND WE'LL CLOSE UP THE DOOR WHEN WE GET A LAST MIN BAG.' AGAIN; I INFORMED HER WE COULD NOT RELEASE BRAKES UNTIL THE DOOR WAS CLOSED AND THAT WE WOULD WAIT UNTIL THE BAG WAS LOADED. I ALSO TOLD HER THAT HER CHK-IN WAS INCORRECT IN THAT SHE TOLD ME THE RAMP CHKS WERE COMPLETE AND THIS HAD NOT BEEN THE CASE. THIS SIT WAS SIMILAR TO SEVERAL I'VE HAD IN THE LAST FEW MONTHS. RAMP PERSONNEL ARE CHKING IN WITH VERBAL NOTIFICATION THAT CHKS ARE COMPLETE WHEN THIS IS NOT THE CASE. STRICT ADHERENCE ON OUR PART HAS PREVENTED BRAKE RELEASE IN VIOLATION OF THE PUSHBACK SOP. RAMP PERSONNEL ARE CREATING POTENTIAL SOP AND SAFETY VIOLATIONS BY THEIR INATTENTIVENESS; COMPLACENCY; AND POOR SOP COMPLIANCE. IN ADDITION; MANY TIMES RAMP MAKES INITIAL CONTACT WITH THE FOLLOWING STATEMENT; 'RAMP CHKS/CIRCLE CHKS ARE COMPLETE; YOU ARE CLRED TO RELEASE BRAKES.' I BELIEVE THIS HAS POTENTIAL SOP VIOLATION OR SAFETY EVENT RAMIFICATIONS. RAMP SHOULD CHK IN TO ESTABLISH COM BUT ONLY CLR US TO RELEASE BRAKES AFTER WE HAVE NOTIFIED THEM THAT 'THE BEFORE PUSHBACK CHKLIST IS COMPLETE.' SOME STATIONS DO IT THIS WAY BUT MORE OFTEN; THE INITIAL COM CHK IS INITIATED AS DESCRIBED IN THE PRECEDING PARAGRAPH.