B737 CAPT BELIEVES COMPANY POLICY OF CONTACTING RESERVE PLTS FOR ADDITIONAL ASSIGNMENTS WHILE STILL AIRBORNE ON THE CURRENT ASSIGNMENT IS A DISTR.

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INBOUND ON THE LAST LEG OF A 2-DAY RESERVE TRIP; WE RECEIVED AN ACARS FROM DISPATCH INSTRUCTING US TO CALL CREW SCHEDULING WHEN WE GOT ON THE GND. THIS IS A COMMON EVENT IN THE LIFE OF A RESERVE PLT AND I BELIEVE IT IS A HUGE DISTR AND A SAFETY OF FLT ISSUE. PLEASE LET ME EXPLAIN BY FIRST PROVIDING BACKGND INFO. I AM A CAPT ON THE B737. WE ARE OFTEN SHORT OF RESERVE PLTS. IT'S NOT UNCOMMON TO FLY 90 HRS IN A MONTH. DUE TO DEADHEADING AND OFTEN LOW-TIME TRIPS BEING ASSIGNED TO RESERVE PLTS; A 90 HR MONTH CAN SOMETIMES BE THE EQUIVALENT OF A 100 HR LINE HOLDER'S MONTH. IT CAN BE A STRESSFUL SCHEDULE. THE MAJORITY OF THE PLTS NOW ON RESERVE HAVE BEEN ON RESERVE FOR AT LEAST SEVERAL YRS. MY OWN PERSONAL EXPERIENCE HAS BEEN THAT FOR THE FIRST FEW YRS I DIDN'T MIND IT SO MUCH; BUT THE LONG-TERM 'GRIND' IS STARTING TO WEAR ON ME. DUE TO WORK RULE CHANGES AND CHANGES THAT CREW SCHEDULING HAS UNILATERALLY MADE; BEING ON RESERVE IS ERODING OUR QUALITY OF LIFE MORE AND MORE. THE ACARS MESSAGE TO CALL CREW SCHEDULING IS SO COMMON THAT WHEN FLYING WITH ANOTHER RESERVE PLT; ONE OF THE PLTS USUALLY BRINGS THE TOPIC UP BEFORE WE'VE EVEN LEFT THE GND ON THE LAST LEG OF THE TRIP. WHEN THE ACARS IS RECEIVED; IT BECOMES A DISTR. TOO MUCH 'BRAIN PWR' IS THEN FOCUSED ON WONDERING WHAT IT IS THAT CREW SCHEDULING WANTS; RATHER THAN ON FLYING THE JET. EVEN THOUGH I TRY TO 'COMPARTMENTALIZE' IT; MY MIND KEEPS DRIFTING BACK TO THE INEVITABLE QUESTION;' WHAT DO THEY WANT?' WHAT THEY WANT IS GENERALLY EITHER TO CHANGE YOU FROM A 4 HR TO A 2 HR CALLOUT FOR THE NEXT DAY; TO ASSIGN YOU A TRIP FOR THE NEXT DAY THAT THEY OTHERWISE COULDN'T ASSIGN YOU IF THEY DON'T CONTACT YOU BEFORE YOU GO OFF DUTY; OR TO ASSIGN YOU ADDITIONAL FLYING THAT WILL EXTEND YOUR TRIP. ENVISION YOURSELF AS A RESERVE PLT UNDER THESE CIRCUMSTANCES. WOULD YOU BE DISTR NOT KNOWING WHAT WAS GOING TO HAPPEN NEXT IN YOUR LIFE? MY OWN EXPERIENCE IS NOT UNIQUE. I BELIEVE THAT MOST OF THE RESERVE PLTS SHARE MY POINT OF VIEW. I BASE THIS OBSERVATION ON THE FOLLOWING FACTS: 1) WHEN I'VE FLOWN WITH NON-RESERVE FO'S AND HAVE RECEIVED AN ACARS TO CALL CREW SCHEDULING; MANY OF THEM HAVE MADE UNSOLICITED COMMENTS ON THE NEGATIVE REACTIONS OF OTHER RESERVE CAPTS THEY WERE FLYING WITH AT THE TIME THEY RECEIVED THE SAME ACARS MESSAGE. 2) THE MAJORITY OF THE RESERVE FO'S I'VE DISCUSSED THE ACARS ISSUE WITH FEEL THE SAME WAY. 3) OTHER RESERVE CAPTS I SPOKE TO HAVE VOICED SIMILAR OPINIONS. 4) COMMENTS FROM RESERVE PLTS I'VE READ ON THE PLT GROUP WEB BOARD. TO PUT THE ACARS CALL INTO CRM TERMS; IT COULD BE CONSIDERED A THREAT; BECAUSE IT CAUSES A DISTR. I WORK HARD TO TRY AND MINIMIZE DISTRS ON THE FLT DECK. TO PURPOSELY INTRODUCE A THREAT IS COUNTERPRODUCTIVE TO THE SAFETY OF THE FLT. THE ACARS MESSAGE CAN ALSO BE RECEIVED AT INOPPORTUNE TIMES; CAUSING ADDITIONAL DISTR. I'VE RECEIVED THE CREW SCHEDULING ACARS WHILE IN THE DSCNT; AND ONE RESERVE PLT TOLD ME HE RECEIVED THE ACARS MESSAGE WHILE ON SHORT FINAL. I REALIZE THAT CREW SCHEDULING HAS A JOB TO DO; AND THAT WE AS PLTS HAVE AN OBLIGATION TO HONOR THEIR REQUESTS. I SUGGEST THAT INSTEAD OF UTILIZING THE ACARS; THEY DEVELOP AN ALTERNATIVE MEANS OF CONTACT. A GATE AGENT MEETS THE FLT EVERY SINGLE TIME WE ARRIVE. I SUGGEST THAT CREW SCHEDULING CONTACT THE AGENT MEETING THE FLT AND HAVE THEM INFORM US TO CONTACT THEM.