A319 CAPT IS DISTRESSED AT POOR QUALITY OF PARKING MARSHALLERS. EXPERIENCES CLOSE CALL WITH IMPROPERLY POSITIONED JETWAY.

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AFTER LNDG AHEAD OF SCHEDULE AND FUEL BURN; WE CALLED OPS AND INITIATED A SINGLE ENG TAXI. AS WE APCHED THE RAMP; RAMP CTL ADVISED US THE GATE WAS NOT AVAILABLE AND GAVE US A PLACE TO HOLD WHILE THE OCCUPYING FLT PREPARED TO PUSH. THEY DIDN'T PUSH CLR ENOUGH TO ALLOW US TO ENTER THE GATE; BUT ANOTHER GND CREW DID SHOW UP TO ASSIST. AS WE TAXIED TO THE GATE; I SLOWED AND CAME TO A STOP PREMATURELY BEFORE THE MARSHALLER HAD SIGNALED AFTER SEEING THE CAB OF THE JETWAY PASS BY AND BEYOND MY PERIPHERAL VISION (IT IS NOT NORMAL FOR THE JETWAY TO BE POSITIONED THAT FAR BACK ON THE ACFT). I SIGNALED THE MARSHALLER I WAS STOPPING AND SET THE BRAKES. AFTER A MIN OR SO OF WAITING; THE GATE AGENT FINALLY SHOWED UP TO REPOS THE JETWAY. I SAW THE JETWAY WAS BEING MOVED AND WAS AGAIN MARSHALED FORWARD. DUE TO UNEVEN PAVEMENT; IT TOOK QUITE A BIT OF PWR (APPROX 28-30%) TO GET THE AIRPLANE TO CREEP FORWARD A FEW FT AND AS I REDUCED THE PWR; THE AIRPLANE CAME TO A STOP AND BEGAN TO ROLL BACKWARDS. ON THE THIRD ATTEMPT TO MOVE FORWARD; I HAD TO INCREASE THRUST UP TO APPROX 48-49% TO GET THE AIRPLANE TO MOVE. AS I VIEWED THIS NOW TO BE AN UNSAFE OP AND WAS STILL CONCERNED ABOUT THE JETWAY POS; I RETURNED THE THRUST LEVER TO IDLE; SET THE BRAKES AND OPENED THE WINDOW TO CHK OUR POS. THE #1 ENG WAS APPROX 12-14 INCHES FROM STRIKING THE JETWAY! WE STARTED THE APU; AND WHEN AVAILABLE; SHUT DOWN THE ENG AND WAITED FOR THE JETWAY TO BE MOVED INTO THE CORRECT POS. CONCERNS: MY GREATEST CONCERN IS THAT WITH WING WALKERS; MARSHALLER AND GATE AGENTS AND POSSIBLY A SECOND GND CREW ALL OBSERVING; AND THE FLT CREW OBVIOUSLY HAVING DIFFICULTY POSITIONING THE AIRPLANE; NO ONE TOOK ANY ACTION TO STOP THE EVENT! CONTRIBUTING FACTORS: MARSHALLER'S FIXATION OF J-LINE MARKINGS; AND NOT PROX OF OTHER EQUIP. GATE AGENT LEAVING THE JETWAY WITHOUT REPOSITIONING FOR THE NEXT ARR; KNOWN TO BE WAITING AND VISIBLE. UNEVEN PAVEMENT IN THE VICINITY OF THE MAIN LNDG GEAR AT THE GATE CALLING FOR HIGH THRUST TO 'BREAK OUT' OF THE HOLE. LOST ART OF MARSHALLING: THE MARSHALLER WAS HOLDING HIS WANDS SLIGHTLY MORE THAN SHOULDER WIDTH APART. THE ACFT MOVED 3-4 FT FORWARD. THE WANDS DIDN'T MOVE. THE ACFT MOVED AGAIN 2-3 FT FORWARD. THE WANDS DIDN'T MOVE. THE ACFT ATTEMPTED TO MOVE 1 FT CLOSER; BUT COULD NOT SAFELY CONTINUE DUE TO HIGH THRUST DEMANDS AND STOPPED. THE WANDS DIDN'T MOVE; THEN SUDDENLY CROSSED WHEN THE PROX TO THE JETWAY WAS REALIZED. THE SIGNALS MUST GIVE THE FLT CREW A REASONABLE REALISTIC IDEA OF DISTANCE AND CLOSURE RATE.