CARJ STRIKES BAGGAGE CART WHILE APCHING THE GATE AT PHL.

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FLT WAS ALMOST 3 HRS LATE. WE WAITED 28 MINS FOR OUR GATE TO OPEN UP. WE WERE IN A HURRY TO GET PAX TO GATE. AFTER DEPARTING ACFT CLRED GATE; WE RECEIVED RAMP CLRNC TO THE GATE. THERE WERE SEVERAL GND CREW PREPARING OUR GATE. WE APCHED THE TOP OF THE GATE; THE MARSHALLER WAS WALKING TOWARD THE ACFT BUT HAD NOT STARTED GUIDING US. WE CONTINUED A VERY SLOW TAXI TO THE GATE AWAITING GUIDANCE. ABOUT A HALF AN AIRPLANE LENGTH FROM THE GATE I ASKED THE CAPT HOW OUR CLRNC LOOKED ON THE L WING BECAUSE I SENSED WE WERE CLOSE. AS HE LOOKED OUT THE L WINDOW HE IMMEDIATELY HIT THE BRAKES. HOWEVER IT WAS TOO LATE; HE HAD BUMPED A BAG CART ABOUT 3 FT FROM THE L WINGTIP. THE GND CREW MOVED THE BAG CART; INSPECTED THE DAMAGE; AND GUIDED US TO THE GATE. WE DEPLANED PAX AND IMMEDIATELY NOTIFIED COMPANY. I FEEL WE MADE A POOR DECISION APCHING THE GATE BEFORE THE GND CREW WAS FULLY READY. THIS WAS DUE TO FEELING PRESSURED TO MAKE UP TIME SINCE THE FLT WAS LATE. I ALSO THINK THE CREW WAS A LITTLE FATIGUED DUE TO THE HECTIC PREVIOUS DAY WE HAD. AS THE FO I ALSO SHOULD HAVE BEEN MORE AGGRESSIVE IN STOPPING THE ACFT MYSELF AS SOON AS I SENSED A PROB INSTEAD OF QUESTIONING THE CAPT. THIS WILL BE AVOIDED IN THE FUTURE BY STRICTLY COMPLYING WITH ALL COMPANY PROCS CONCERNING PARKING AND HAVING MORE POSITIVE COM BTWN CREW MEMBERS AND GND CREW.