B737-500 FLT CREW UPON ARR AT STL IS CONCERNED THAT WITHOUT AN OPERATIONAL APU THE ENG HAS TO BE LEFT OPERATING AT THE GATE WHILE THE PAX DEPLANE DUE TO A LACK OF GND PWR AVAILABLE.

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THERE ARE 3 ISSUES HERE. ONE IS THE PREPONDERANCE OF APU PROBS ON THE B737 FLEET NOW (AT LEAST A THIRD OF THE ACFT I FLY HAVE APU PNEUMATICS OR ELECTRICAL; OR THE WHOLE APU INOP). THE SECOND ISSUE IS THE ONGOING PROB OF NO EXTERNAL PWR CAPABILITY AT ANY OF THE GATES IN STL. THE THIRD ISSUE IS THAT STATIONS/RAMPERS ARE GENERALLY UNAWARE THAT AN ACFT HAS AN APU ISSUE EITHER ON THE ARR OF FOR THE SUBSEQUENT DEP. WE CAME IN LATE TO STL WITH AN APU GENERATOR INOP. WE INFORMED THE (UNAWARE) STATION OF THIS FACT ON TAXI IN. WE FORGOT TO GIVE THEM A HEADS UP ENRTE BECAUSE WE FORGOT THAT STL NEVER HAS GATE ELECTRICS (EVEN THOUGH IT SHOULDN'T REALLY BE OUR RESPONSIBILITY TO NOTIFY PEOPLE OF THIS). WE THEN HAD TO LEAVE THE L ENG RUNNING AT THE GATE WHILE THE PEOPLE DEPLANED SO THEY WOULDN'T HAVE TO DO IT IN COMPLETE DARKNESS. WE WERE INFORMED THAT STL HAS HAD NO GATE ELECTRICS FOR OVER 1 YR AND EVERY TIME THEY NOTIFY HEADQUARTERS THEY'RE BRUSHED ASIDE. MY THOUGHT DURING THIS WHOLE EVENT WAS; HERE WE ARE ARRIVING PRETTY LATE AT NIGHT AFTER FLYING 7+ HRS. THE CREW IS TIRED. THE GND PERSONNEL ARE TIRED. THEY'RE USED TO THE ACFT STARTING AN APU AT THE GATE. WOULD THEY NOTICE THAT OUR ENG WAS RUNNING INSTEAD; IN THE HEAT OF THEIR GND DUTIES AND AT NIGHT? HOW LONG BEFORE SOMEONE WALKS TOO CLOSE TO AN ENG INLET?