AN A320 PLT RPTS A MISCOM BTWN THE FLT STATION AND GND CREW RESULTED IN A GND PERSON STILL ON THE HEADSET WHEN TAXI WAS INITIATED.

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AFTER PUSHBACK THE TUG DRIVER CLRED ME TO SET BRAKES AND START ENGS. I SUBSEQUENTLY CLRED HIM OFF HEADSET AND ADVISED HIM I WOULD WATCH FOR HIS SALUTE. THE TUG DRIVER DROVE AWAY AND LEFT THE AREA. I DID NOT OBSERVE A SECOND INDIVIDUAL AS IS NORMAL PROC. THE FO STATES SHE HEARD ME CLR THEM OFF AND WAIT FOR SALUTE. WE WAITED A FEW MINS AND NOTHING WAS HEARD SO WE CALLED IN TO OPS AND RPTED THAT WE HAD NOT BEEN GIVEN A PROPER SALUTE AND RELEASE. THEY DID NOT UNDERSTAND WHAT WE WERE TALKING ABOUT AND STATED THEY WERE BUSY WITH THE LOAD PLANNING. SO I QUERIED GND CTL AND ASKED THEM IF THEY COULD SEE ANYONE UNDER OUR ACFT AND THEY RESPONDED THAT THEY COULD NOT OBSERVE US SUFFICIENTLY. BY NOW IT HAD BEEN PROBABLY 5 MINS SINCE I CLRED THE TUG TO DISCONNECT HEADSET. SO I BRIEFED TO THE FO THAT I WOULD SLOWLY ADVANCE THE 1 RUNNING ENG AND PROCEED VERY SLOWLY. AT THAT TIME I HEARD ON THE INTERPHONE THAT I HAD NOT CLRED OFF THE INDIVIDUAL ON HEADSET AT WHICH TIME I RESET THE BRAKES AND HAD A LENGTHY DISCUSSION WITH THE INDIVIDUAL ABOUT WHAT COULD HAVE POSSIBLY HAPPENED. HE STATED HE NEVER HEARD ME CLR HIM OFF. I SUSPECT WHAT HAPPENED WAS HE WAS NOT ON HEADSET WHEN I CLRED THE TUG OPERATOR TO DISCONNECT HEADSET AND WAIT FOR SALUTE OR THERE WAS A MALFUNCTION IN THE HEADSET ITSELF. WE HAVE ALL BEEN THERE WHEN PROPER PROC WAS NOT FOLLOWED WITH THE SALUTE AND RELEASE AND I ASSUMED THAT THIS WAS ANOTHER SUCH CASE. IT WAS A PAINFUL REMINDER THAT WE HAVE TO BE VERY CAREFUL AND FOLLOW PROPER PROC DURING THIS CRITICAL PHASE OF GND OPS. POOR COM ALL AROUND -- MYSELF INCLUDED!