B757-700 FO QUESTIONS THE LEGALITY OF MAINT PERSONNEL TOWING AN ACFT WITH PAX ABOARD TO ANOTHER GATE WITHOUT THE CAPT ON BOARD.

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I WAS RERTED AND SWAPPED ACFT WITH THE OTHER FO WHO TOLD ME THAT ANOTHER CAPT WILL BE ARRIVING SOON TO DO THE FLT. PAX WERE ALREADY LOADED WITH ALL 3 FLT ATTENDANTS ON BOARD. ABOUT 30 MINS HAD PASSED WHEN I ASKED THE OPS AGENT WHERE THE CAPT WAS; SO I COULD TELL THE PAX HOW LONG WE MAY BE DELAYED. THE OPS AGENT SAID THE CAPT HAD LANDED 3 HRS AGO; SO I CALLED SCHEDULING AND FOUND OUT THAT SCHEDULING DIDN'T KNOW WHERE THE CAPT WAS SO THEY WERE GOING TO FIND SOMEONE ELSE TO DO THE TRIP. WE WERE NOW DELAYED ABOUT 1 1/2 HRS AT THIS POINT. THE OPS AGENT THEN SAID WE NEED TO TOW THE ACFT TO ANOTHER GATE BECAUSE WE WERE AT A GATE WHICH BELONGED TO ANOTHER CARRIER GATE. I TOLD OPS THAT I DON'T BELIEVE WE CAN TOW AN ACFT WITH PAX ON BOARD WITHOUT A CAPT. THE OPS AGENT CALLED AND NOBODY KNEW. I STARTED LOOKING IN THE FOM AT THIS TIME AND TOLD OPS TO ASK MAINT. ABOUT 5 MINS LATER MAINT WAS THERE AND HE GOT IN THE CAPT'S SEAT AND WITHOUT EVEN SAYING ANYTHING TO ME; GOT ON THE RADIO AND FLT INTERPHONE AND BEGAN TO HAVE US TOWED. I ASKED IF HE HAD DONE THIS BEFORE WITH PAX ONBOARD AND HE REPLIED 'ALL THE TIME.' I POLITELY SAID I THINK WE NEED A CAPT; AS I WAS STILL LOOKING IN THE FOM. WE WERE THEN AT THE NEW GATE. THE CAPT SHOWED ABOUT THIRTY MINS LATER AND WE FLEW TO DEST. I SHOULD HAVE CALLED A CHIEF PLT TO ASK IF WE COULD BE TOWED OR JUST TOLD MAINT WE ARE NOT BEING TOWED ANYWHERE UNTIL I FIND IT IN THE FOM. CALL THE CHIEF PLT ANY TIME YOU ARE NOT SURE OF A PROC. HAVE OPS AND MAINT BE AWARE OF THE POLICY FOR THIS SITUATION.