B737 CAPTAIN REPORTS CONCERNS REGARDING RESTRICTIONS TO POSSIBLE EMERGENCY EVACUATION ROUTES WHEN NON STANDARD GATE PROCEDURES ARE EMPLOYED.

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OUR INBOUND FLT TO SEA WAS ON A B737-500 WITH NO APU. THERE WAS TO BE AN ACFT CHANGE IN SEA TO A B737-300. THIS FLT IS APPARENTLY NORMALLY PLANNED TO KEEP THE SAME ACFT. THE GALLEY BOARDED IN ZZZ WAS TO BE XFERRED TO THE RETURN FLT IN SEA AS IT WAS A 2 SEGMENT GALLEY. THE SEA STATION QUERIED US VIA ACARS ENRTE ABOUT THIS. AFTER ARR IN SEA; MINIMAL GALLEY SUPPLIES WERE XFERRED FROM THE INBOUND FLT TO THE GATE AREA FOR THE OUTBOUND (ACFT NOT THERE YET). I CALLED THE STATION TO GET MORE SUPPLIES; THEY REPLIED THAT THE CATERING SUPVR SAID THEY WERE NOT ALLOWED TO TOUCH THE GALLEY PER COMPANY INSTRUCTIONS; ON A THROUGH GALLEY. WHILE BOARDING; CATERING DID SHOW UP WITH SOME ADDITIONAL SUPPLIES; BUT NO MORE MEALS. THEY WERE ASKED TO REMOVE THE TRASH FROM THE ACFT AS THE BINS WERE FULL ON THIS ACFT FROM A 2 SEGMENT TURN. THEY REMOVED THE TRASH FROM THE FORWARD GALLEY AND SAID THEY WOULD GET THE AFT. THE AGENT ASKED IF WE WERE READY; AND I REPLIED YES; ASSUMING THE CATERERS WERE GOING TO THE BACK. THEY DIDN'T; THEY LEFT. THE FLT ATTENDANTS SAID THEY HAD NO PLACE TO PUT ANY TRASH AS ALL CARTS AND BINS WERE FULL. I CONTACTED THE RAMP AND HAD THEM PULL A BELT LOADER UP TO THE AFT DOOR TO REMOVE THE TRASH WHICH I PERSONALLY DID; APPROX 12 BAGS. WE THEN CLOSED THE DOORS AND DEPARTED. SAFETY ISSUES: DURING THE TRASH REMOVAL; THE JETWAY WAS PULLED; ALL PAX WERE BOARDED; BUT THE DOORS WERE NOT ARMED UNTIL THE TRASH ISSUE WAS REMEDIED. THIS RESULTED IN A PERIOD OF SEVERAL MINS WITH NO 'EXIT' FROM THE AIRPLANE; UNTIL THE DOORS WERE CLR OF EQUIP AND PERSONNEL BEFORE ARMING. I'D LIKE TO CONTRAST THIS WITH THE NO APU SITUATION ON PREVIOUS LEG; AND STARTING AN ENG AT THE GATE WITH THE JETWAY UP TO THE ACFT (CAN'T PULL IT UNTIL ELECTRICS ARE XFERRED AND THE CORD RETRACTED); THE DOORS CLOSED; BUT NOT ARMED; BECAUSE THE FLT ATTENDANTS WON'T ARM THE DOORS UNTIL THE JETWAY IS SAFELY AWAY FROM THE ACFT. THIS ALSO YIELDS A SITUATION WITH NO 'EXIT' FROM THE ACFT. THIS SITUATION HIGHLIGHTS SEVERAL ISSUES: POOR COORD BTWN COMPANY AND CATERING ON GALLEY XFERS; SEVERE LIMITATIONS ON THE STATION ON TRYING TO REMEDY THE SITUATION AS PHONE CALLS HAD TO BE MADE; AND POSSIBLE SAFETY ISSUES REGARDING 'EXIT' FROM THE ACFT DURING UNUSUAL CIRCUMSTANCES SUCH AS THIS TRASH REMOVAL AND ENG STARTS AT THE GATE.