A319 FLT CREW REPORTS MISSING A CALL FROM GROUND CONTROL AT DCA DUE TO EXCESSIVELY LOUD FA CALL BUZZER IN THE COCKPIT.

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WHILE TAXIING OUT WE WERE HOLDING SHORT OF RWY 15 ON TXWY N. RWY 19 WAS IN USE. AS I WAS SITTING THERE I WAS THINKING OF THE RECENT RWY INCURSIONS AND THE FAA ADVISORIES AT CLE. I KNEW IT WAS IMPORTANT THAT I LISTENED UP TO CALL SIGNS AND TO BE CAREFUL BECAUSE ACFT WERE ALSO WAITING TO CROSS RWY 15 AT TXWY J. I KNEW IT WAS LATE AND I HAD BEEN FLYING A LOT SO I WAS CONCENTRATING ON STAYING ALERT. WE WERE CLRED TO CROSS RWY 15 AND PULL INTO THE RUN-UP BLOCK. WE ACKNOWLEDGED THE FACT AND PROCEEDED. JUST AFTER THAT; WHILE I WAS PUSHING THE THRUST LEVERS UP; THE FLT ATTENDANT PUSHED THE CALL BUTTON. WHEN THEY DO THAT; IT IS SO LOUD THAT IT STARTLES THE PLTS; BLOCKS ALL OTHER COM AND DIVERTS YOUR ATTN TO RESETTING THE LOUD; OBNOXIOUS BUZZER. YOU STAB AT THE INTERPHONE PANEL WITH YOUR FINGER TRY TO GET RID OF THE NOISE AND THE RESET BUTTON IS IN DIFFERENT LOCATIONS; DEPENDING ON THE ACFT. APPARENTLY; SOMEONE WANTED TO USE THE LAVATORY. I STAYED ON GND CTL WHILE THE FO ANSWERED THE FLT ATTENDANT. THE NEXT THING WE HEARD WAS GND CTL ASKING US IF WE WERE XING. FO SAID; 'YES; YOU CROSSED US.' GND CTL SAID; 'THEN YOU WERE TOLD TO HOLD SHORT. YOU WEREN'T LISTENING UP!;' SCOLDING US ON GND CTL FREQ. WE WERE LISTENING UP BUT WE COULDN'T HEAR ANYTHING FOR THE HORN BLASTING IN OUR EARS. I THOUGHT HIS COMMENT TO BE UNPROFESSIONAL. WE WERE BOTH RELIEVED THAT HE HADN'T TRIED TO HOLD US FOR LNDG TFC; BUT TO AVOID FURTHER CONGESTION ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE RWY. I CALLED GND CTL WHEN I GOT TO MY HOTEL. I EXPLAINED THE SITUATION TO HIM. HE TOLD ME THAT HE WAS UNAWARE OF THE PROB WE HAVE WITH THE BUZZER AND WAS GLAD TO BE AWARE OF IT. HE SAID THAT TRAINING WAS IN PROGRESS AND THERE WERE DIFFERENT VOICES ON THE FREQ. HE SAID THAT IT WAS DECIDED TO HOLD US AFTER THE CLRNC WAS GIVEN DUE TO THE RELEASE TIME. I ASKED IF THERE WAS A PROB AND HE SAID THAT THERE WASN'T.' ACFT DESIGN. SOME ENGINEER DECIDED THAT THAT FLT ATTENDANT TO PLT CALL BUTTON WAS THE MOST IMPORTANT SOUND IN THE COCKPIT; BLOCKING OUT EVERYTHING ELSE; CAUSING RWY INCURSIONS AND CLRNC DEVS. HE MUST HAVE FELT IT WAS EXTREMELY IMPORTANT THAT THE PLTS ARE AWARE WHEN SOMEONE USES THE LAVATORY. THAT BUZZER NEEDS TO BE TONED DOWN OR SILENCED BEFORE SOMETHING SERIOUS HAPPENS. I BRIEF THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO PASS EVERYTHING THROUGH THE A FLT ATTENDANT SO THAT THERE ARE NOT MULTIPLE CALLS ABOUT THE SAME THING. SOME CAPTS TELL THE FLT ATTENDANTS TO USE THE KEYPAD ON THE DOOR LOCK. I DON'T LIKE TO CHANGE SOP'S BECAUSE IT CONFUSES PEOPLE. EVERY AIRBUS PLT HATES THAT BUZZER.