B737-300 FO IS DISTRESSED THAT THE CAPTAIN ELECTED TO PERFORM A MAINT ENGINE START AT THE GATE CONTRARY TO ACR OPERATIONS MANUAL.

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ON MY PREFLT WALKAROUND; I NOTICED AN OIL LEAK ON THE #1 ENG. I RPTED THIS TO THE CAPT AND WITH HIS CONCURRENCE WROTE A MAINT DISCREPANCY RPT. WE ALREADY BOARDED THE PAX; SEVERAL ANNOUNCEMENTS WERE MADE; AND SOME PAX GOT OFF THE AIRPLANE; BUT APPROX 60 (AS MEMORY SERVES ME) STAYED ON BOARD. A MAINT ENG START WAS REQUIRED TO CHK FOR LEAKS; AND I INFORMED THE CAPT I WAS NOT COMFORTABLE PERFORMING A MAINT ENG START BECAUSE I HAVE NEVER BEEN TRAINED ON THE PROC. THE CAPT ASKED THE CONTRACT MECH TO START THE ENG AND THE MECH INFORMED THE CAPT THAT HE WAS NOT QUALIFIED TO START THE ENG. AFTER TALKING TO THE ACR DUTY MGR AND MAINT; THE CAPT ELECTED TO START THE ENG BY HIMSELF. HE ASKED THE MECH TO SIT IN THE FO'S SEAT AND OBSERVE HIM WHILE HE STARTED THE ENG. I EXITED THE ACFT AND PROCEEDED ONTO THE JETBRIDGE AND UP TO THE TERMINAL BECAUSE I DID NOT WANT TO BE ASSOCIATED; IN ANY WAY; WITH THIS HAPPENING. THE CAPT DID START THE ENG BY HIMSELF; WITH PAX ON BOARD. NO LEAKS WERE FOUND. AFTER THE ENG WAS SECURED; I RETURNED TO THE COCKPIT; HELPED FINISH THE PREFLT AND MAINT PAPERWORK AND FLEW AS THE PF WITHOUT FURTHER INCIDENT. WHAT LED TO THE EVENT: A CAPT WHO DISREGARDED COMMON SENSE TO DO A PROC HE BELIEVED HE WAS CAPABLE OF; WITHOUT FULLY CONSIDERING THE RAMIFICATIONS FOR HIMSELF; THE AIRLINE; AND THE PAX ON BOARD.