AIR CARRIER DEPARTURE FROM ATL VOICED CONCERN REGARDING ATC TAXI CLEARANCE TO RUNWAY 26L; DEVOID OF SPECIFIC GUIDANCE FOR TRANSITIONING FROM TAXI WAY F TO E; ATC'S INDIFFERENCE AND ATTITUDE CITED AS PROBLEMATIC.

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WE WERE TAXIING TO RWY 26L FOR DEP. ATL GND CTLS ISSUED THE FOLLOWING TAXI CLRNC; 'ACFT X; TAXI TO RWY 26L VIA FOXTROT.' THE FO AND MYSELF DISCUSSED THE FACT THAT TXWY F ENDED AND WE NEEDED TO TRANSITION TO TXWY E TO GET TO RWY 26L. AS WE CONTINUED TAXIING; NO FURTHER INSTRUCTIONS WERE OFFERED FROM ATL GND CTL. WHEN THE FO QUERIED THE CTLR ABOUT WHAT HE WANTED US TO DO; THE CTLR'S RESPONSE WAS 'ACFT X; IS THIS YOUR FIRST TIME IN ATL? IT IS IMPLIED THAT YOU TRANSITION TO ECHO VIA DELTA AND CONTINUE TO 26L.' HE THEN WENT ON TO GIVE US A LECTURE ON HOW THAT HAS ALWAYS BEEN THE 'IMPLIED' TAXI INSTRUCTIONS. SINCE WHEN DO WE HAVE 'IMPLIED' TAXI INSTRUCTIONS? THERE ARE NO CODED TAXI RTES FOR ATL; THERE WERE NO NOTAMS OUTLINING ANY 'IMPLIED' TAXI RTES; AND THERE WERE NO NOTES ON THE ARPT DIAGRAM PAGE STATING ANY 'IMPLIED' TAXI RTES. A TRANSITION TO TXWY E COULD JUST AS EASILY HAVE OCCURRED VIA F4; F5; OR CHARLIE TXWYS. HOW WERE WE SUPPOSED TO KNOW THAT TXWY D WAS THE PREFERRED RTE. NO VIOLATIONS OCCURRED AS A RESULT OF THIS SITUATION. THE REASON FOR THIS RPT IS TO ALERT ALL CONCERNED PARTIES OF THE INCREASINGLY UNPROFESSIONAL BEHAVIOR OF THE ATC CTLRS. WITH RWY INCURSION ON THE RISE; IT IS ASTONISHING TO ME THAT THE GND CTLRS ARE BERATING PLTS FOR CLARIFICATION AND CONFIRMATION OF INSTRUCTIONS. THEIR BEHAVIOR COULD RESULT IN A VIOLATION TO A CREW MEMBER -- OR WORSE.