Willoz269:
Quote: If a ground controller gives me a clearance to taxy down a taxiway, it is perfectly assumed by the pilot that the taxiway is clear of obstructions
I disagree. You can give a taxi clearance from the apron to the runway which can be a very, very long way at some airports (kilometres). It is not an assertion to the Captain that the taxiway to the runway is clear of obstructions and it does not imply that the situation will not change throughout his taxi to the runway either. It does not remove the Captains responsibility to exercise the appropriate judgement or care. This is why he's getting 350K a year (well, that's what some are getting to operate these beasts).
If a controller tells him to taxi into a ditch or into a hangar, will he do it unreservedly? No. Regardless of what the conditions etc were, he's responsible for not running it into anything - it's his jet.