Squawk7700, with your version of what it would have been in the GAAP days there are many many options that Foxbat could have taken to get to that exact same point when I look at YMMB, isn't it the job of SMC to guide the Aircraft in which way to go so they don't have Aircraft taxiing all over the place? It's not like there is only 1 option for getting to Bravo 3 at 31L, there are also runways to be crossed and that requires clearance as well, sounds perfectly reasonable to me.