Bloggs:
Sunfish, I normally enjoy reading your well thought-out and reasoned posts, so on this occasion I assume you have had too many reds!
Anyways, if you did mean everything you wrote, if I was in my 172, I couldn't give two hoots about any of this stuff. I'd just get in and go for a fly. No CTAF, no transponder, no calls. I am a realist. I do know that there is a good chance I could avoid another lighty even if I only did pick him up at the last minute.
The reality is though that the more people you kill, the more unpopular you become. So yes, I am a bit more interested about keeping myself away from others, by finding out where they are before I get there. And the 100+ punters sitting behind me have as much right to be in the same piece of sky as you. Safely. So don't start this Arthur (sorry John) and Martha rubbish about "Free In G and the rest can jump in the lake", the epitome of this being an A380 dodging Dick in his bugsmasher in Class E because that's his right.
Oh, and another thing. Hitting me in my wonderjet will cause you just as much grief whether I have a full load of punters or I'm empty. I still can't see out of it very well, I'm not very manoeuverable, and I have a lot to do internally to get thing safely on the ground which reduces my lookout. So it is your interest to know where I am and where I am going, so that you can look after your butt, by talking.
I am in furious agreement about talking. What I am concerned about is that the various camps are not interested in understanding other peoples positions.
There are too many axes being ground.
I have no problems with talking to RPT when approaching a CTAF and arranging separation. I also usually alter my arrival to defer to the larger aircraft as well since his costs are higher than mine. I also believe that you cannot have too much situational awareness hence I monitor area frequency always. That has saved me from having to make transmissions many times when ATC answers a question for someone else that I was just about to ask. What I do not like is the idea of being prevented from communicating with anyone or being refused information that might be critical to my safety just because I am driving a VFR bug smasher.