There can also be 'senior officer pressure' which some aircrew are unwilling to challenge....
We were on detachment once; due to the size of the det, we were accommodated off-base in an hotel. On the day we were due to fly back, the weather at base was dire - strong crosswinds out of our limits. So the DetCo decided that we'd stay another night, then RTB the following day when the weather was forecast to be significantly better.
Then we received an order from base (it was from 'Thrombo' the Flt Cdr) ordering us to fly home immediately. The reason being that the Dulles schedule had taken off, so if it was good enough for him, it'd be good enough for us. After a pause to pay the significant hotel cancellation fee ('Thrombo' hadn't thought of that), off we all went. It was someone else's turn to fly, so I was in the back listening on a long lead, but the wind and turbulence when we got back made for a very tricky landing indeed.
I gather that the Boss had A Word with Thrombo after that!
The nastiness of wind and turbulence at MPA shouldn't be underestimated. Also, crews need to check the maximum gust recorded in the previous few minutes rather than the METAR. I once landed in a serious crosswind which was just in limits, but it was hard work. Afterwards I queried the W/V with the MetO, only to be told that the peak gusts had been well outside the limit! Thank for telling us, chaps... If in doubt, get the tower to pass constant W/V values on final approach.
I'd have had no qualms at all about using the short cross RW; we used to practise low approaches and go-arounds on it and it wasn't really all that difficult. Best time to practise was on Saturday mornings, when the bone idle pongo officers were still in their pits instead of being at work as they should have been - the 6-day week had something to do with not having to pay to live/eat in the OM, or something. But you were expected to honour the commitment! A 4 Conway go-around over the DeathStar reminded them that at least some of us were at work!