As a friend of mine once commented as we taxied into the hammerhead where a shiny new 757 was awaiting clearance for takeoff:
"She's like a skinny girl with big tits...what's not to like?"
As for the Cali incident, answer me this: Where is the airmanship in asking for a shortcut direct when the route of flight leads you down one of the deepest valleys in the world surrounded by some of the highest terrain?
PT