Tan
Let's keep this nice and simple
From a safety point of view the “can” is probably safer because of the confined space in an accident then rows of seats that can depart from their railings.
Carrying pax in the can was illegal, period.
I find their actions in the firing of the Captain
The captain resigned, he was not fired.
If you, as a professional pilot, have difficulty understanding the implications of this case, then I am very glad that I am unlikely to find myself on your aircraft.
I travel about 100 sectors per year as a passenger.
In doing this, I listen meticulously to the safety brief, even when it is the 3rd time I've travelled on the sub type involved in the same day and I follow the instructions of the cabin crew to the letter, even though I have been travelling since before some of them were born.
Why do I do this? Because modern civil aviation has been made safe by the implementation AND OBSERVANCE of SOPs that mitigate risk to a reasonable level. Look at the accident stats in the period 1945 to date and note the trends.
When anyone starts to circumvent the SOPs (crew or pax), then the road to ruin is beckoning. At what stage does the camel's back break from the final straw?
I don't go with some of the hysterical comments on the thread, but neither can the indefensible be defended or rationalised.