Penko - You are quite right that rules depicting what we do doesn't always make it right either. However, we have an issue here that clearly upsets some busy pilots feeling the need to monitor 121.500 and quote that during a busy ATC environment find it difficult. If ATC is that busy it must imply that you are less likely to suffer a loss of comms etc. And when you do, you will be very quick to realise as a busy ATC environment normal means lots of frequency changes along a route - you will suss something is up.
So in my view the only need to listen to 121.500 is for distress of other aircraft in the area. Well if you are that busy, concentrate on your own task and worry about others when you have time - big deal? It is frowned upon within the operation that I fly to listen to two frequencies at once. You either have box one or box two - not both. This is because it is recognised that assessment of risk suggests that if we do not concentrate on the task in hand - a busy ATC environment - a potentially more disastrous incident will happen over any incident we may be able to "capture" by listening to 121.500.
So a practice pan is annoying and distracting. Is it the case that as London give you a very demanding clearance that requires immediate action you will ignore this cos some poor sod has called a mayday? Surely you will get your house in order first by prioritising on your safety before others...Or are you just going to be a saint and ignore London to be the Helping Hand as you crash into the other airliner......hmmm. Dramatic I know but some people are being rather dramatic about a rather easily minimised facet of todays ATC environement which is not wholly the cause of the puddle jumpers.
We can all help the issue as it clearly is apparent that many incidents are avoided by puddle jumpers being more forthright with the use of 121.500. There are most definately two sides to this little gem.