I haven't read the whole thread but I don't understand the fascination with that wonderful olde English institution, the overhead join. It's pretty dangerous to be at 2000ft agl, with four others known to be also joining overhead, and you are visual with two of them.
In any other situation of known traffic in very close proximity and at the same level, one would leg it. And the same people will post here saying they would never fly in IMC without an RIS....