In my humble opinion, Scroggs; you don't have the full picture. I joined FR with an open mind and paid for my rating. Now my economy is under control, and I can finally relax. If I hadn't, I would still have had to work night shifts + instructing on daytime with a crap salary. Five years of instructing didn't give me anything. Who cares about SEP hours anyway...?
What is exceptional with FR is that you will not be treated in a normal, decent way. You are just filling a vacant spot in a huge puzzle. Because of that almost every employee has personal issues with FR. However, I have tripled my income, I work less and my future looks very bright.
Finally, Scroggs..don't forget that you have reached your goals and it's very easy to tell others what to do or not, and you were fortunate enough to be able to choose. That's what it all comes down to...We don't have a choice.