FlareArmed: How about flying near large mountains, such as the Cascades?
A {T.I.} Dart-powered Convair 600 hit a small mountain west of LIT in the 70s, and single, fairly isolated Mt. Petit Jean (unknown to the crew-they assumed that any high hill was up north in the Ozarks
) can not even be compared to Mt. Rainier, or even most ridges in the Cascades.
Descending into SEA, we were often vectored away from the STAR, (also off of the TONTO Arrival into PHX, PDX etc).
Look at the approximate location and height (radial and distance from SEA etc) of Mt. Rainier and others, on the area chart. Notice whether the vector takes you in that general direction and how far you are from SEA. Can the other (non-flying) pilot keep his HSI/ND on the SEA VOR, on a specific radial with simple tuning or button-pushing?
An airport where lots of Boeing certifications are performed is just east of the Cascades with totally different, usually better weather, in case of a serious system problem.
Vectors can get us into serious trouble, as history shows. Maybe you should both simply trust ATC and the huge number of blocked radio calls we all enjoy in dense ATC areas.
That is how Frank Sinatra lost his Mom in a Lear, among many others.