Well I am all for sticking a rear view mirror in .....somewhere, or a flap gauge at Door 1L, or having the Senior flight attendant stick her head outside the door to check the flaps are out, and out of a hatch below to check the gear down if you think that is the answer! There is a pilot checklist procedure backed up by TOCW which should do the job. If the system did not work, then that is to be examined, not pie in the sky daftness!