PJ2:
I am a Pilot thanks and fully conversant in the use of the wx radar and its limitations as well as my airlines ops manual and guidance related to avoidance distances (which are minimum distances). I'm one of these people who take a lot of notice of Pilot reports of turbulence and actively scan ahead with the the radar looking for any potential nastiness and am not afraid to burn a bit extra gas to fly lower down (if the CAT is higher up) or fly more than the minimum distance when going around a CB. I know I am not the only one.
My comments were established from my own experience of flying with one too many of the "John Wayne" types who have come up with the classic line "we'll be fine, I've done this loads of times" when trying to out-climb a storm or skirting round with the wing tip in the cloud.
I also fully appreciate the conditions around the tropics and ITCZ can lead to conditions that are unavoidable and this may be the case here (if you look back I originally said I don't know the facts of this case and so am not offering speculation as to this particular incident). However, sometimes these incidents are totally avoidable and that was my point. We are equally quick to point the finger at the pax for not having the seatbelts on (which of course they should do and there is no excuse for them not to have unless they are in the loo when the sign comes on) and I was merely acting as devils advocate by putting across the other question. Thats all.