Robin,
I agree with you in some regards, but this is not about whether you have the same hours as a cpl guy or not. Apart from it being the law, I'm afraid a ppl say with one thousand hours built over the best part of ten years of non pressured fun flying only in good weather and no real deadlines to meet just does not compare to a cpl with one thousand hours built over a couple of years flying charter often into bad weather and with allot of commercial pressure, heavy loads etc.
I know a few ppl's who are very talented safe pilots, but I also know some right plonkers who think they are talented.
So yes I'm sure you are a safe ppl and in the right circumstances you could be a safe bet to fly with, but if I look back to when I had a couple of hundred hours I cringe at some of the things I did because, I knew very little and didn't realise it.
flybymike,
I'm not flying off the handle and I'm sure Dublinpilot can look after himself!