*appropriate* currency is I believe important), and schemes where the weather gets a colour code and you are told whether you're allowed off the ground / out of the circuit / cross country etc, depending on the flavour of license and ratings you hold
Yes, that can be frustrating. I wonder though, what portion of that is the flying club vs the government. Canada (government) does have currency and recency requirements, which in my opinion, are silly lax. No self respecing pilot would fly such a small amount, and call themselves adequately competant, in any but the most favourable conditions.
On the other hand, checkouts vary tremendously with the environment. In my very early days as a renter, I kept myself "current" under the club rules, on the 172RG. The rationale being that I was thus current on all of their other types, which were simpler. Once, I went to rent the 172RG as booked, to be told it had gone mechanical. No problem, I'll take a 172. "You're not "qualified" was the reply from the non pilot desk person - in front of my passenger. I complained to the boss. I was presented with a nice little card, which I was told would be accepted as my evidence of currency for any of the aircraft in their fleet. I was to use it on my honour, and keep myself current. At that time, I had about 200 hours. There was never another problem.
Now, 30+ years later, I welcome checkouts on the different aircraft I fly, but often there is just no one to do it. So I read the flight manual, reherse in the cockpit a bit, and off I go.
To my delight, no mod evaluation flight (which accounts for about a quarter of my flying these days) has never gone wrong, beyond the scope of what I was expecting. I have had some frights doing plain old maintenance test flights though. Those flights, are in my opinion, the ones which are most likely to suddenly require an extra demonstration of pilot skill...
Every pilot is responsible to the whole rest of aviation, for flying within their skill set, and within the allowance for things which could reasonably be expected to go wrong. The more unusual the flying, the bigger allowance they should leave for the wrong thing.
Either we get it right, or we get regulated more!
Regulation is for the guidance of wise men, and for the obedience of fools - Bader