I knew Gary Nic quite well, in fact help train him at 6FTS and met him again on 47 Main.
My feelings about all that I've read above (that doesn't involve Samsonites) is a sadness.
There is undoubtedly a line between gung-ho/can do and using all aids available to make safety a top concern. Sadly it's all interpreted by where you are looking at it from.
I guested with SF on a couple of occasions and was struck by the can-do attitude, when does this attitude become 'recklessness'?
I don't know.
But I salute all of you who DO know. I live in a world of varying shades of grey, but many of you live in blacks and whites. Good luck, it must be nice to have the wisdom of Solomon. I'm afraid I just don't have that.
I'm sad for Gary and his work-mates, more-so for the families and colleagues.
Tearing each other to pieces here really doesn't further anyone's cause . . . does it? Perhaps it does - but it does smack of the exercising of egoes.