I have watched airliners taxiing far too fast for the circumstances and with inevitable hot brakes. Maybe the captain was a former GA pilot with a bad habit?
Centaurus, I have nothing but the highest regard for your experience and willingness to continue to share your wealth of knowledge with the community. You may however - as was the case a while ago with your input into the discussion regarding the use of modern Multi-Scan WX radar systems - wish to reconsider the examples you use to illustrate the point you're putting across. On many modern airliner equipped with carbon brakes, the recommended taxi method - in fact the only practical way to manage the residual thrust - is to allow the aircraft to accelerate up to 30 knots (where congestion is not a factor) - and then using A SINGLE application of the brakes to slow it down to about 10 knots, before allowing idle thrust acceleration up to 30 knots again -and so on.
The idle thrust on the GE 90-115B that I fly is simply too high, particularly in a light aircraft to "ride the brakes" to maintain what you would traditionally call a "normal" and steady taxi speed.