I think this says a lot about BA crew actually.
Perhaps some of the cabin crew were a bit jumpy-training is all very well but some were probably very young and I doubt that -we have hit a large building and broken off the outboard wing is actually a training scenario as such.
But, as has been pointed out on here there were very very real hazards for letting people use the slides in rain and dark with airport vehicles and emergency vehicles racing to the scene is a very undesirable scenario . SO I think the cockpit crew did what airline pilots are supposed to do above all-keep a cool head and make rational decisions in difficult and trying circumstances here and as result everyone walked away. In like most pax they knew that the leaking fuel is far less of a hazard than might be imagined , most people think 'Jet Fuel' must be scary stuff when it is actually regular unleaded in the family car that's dangerous.
The cockpit must been having a real oh **** what have we done moment as well and that put more pressure on their decision making.
We all know they should not have hit it and we all know that they didn't hit ti deliberately.
I have been lucky enough pre 9-11 to get to see what its like taxying around a large airport at night and it is nothing like as straightforward as it might appear , through in an odd taxi route and some weather and I am surprised it doesn't happen more often.
So despite the criticism people should bear in mind that BA have had two very nasty incidents at Jo Burg in the last few years and no one got hurt and the reason for that is that in both cases people kept a cool head and in command of the situation .