Nobody, no matter how arrogant, would take off in fog knowing (or even suspecting) that the runway wasn't clear
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And would it be your guess that yours is the "standard" view among commercial pilots and ATCs? I cannot conceive of many that would disagree with you. On the other hand, the view that VZ "bent" the rules seems to be standard among lay Youtubers. I blame it partly on the docudramas, which all seem to depict VZ as the devil incarnate.
Thanks