Todd wrote:
I wear one because my glider handbook says it is required or I must
fit some additional cushion in the seat back. Given the choice
between a piece of safety equipment or a piece of foam, I will take
the safety equipment. Remember, the unlucky pilot is one who has run
out of Altitude, Airspeed and, Options. The parachute is just another
option!

I feel compelled to point out that if you're out of altitude, your
parachute probably won't save you.

If you extend your logic (which I will agree may have some degree of
truth), then I drive my car differently because I wear seat belts and
have airbags. Accidents are accidents and I am quite certain that we
all strive to avoid them, parachute or not.

It's quite likely that you do drive your car differently because of the
seat belts and airbags:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Risk_compensation

I've seen it suggested in a half-joking manner that we ought to replace
the car's airbags with a large spike mounted on the steering wheel pointed
straight at the driver's chest. People will drive more carefully and get
into fewer accidents. Personally I'll be keeping my airbag, though....

I'm not sure how much this would apply to parachutes. It seems to me that
parachutes save you from a lot of accidents that aren't greatly influenced
by your behavior, like mid-air collisions and structural breakups, such
that it's difficult to increase your risk.

--
Michael Ash
Rogue Amoeba Software