Pole straps or no pole straps

I think that I will probably think more critically when I use straps.

Agreed on the slopes and the bedroom. 
Appreciate the setup Alan!

is it really so difficult to put them on and take them off at the appropriate time?

Nope, and who said it was? Like Scotsman, I'll put them on in spots, such as when travelling a forest road that's not threatened by hangfire, etc. It appears the boundaries of where to have them on and off differ across the population, and that's fine. We all make a variety of macro and micro risk tradeoffs a bit differently. My point on the choking up was more just that I can actually use my poles quite well w/o straps on (and yes, I do know how to use them), and regardless of risk, sometimes even choose do do so!

I think most of the replies on this thread have simply been answers to the OP's question, not a lecture aimed at Joe and Allan.

Jackal - that image of you frozen in place with just your hands wiggling reminds me to get that whistle clipped to my shoulder strap (as you've now done). If Yanna hadn't been behind you, that whistle would have been very handy, and it seems your hands would have had just enough play to get it in your mouth.

some random correlatations relating to straps...

I typically always stay strapped...
In 4 decades of skiing I have never fallen in a tree well...
I have never been caught in a serious slide despite being close to many....

therefore remaining strapped must be a lot safer, since you all sound like you are falling in tree wells and getting caught in slides all the time without straps on.

As long as we're going meta...

Comments such as:

in 20 plus years of skiing it has never happened

remind me of the familiarity heuristic trap .

I suspect Jackal was going on something like 30-40 years of skiing w/o every having gotten trapped in a tree well on that day (and he's a pretty OK skier, and honestly, there were not that many of the sort of tree wells on this slope where one could manage what he achieved on that day).

And perhaps this thread offers some opportunities for folks to follow the social proof heuristic .

Obviously a personal choice and decision.

Yup, straps in trees certainly not recommended.

Yup, straps "on" avalanche terrain, not great idea.  (User needs to define that and the risk, right?)

Reasons to never use straps?  Nope.

Exactly -- my tree well response was to help Edgesport, who asked, consider one person's experience that was safety related. I agree with BigSnow and others that everyone's going to do their own thing, so experiment and find out what works for you. However if safety is a consideration, take them off. There's a reason we have releasable bindings.

Pretty interesting, strong opinions on each side, good skiers all.

For years I used straps for lift-served and none for touring. Then after meeting several guides in Europe who didn't use them, I decided to remove mine. Now I don't have the option; the thing I miss most is not being able to leave them looped over your wrist and grab a ski in each hand for a quick boot up; I now stick them handles down in back of my pack straps.