:sorry moose, but what you've said here shows that you don't understand the intricacies of the game of One Pocket...Freddy the Beard, (who's latest book you just bought and complimented highly) and I, have many times spoken with each other about how so many players don't understand/appreciate the strength of, and correctly utilize the intentional safety...
So then, according to what you've said in your post, Freddy (50+ yrs. playing One Pocket) and I (45 yrs. playing One Pocket), are "unimaginative players who are just trying to delay the game"...
- Ghost
PS, Not to mention all of the top players, past and present, who regularly, strategically, employed/employ the intentional scratch.