Hoss,
I can't figure out if you don't believe them or just consider them idiots who made a poor career decision.
If it's the "I don't believe you" area, 2 stories.

It's 1991 (probably 1991 since that was when my second airline was looking, accurately, very bleak.) I was eavesdropping on a conversation in crew room. Guy had a choice...United or Southwest.
He chose Southwest. (remember, while Southwest looked great and was doing well, they were not yet the gorilla that was in their future.)

Second story: Me. I turned done United, but inadvertently! Interviewed 1992 and finished medical part in Dec. of 92. Got the you're in the pool letter shortly after. Spring of '93 S. Wolff announces hiring freeze. Fall 0f '93 unemployed again as furloughed during the break/up liquidation of airline #3.
Finally hired by airline 4 in March "94. That August (I think it was August), employee buyout at UAL has gone through, get a letter to reschedule a "touch base" interview as it had been over a year. Great!
OK...been at airline 4 less than a year. Friends had gone to bat for me to get me hired, so didn't want to jump ship without giving at least a year. Family member(s) have health problems....maybe things will be better later and I can be away for initial training later on with less worry and stress.
Solution? I figure call and see if can be put at bottom of pool and delay re-interview date. Speak with a friendly lady who assures me no problem....just write S. Stuckey a letter and all will be well.
I do so...dumb move. I get a letter back, nicely and politely worded, that basically says either you want to work here or you don't. Feel free to re-apply in a year.
Life goes on, had a 15.5 year run with airline 4 until they got shutdown. So not bad, just different than what might have been elsewise.
The point being, people do sometimes turn down United.....even if they didn't realize they were doing so at the time.