Desperation breeds irrational behavior. I too have scratched my head. Look at some of the captain awards, especially in senior bases. Things are going for straight open time that I would never ever even consider.
That being said, I know I am picking up things extra fly that I wouldn't have touched two years ago, but that's all relative. Two years ago, I was holding myself to a fairly strict 10tfp/day average. These days, I try to set the "rigged" standard for normal trips, but I have picked up some ugly two days with a deadhead only on the front or back that make it a sweet paying turn and eliminate a leg of my commute. One man's trash...