I mean, isn't that why no warnings exists?

IMHO it needn't be taboo.

All the best, andye

update: after thinking about this a little more, I've decided that what I really mean is: Surely there should be no taboos in programming?

What I'm getting at is that, sure, using strict and warnings is, in general, a good idea - but that shouldn't make them a religious imperative. They're useful for a specific reason, not because it's a Sin to do without them.

If the code is clearer without them - and in my view it is in this case - then switching them off is the Right Thing, no?