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People here (NZ) generally put it down. I'm not too worried either way, have skied overseas without them and no issues unless I'm wearing a back protector plus a pretty full pack, in which case it feels like I'm sitting on the last 4" of the chair. Usually because I can't be bothered taking off my pack.
At the canyons on the bubble chair on a morning with fresh snow where every chair was full, the lift stopped on a long stretch between towers over a frozen pond and the chair fell like 20ft almost in freefall and then bounced for awhile, scared the shit out of me. thank god for old asian lady who insisted on putting the bar down, usually i do not.