Actualy, the system deals a death sentence to the victems of that jerk. Which is my point.
It is however equaly effective in it's intended purpose of stoping similar jerks from team killing.
You can deal with both sides of the coin by dealing a less extreme blow.
rabid, the only instances where the 'death sentence' ever becomes a real drag is when someone decides to be a jerk to you, like the instance you experienced in the Tiger.
99% of the cases, people cause, or fall victim to KS by pure accident. It's like a roadkill - some say its unavoidable, but I say you should try to drive more defensively when you are near animal crossings. A little experience easily shows whos the 'n00b' around where you are flying - you could usually tell by his wreckless shooting or flying. As much as one would be keen to watch his six for red dots, he should also take notice of those kind of people.
All in all, a player with some AH experience are usually polite and courteous, and will try to avoid becoming a victim of, or causing, KS to others. And the rare cases of such 'extremes', is not a hazard or vice big enough to refute the power or effectiveness of the KS in overall.
Usually, people try to avoid it at all costs, because, it is so deadly. If it ever becomes weaker, shooting over shoulders and wreckless spraying will just become that much more common, and I think you are gonna hate that much more than any KS accident we might have currently.