I’ve seen a tandem that was propped up with a Click Stick fall on the pavement as the owner was walking away. ...
Happens to single bikes as well. Those ClikStands are a menace. Had one myself with the fat foot option and the bike blew over several times due to wind, so I eventually junked it. I've read all sorts of reports of the ClikStand collapsing under a full touring load, with or without fat foot, with or without a jar lid or tennis ball or whatever. It's a bad idea. As are stands in general.
I kind of disagree on the "debate" and "preference" issue. The only debate is whether a kickstand is worth the trouble. As far as preference is concerned, I believe that most people in most instances would rather park their bikes upright rather than lay them on the ground. Cyclists without kickstands almost without fail will look for something – a wall, fence, tree, whatever – to lean it against rather than lay in on the ground.
The only time I look for something to lean against is when I'm in civilization, because a bike lying on the ground attracts unwanted attention. Away from civilization, lying the bike down is PREFERABLE to me because it plus my rack bag makes a very nice back rest. For example:
Lying the bike down guarantees no damage from being blown over by the wind and also makes it inconspicuous. The only time I look for something to keep my bike upright when I'm away from civilization is when it might rain at night and I want to keep the saddle dry (using the Brooks saddle cover).
What if you could attach an anti-gravity device to your bike that would hold your bike vertically anywhere and under any load without any risk of damaging your bike? Would you not install one?
If it weighed nothing, sure. But not if it weighed any significant amount. I am not going to pedal or push even a single ounce uphill if there isn't a good reason for it, and the reasons for wanting to hold the bike vertical just aren't that good. If I want to do repairs, like truing the wheel, adjusting the eccentric, shortening the chain, etc, I'd rather have the bike upside down resting on the saddle and handlebars than held vertical in the upright position.
Lying the bike down is like sitting cross-legged on the ground, squatting over a hole in the ground to relieve yourself, sleeping outdoors. At first it feels very unnatural, but soon enough you get used to it. In other words, your discomfort with lying the bike down is due to social conditioning, not any good technical reason. Yes, it is possible to damage the bike if you drop it to the ground. So you lay it down gently. Yes, you can squash stuff in the panniers. So you take care to put squashable things on one side of the bike (tent, clothes, instant rice and other foods repacked into sturdy bags, water bladders) and delicate things in the other side, and then also take care to lay the bike down on the squashable side only.
Reinstalling the ex-box is EASIER if the bike is lying down on the right side (the sprocket side). In any case, the only time reinstalling the ex-box should be necessary is if you remove the rear wheel. After much experimentation in the field, I came to the conclusion that doing things the old-fashioned way is simplest. That is, when you need to remove the rear wheel, turn the bicycle upside down and rest on the saddle and handlebars, after being careful to remove the bike computer and gps. With the bike upside down when removing the rear wheel, ex-box removal becomes a non-issue as far as stands and lying the bike down is concerned.
