I agree completely. Under normal circumstances I never do this, take much the same line you do. But this was their convention (not guys i normally play with). They were respecting the 500 raise with a 400 BB. If a 500 chip bet gets the same respect that a 1000 chip bet gets, why send a man to do a boys work?

with that said, 74o is not the raising hand of choice, but is he giving me credit for hitting anything with that flop?