i'm not too sure of the actual rules for uk 8 ball but tapping defence until you get a safety gets awefully cheap doesnt it? I know its a "skillful" way to play but wouldnt that be more so if the ball had to hit a rail as it does in us 8 or 9? lol i'm probably going to get flamed for this

No need to get flamed! But yes its one of the subtle things that make the UK game different.

I certainly wouldn't like it. In fact its the reason i have started to play UK pool more again, since the games can be more tactical and therefore more fun..

tactical play means more fun - never heard that before

Because that's the rule in UK, and hitting the rail is the rule in US.

They're two very similar but different games, so why turn UK into exactly the same thing as US? Others prefer UK, so each to their own.