Makes perfect sense. A deadbeat owes more than he can pay back, knows he is facing bankrupcy (a free pass) and has some left on his cards. Max them out before they get pulled makes perfect sense. The fact that they are deadbeats doesn’t mean they are stupid. They have spent their entire lives gaming the system.
That is exactly it. Everyone games the system, and it doesn't take a genius to do it either. I know otherwise stupid people, who talk about the ways they game the system. They sound like master Poker players discussing their strategies. They play the game until they are all tapped out, then they move on to another table and play again. Its amazing.
Take it from one who knows, bankruptcy is hardly a “free pass.”
I have a cousin who just fled his debt and other responsibilities. He ran up a ton of debt, loaded up a U-Haul and headed to Oregon. He would have gone to California but he has a history there too.