Just like boaters can be perceived as rank amateurs if they make the rookie mistake of leaving their bumpers and lines hanging in the water after they’ve pulled away from the dock, pilots can assume that same aura of cluelessness if they turn off the runway after landing and then taxi all the way to the tie-down area without retracting their flaps.** **
It can be easy to miss checklist items when you’re busy or distracted. The consequences in some cases could be far worse than merely appearing as though you flunked out of flying kindergarten. Taking off without setting flaps in some airplanes or forgetting to turn on the carb heat in others can be deadly. And if you forget to put the gear down before landing, the consequences will be worse than just looking dumb.
