ribrsiq: The many, many ways to die in Sierra games is one of their distinguishing features.
Indeed, there was a gag on that very fact in Monkey Island where if you walked too close to a specific ledge it would break off and you'd fall down with a very Sierra-looking dialogue popping up to let you know you died, only to bounce back on a rubber tree before you even think of collecting your jaw off of the floor... In Lucas Arts games, you see, you can never die or get stuck.
I like both approaches equally, myself.