I've also seen a lot of SQL Server developers write large stored procedures that manage to easily deadlock. It's been years since I dealt with it...had something to do with lock escalation, from a read lock to an update lock to an insert lock.
You could say "don't use SQL Server"..or you could say "it's important that you understand SQL Server's locking behavior"
It's one thing for two transactions to deadlock against eachother. It takes special talent to allow a transaction to deadlock against itself, which InnoDB apparently allows.
I have NEVER had issues with PostgreSQL transactions deadlocking against themselves, even with monstrous stored procedures.
You could say "don't use SQL Server"..or you could say "it's important that you understand SQL Server's locking behavior"