I would say that the exterior safety could be a bad option for a first gun. I agree 100% that carrying a pistol outside of a holster with one in the pipe is not smart; any pistol. An external safety is not a panacea. I've seen more than a few times, a safety bumped off without the person carrying expecting it to be off. An exterior safety should not be justified, because the pistol is somehow safer. A gun is always loaded. A finger is always off the trigger until their sights are on the target.
What an external safety does do, is require one more thing for a new gun owner to train and master to put their gun in action. It is something that if fumbled could be deadly to themselves.
I totally agree with you. My carry gun has a nifty little safety on it that is NEVER used. As soon as I can afford it, it will no longer be part of the gun. Your finger is the ultimate safety.