Mike-
I agree with your "wish." Many users would prefer that feature lines not look at each other. Just let me create it quickly. I know what I'm doing.
Until such time as that option is added, have you considered exploding your feature lines into 3D polylines? That would eliminate the annoying problems of intersecting feature lines. When you're ready to use stepped offset, just pick a 3d polyline, Civil 3D will turn it into a feature line, do your offset, then explode both. It's an extra step, but if grading is taking you twice as long because of the feature lines, I think this method would at least be better than that.
Best regards,
Tim
Tim Corey
MicroCAD Training and Consulting, Inc.
Redding, CA
Autodesk Gold Reseller
New knowledge is the most valuable commodity on earth. -- Kurt Vonnegut