The behavior is needed to allow using single line comments while embedding PHP in HTML like in

   <h1><?php echio $title; // comment ?></h1>

Your compromise won't work as it break valid code like

   <?php if ($cond) { ?><h1>TRUE</h1><?php } ?>

re. [2010-12-22 12:21 UTC] johannes@php.net:

Haha, I had forgotten that I'd ever used PHP, let alone filed any bugs.  I suppose it's great that you still care, but you've misunderstood:

Consider

#! /usr/bin/php
<?php "abc ?>"; ?>
I am output!

the output is

I am output!

but, if the code above is changed to

#! /usr/bin/php
<?php //"abc ?>"; ?>
I am output!

the output becomes:

"; ?>
I am output!

Now do you see what I was talking about?  The two characters ?> that were formerly part of a string literal, and therefore not recognized as a processing instruction end, suddenly start behaving as a PI-end when the string literal has been commented out.

Your example has nothing to do with my suggestion (if you read carefully).