You'd think developers would be good with numbers. But put $ signs in front of those numbers, and suddenly they're not very good. Trading away hard cash for gimmicks, and a tiny amount of equity in early stage startups.
Can you imagine pitching this sort of 'perks' to professionals in science, medicine, or engineering?
[follow up from another HN link ;)]:
"... to provide for their care and feeding. It is probably no accident that the relationship between dogs and their owners mirrors the attachment relationship between parents and their children, behaviorally and physiologically."