You should join spec, by idling a team you also screw up the balance which can be a pain in the ass...
I don't 'idle'. I alt tab almost every round (in battle of course, not in siege) after I die. I never knew the equipment screen opened by default, I just knew that if you had it open, you wouldn't spawn. Knowing this, assuming if it wasn't open that I would spawn and be lance fodder, I opened the equip screen, alt tabbed, then came back after hearing the end-of-round sound. I might be a couple seconds late, but I usually make it into the round.
Of course now that I know the equip screen opens by default at the end of the round, I just do the same thing, but I don't open the equip screen first.
edit: missed a letter