Soft play at 1/2 NL?

[Mr Rick]

I am fairly new to NL (this is my first session over 1.5 hours), I have played LHE for some years now.

I am sitting at a NL table for about 6 hours when this occurs. There is one caller, and I raise $10 pre-flop with 77. Only the limper calls.

As the dealer is preparing to deal the flop, my opponent asks me if I want to check down the hand. I have played with him for most of the 6 hours and he and I have gotten along.

I can't stand the idea of checking hands down for many reasons but among them, I came to play. I want to learn and I want my opponents to play me hard. And earlier at the table, one guy had said "If you bet I will fold." So the opponent bet, and the guy said "raise"...

So I tell him no. Then the flop comes 742 two spades and I say "Maybe the flop will hit me" as the dealer drops it on the table. He then says he is on a flush draw and do I want to check it down (again). I say I'm not sure I believe him and I make a pot sized bet. He calls.

The turn is the 2 of spades. I bet $50 and he calls. The river is a blank, I bet $100. He tanks and then calls.

After I flip my hand, he starts getting incredibly upset - obstensibly with himself - for calling. He says "I told you I had a flush". And then he says "You were trying to tell me you had a hand when you bet $100". I don't really say anything.

What I want to know, is:
1) Do these "lets check it down" requests happen a lot at NL? (I saw it on one other hand I wasn't involved in - and one player declined)
2) When both players agree to check it down, is it binding?

It almost never happens at LHE. The only time I have seen it at LHE was two guys who knew each other very well or a husband/wife HU.