Do not send messages on unrelated matters to the list. Before sending a question to the mailing list, check whether it was already asked by using the archives' searchable index. I cann't even quit the pine. I've had problems with that, too. I just call tech support and bug them.
Problem is, they've never figured it out.
Sometimes I'll have it several times off and on for days, and then nothing for weeks. I've even tried using EWAN to log in, let Pine lock up, then log in a second time and go snooping around for .lock files, but have never found any. If you do find out anything, send me the results.