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@The_Seldom_Killer
Your mechanic is talking mince.
Yes, disc brakes make it easier to get to the point of being able to lock up wheels and to skid. However, they are also designed to allow a reasonable amount of control over the braking effort applied and so skidding is easily avoided. The learning curve is neither that steep or that long.
Mainstream bicycle companies, like many businesses that are based around the leisure industry are fairly risk averse. They simply aren't going to mass produce something that inherently puts it user at risk and face a litany of lawsuits from the litigous.
Disc road bikes are seeing a lot of uptake, just from their intended cyclocross market but also from other sectors such as tourers, bike-packers and people with a penchant for riding around hilly terrain. The main reason for this uptake isn't any perceived fashion or adherence to a new fad but because the brake work and work well.
Moving on from that, the geometry of a bike is more likely to affect it's likelihood of skidding than the actual disc brake itself. I have a recumbent bike and the position of myself as the main load is directly in front of the rear wheel and there is virtually no load going on top of the wheel. Despite putting nice skinny slick tyres on the bike and riding it around the Peak District at up to fairly high speeds, I'm happy to report that the amount of skidage has been negligible.
With the current state of the cycling and the bicycle market, there are likely to be a lot of changes and innovations coming out of the next 5-10 years. Some of this will be driven by advances in various various competitive and racing disciplines and a fair few will prove to be viable and sustainable in the commercial market. If your mechanic is spouting nonsense about already proven technology and design changes then it may be worth looking about for one that is more willing to embrace the new things that you are likely to be purchasing in the future.