those verticle ladders

Modeling Subjects Ships
1

I’m a bit miffed here. When doing verticle ladders, where do you cut off the two side supports at?

Like where im pointing in the first pic, where do you cut that off at? and how do you measure it to be sure the two at one end are the exact same as the two at the other end?
Or do you cut it off as in pic 2.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/ipms40049/noladderrung.jpg
http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v44/ipms40049/ladderrung1.jpg

2

Pic 2 is the way I do it. If I remember correctly, the GMM guidebook for using PE shows it that way as well.