What do you think Kirk is having to sign for all the time?

Discussion in 'Star Trek - The Original & Animated Series' started by JT Perfecthair, Sep 22, 2013.

  1. JT Perfecthair

    JT Perfecthair Lieutenant Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    May 25, 2013
    It just doesn't seem to matter whats going on, from crew abduction to Klingon attack, there is the Yeoman at Kirks chair with another black pad to sign.

    If it happened on occasion then ok, but its going on all the time, im not sure if its in every episode but it certainly seems so. Is this based on some military procedure that Roddenberry witnessed, do captains on ships sign reports throughout the day? Or was it a parody of something, a comment on the endless paperwork no matter what the situation that a former military man and cop like Roddenberry would be very familiar?

    Or was Kirk just getting a sneak look at the galley menu?
     
  2. BillJ

    BillJ The King of Kings Admiral

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2001
    Location:
    America, Fuck Yeah!!!
    Sexual harassment settlements. :eek:
     
  3. galad2003

    galad2003 Commander Red Shirt

    Joined:
    Aug 16, 2013
    Higher ranking military officers have a lot of paperwork IRL. I assume it was an effort to reflect that.
     
  4. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    Probably these two. One of the gags in M*A*S*H was Col. Blake signing all sorts of paperwork handed to him by Radar.
     
  5. Mr_Homn

    Mr_Homn Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Jan 30, 2010
    The captain probably has to sign off on repair reports and diagnostics or transfers of precious cargo or dignitaries and stuff like that all the time.
     
  6. Warped9

    Warped9 Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 3, 2003
    Location:
    Brockville, Ontario, Canada
    He was authorizing payments for refuelling. Starships aren't very economical.

    He also probably had to authorize the dolling out of the booze since synthehol didn't exist yet.
     
  7. T'Girl

    T'Girl Vice Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Aug 20, 2009
    Location:
    T'Girl
    My thought is that Scotty is absolutely paranoid about the amount of deuterium and antimatter left in the tanks, so he sends Kirk (or the watch officer) a fuel depletion rate report every hour.

    Kirk: "But Scotty the board shows the deletion rate."

    Scotty: "I didn't ask you to look at the board !!!"

    :)
     
    Last edited: Sep 22, 2013
  8. MacLeod

    MacLeod Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Mar 8, 2001
    Location:
    Great Britain
    Of course these days, it ST was filmed today would be a fingerprint scan rather than a signature.
     
  9. Commishsleer

    Commishsleer Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2013
    Location:
    Backwaters of Australia
    Fuel consumption reports. Important Orders (just watching "The Deadly Years")

    Actually I wonder what Picard did on long intervals between planets. I mean Kirk had all these reports to sign, Janeway was working out ways to go faster, Archer was getting used to his ship.
     
  10. Nerys Myk

    Nerys Myk A Spock and a smile Premium Member

    Joined:
    Nov 4, 2001
    Location:
    AI Generated Madness
    Sipped tea, listened to classical music and composed speeches.
     
  11. Timewalker

    Timewalker Cat-lovin', Star Trekkin' Time Lady Premium Member

    Joined:
    May 26, 2007
    Location:
    In many different universes, simultaneously.
    Picard could always nip down to the holodeck to play some Dixon Hill for an hour. Or he could read a book.

    I suspect Picard and Janeway wouldn't care for each others' holodeck choices: "You play THAT garbage?!!"
     
  12. BoredShipCapt'n

    BoredShipCapt'n Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Apr 5, 2012
    Location:
    Stage 9 forever
    And paternity summons.
     
  13. Commishsleer

    Commishsleer Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2013
    Location:
    Backwaters of Australia
    Also in "Deadly Years" at Kirk's trial Spock points out that Kirk initialled a report about the Romulans breaking Code 2.

    So I suppose those things like that are signed all the time on the bridge, though I agree you wouldn't something important signed off during a Romulan attack say.
     
  14. F. King Daniel

    F. King Daniel Fleet Admiral Admiral

    Joined:
    Nov 5, 2008
    Location:
    A type 13 planet in it's final stage
    Toupee delivery.
     
  15. The Old Mixer

    The Old Mixer Mih ssim, mih ssim, nam, daed si Xim. Moderator

    Joined:
    Feb 4, 2002
    Location:
    The Old Mixer, Somewhere in Connecticut
    Autographs. He makes quite a bit of money that way.
     
  16. Irishman

    Irishman Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Aug 9, 2004
    Location:
    Charlotte, NC
    ^ This. :P

    Are you kidding? That's ALL it could be. The man literally can't keep it in his pants. He was even tempted by Miri, for cryin' out loud! Go back and watch. You know I'm right. :)
     
  17. Commishsleer

    Commishsleer Commodore Commodore

    Joined:
    Apr 19, 2013
    Location:
    Backwaters of Australia
    Nope he was just humouring her so as not to break her heart while he was getting help from her. He was just being nice.
     
  18. CrazyMatt

    CrazyMatt Fleet Captain Fleet Captain

    Joined:
    Feb 21, 2013
    Location:
    Sitting in Kirk's command chair

    He was not alone...

    [​IMG]
     
  19. Green Shirt

    Green Shirt Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Feb 1, 2005
    Location:
    Here
    This was McCoy having the yeoman slip Decker's resignation of commission in with the other paperwork so he wouldn't notice, a la Radar O'Reilly
     
  20. CoveTom

    CoveTom Rear Admiral Rear Admiral

    Joined:
    Jul 17, 2003
    Location:
    CoveTom
    He LITERALLY can't keep it in his pants? So all those times we saw him wearing pants without his penis hanging out were, what, a Talosian illusion?

    Sorry, the misuse of the word "literally" is a pet peeve of mine... :-)