Explain it to me like I was six

[sbk1234]

That seat belt was stupid. And way too self aware. There's no reasons to have seatbealts on a starship. Collisions that knock them out of the seat are the rarest exception ever.

I don't know, I've seen them thrown from their seats pretty damn often, especially on TOS and TNG.

The Motion Picture had already introduced these to keep you in your seat in case it gets a little rough:

http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/tmphd/tmphd0812.jpg
http://movies.trekcore.com/gallery/albums/tmphd/tmphd0830.jpg

Makes a lot more sense to me and isn't as silly as a seatbelt.

Star Trek 3's Excelsior had them too.

 

[Shon T'Hara]

I think it's quite obvious that Starfleet can't afford seatbelts. They can't even afford seats for the entire bridge crew.

 

[Trekker4747]

I would think wrapping every seat in a forcefield would be fairly energy-intensive and increase the possibility of a disruption.

As goofy as they would look, given the number of times we've seen people thrown from their seats, seat belts would seem sensible. Of course, if you've got your belt on you can't be thrown clear of the Exploding Console of Doom! Tough choice...

Technically they do wrap every person on the ship in a force field. It's called the Inertial Dampening System. Which "wraps everyone in a field" that negate inertia. People get bounced around on occasion when the ship quickly shifts from one position/direction to another faster than the IDF can compensate. But considering the ship goes from 0 to 1500 times the speed of light instantly and stops just as fast I don't think seatbelts are necessary that one time every couple months or so they get jarred a bit. Consider that the movies, and shows where this action takes place, represents just minutes or days out of years long expeditions!

So, yeah. Needing seatbelts is pretty damn stupid.

 

[Anji]

Not to mention shooting a scene where they would lose gravity would require moving the entire set and renting a zero gravity facility to shoot it in.

Not worth the money for the effect.

 

[JarodRussell]

[...]and renting a zero gravity facility to shoot it in.

lol

 

[Xavier_Storma]

It's supposed to be a manually operated steering column. How much more advanced could it possibly get? It's GOING to look like a joystick.

Funnily enough, when George Kirk flew his ship with a joystick in the 2009 movie, it spectacularly failed to look like a gaming device and managed to look like military hardware (and something from a pseudo-1960s military to boot!)...

Simplicity was key to that.

Timo Saloniemi

Well, but then again the nuEnterprise had industrial scanners on the bridge, which we use in hospital for blood bottles...

 

[RAMA]

No, don't be THAT sarcastic, but I truly don't get the problem so many have with the joystick from Insurrection. Someone, let me know why it failed.

Actually there is no problem with the joystick...they use joysticks on 100,000 ton cruise ships and 400,000 ton tankers in RL. The most ridiculous criticism ever leveled at ST:Insurrection.

Situated between the officer's chairs is the ship's wheel. It can be moved up and down to adjust to the
height of the helmsman. However, the primary control for the ship are joy sticks located on the console near
the officers’ positions.

http://www.beyondships.com/CrownPrincess-NewPrincess.html

RAMA

 

[RyuRoots]

No, don't be THAT sarcastic, but I truly don't get the problem so many have with the joystick from Insurrection. Someone, let me know why it failed.

Actually there is no problem with the joystick...they use joysticks on 100,000 ton cruise ships and 400,000 ton tankers in RL. The most ridiculous criticism ever leveled at ST:Insurrection.

Situated between the officer's chairs is the ship's wheel. It can be moved up and down to adjust to the
height of the helmsman. However, the primary control for the ship are joy sticks located on the console near
the officers’ positions.

http://www.beyondships.com/CrownPrincess-NewPrincess.html

RAMA

Well, that's fine and dandy. But the Enterprise isn't a cruise ship or a tanker, or a contemporary seagoing vessel of any sort. We've seen how it, and every other ship in Star Trek controls before Insurrection, and none of them ever needed a joystick. If the Defaint didn't need one with all of its tight maneuvering, then the Enterprise-E certainly doesn't.

 

[Timo]

The E-E didn't, either. Except after the seeming loss of the helm console.

The Kelvin apparently wasn't flown by the skipper fondling his joystick in normal conditions, either. But when the only person on the bridge capable of steering was the one sitting in the center chair, then it would make sense to provide him with a simple and compact backup control system.

On the E-D, Picard had those flip-up or solid handrest consoles that might have served the function when needed. On the E-E, a different choice was made. And my main complaint there is that Riker had to stand up to operate the 'stick. What's the point in that?

Timo Saloniemi

 

[T'Girl]

and every other ship in Star Trek controls before Insurrection, and none of them ever needed a joystick. If the Defaint didn't need one with all of its tight maneuvering, then the Enterprise-E certainly doesn't.

Thirty-one years ago Sulu's console was equipped with a bloody throttle of all things, and I believe the delta flyer had manual control for the pilot.

 

[DonIago]

To be fair, the Delta Flyer didn't -need- those controls...Paris put them in specifically, and they were redundant I believe.

 

[Peach Wookiee]

Yeah, Tom Paris was just having a bit of fun.