Incredible inconsistency in "Concerning Flight"

[Shatnertage]

Well, I'm being a little melodramatic in the title, but bear with me.

After the aliens transport Voyager's stuff, including the computer core, Paris says, "It feels like we just got mugged."

How would he know what it feels like to get mugged? I thought the Federation was a post-scarcity utopia where they didn't have money, much less wallets or criminals.

It really stood out for me because I think that even now "mug" in the meaning of being robbed on the street is passing out of American English. I remember hearing the word a lot in the 1980s, but don't remember the last time I saw it in print or heard it in conversation.

I guess you could rationalize that Paris, as a student of the 1950s, used archaic slang, but then why would he expect anyone to understand him?




Also, if anyone here goes into television production, a humble word of advice. If you've got a heavyset actor, and he's wearing a long white beard...don't dress him in red. Ever.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

I guess you could rationalize that Paris, as a student of the 1950s, used archaic slang, but then why would he expect anyone to understand him?.

Remember that he's serving with several former Maquis. I suspect they know what it's like to be mugged having dealt with Cardassians so often.

--Sran

 

[Crazyewok]

Ditto what Sran said.

You got remember as well he was a outlaw. He most likley had been to the border worlds of the Federation that are not so fine and dandy.

We only really know that earth is a "Upotia" Other members of the federation could be a little less pleasent.

 

[Shatnertage]

So when they're doing their Maquis thing they're going around carrying wallets and other personal possessions that people could mug them of? Obviously, there's still violence in this period, but would it really be the kind of urban crime that we call mugging?

 

[Crazyewok]

So when they're doing their Maquis thing they're going around carrying wallets and other personal possessions that people could mug them of? Obviously, there's still violence in this period, but would it really be the kind of urban crime that we call mugging?

If your on some forgotton border coloney full of ferangi and other less than pleasent people then yes it would fit.

 

[Gov Kodos]

Post scarcity is a load of crap. If your fleet connected or a politico life is great, that we see, we don't get to see much else though.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

So when they're doing their Maquis thing they're going around carrying wallets and other personal possessions that people could mug them of? Obviously, there's still violence in this period, but would it really be the kind of urban crime that we call mugging?

It might. Recall that Nog was arrested in "Emissary" because he was involved in the theft of several items.

--Sran

 

[Lonemagpie]

Inconsistency is Voyager's middle name

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^Bad writing.

--Sran

 

[Brit]

I think you can imagine what being mugged might feel like so long as you understood the word, being right or wrong in that assumption could be a problem because a lot of people imagine what it feels like to be stabbed and they usually get that wrong too. So Paris being familiar with twentieth century idiom probably knows the word well enough to use it. I don't know if anyone else would actually understand it or not, it really doesn't make a lot of difference, you can say a lot of things in the heat of the moment.

I've always thought of Trek as using some kind of evolved English and the dialogue we hear is a simple translation of that evolved English and in light of that understanding mugged would not be a inconsistency but rather a translation of another 24th century slang word.

 

[F. King Daniel]

How would he know what it feels like to get mugged? I thought the Federation was a post- scarcity utopia where they didn't have money, much less wallets or criminals.

I can't believe that anyone would happily choose to volunteer as a waiter in Daddy Sisko's resteraunt, or as the guy in the background vacuuming Starfleet Academy in Wrath of Khan. There must be some kind of compensation for doing these things. And if there is, there is something worth stealing.

Plus, Trip and Malcolm were mugged on Risa in ENT: "Two Days and Two Nights". No one said anything about Earth.

 

[R. Star]

"Hey let's knock over those Federation bums with their high tech medkits, tricorders and comm badges!"

 

[Guy Gardener]

Quark almost mugged Harry in the pilot.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

How would he know what it feels like to get mugged? I thought the Federation was a post- scarcity utopia where they didn't have money, much less wallets or criminals.

I can't believe that anyone would happily choose to volunteer as a waiter in Daddy Sisko's resteraunt, or as the guy in the background vacuuming Starfleet Academy in Wrath of Khan. There must be some kind of compensation for doing these things. And if there is, there is something worth stealing.

I'd guess people who work at Joseph Sisko's restaurant get free food whenever they want. Yum!

Plus, Trip and Malcolm were mugged on Risa in ENT: "Two Days and Two Nights". No one said anything about Earth.

Different time period, but your point is well taken.

--Sran

 

[Shatnertage]

So even after humanity can master FTL travel, they won't be able to stamp out street crime. So much for Roddenberry's optimistic future.

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

So even after humanity can master FTL travel, they won't be able to stamp out street crime. So much for Roddenberry's optimistic future.

Unfortunately no. The ability to travel faster than light will merely give people more places in which to commit their crimes. Remember that the amount of chaos in the universe is always increasing. Crime breeds chaos.

--Sran

 

[Crazyewok]

Roddenberry's optimistic future.

It is aload of class A crap.

Yes there not likely any pettycrime on Earth.And if it is it will be rare and far between.

But can you really expect the same on some border world? Or from other alien species that do not share Human values?

 

[Captain Clark Terrell]

^Exactly right. Sisko's speech about this very subject in "The Maquis" was spot-on. It's easy to behave oneself when living in a society that's well-established and can provide for its people. But that's not going to be the case on a newly colonized planet. There will be crime, from petty theft to murder. Improved technology is small comfort in the face of fear and desperation, feelings that drive people to do rash things.

--Sran

 

[TEACAKE'S PLEATHER DOME]

So even after humanity can master FTL travel, they won't be able to stamp out street crime. So much for Roddenberry's optimistic future.

The whole schtick about mankind evolving past crime is like some cultural revolution propaganda. People being fed by the system like Picard have it on repeat, and they seem to believe that by saying it it becomes a truth and any variance from that is a failure and aberration on the part of mankind.

As to the waiters etc.. perhaps you need to put in the hard yakka as a pleb in any area you are wanting to achieve in. Planning on being a chef? Learn how to interact with customers and what their irritations and wants are via waiting tables.

 

[Shatnertage]

Actually, given that the worst punishment we've seen in VOY for crime seems to be an all-expenses paid vacation in New Zealand, I'm surprised the crime isn't a lot higher.

I know they didn't want to put it in Siberia because the Federation can't have gulags, but I think they could have come up with someplace worse than New Zealand for their penal colony. Not much of a deterrent, really.