Pre-warp civilizations and first contact

[Laura Cynthia Chambers]

if they suddenly beam, or some other long distance travel method, and show up on a federation planet, then yeah, they would contact them.

That's a novel idea - first contact via alien transporter accident.

 

[at Quark's]

That's a novel idea - first contact via alien transporter accident.

Come to think of it - do alien species/cultures even have transporter accidents in the first place? Or is the Federation secretly the laughing stock of the entire Alpha Quadrant (hah! They act like they're so superior but can't even prevent a transporter accident every other blue monday!)