# Startrek TOS: More Time in Rank, Uhura or Sulu? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [June 10, 2009, 1:20am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284 "2009-06-10T01:20:05Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 5
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/81 "2009-06-12T21:12:12Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > His name is SCOTTY, not Scott. Lt. Cdr. Montgomery Scott Scotty is his nickname. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Carrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/f0a364/32.png) [@Captain\_Carrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Carrot)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/82 "2009-06-12T21:37:42Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Lt. Cdr. Montgomery Scott > Scotty is his nickname. 😉 I know. I was making a small joke. This is the first time I’ve heard anyone refer to him as something other than Scotty. ---
**Author:** ![Rigamarole](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/77aa72/32.png) [@Rigamarole](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rigamarole)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/83 "2009-06-12T21:44:36Z")
> [@Captain\_Carrot](#): > > 😉 I know. I was making a small joke. This is the first time I’ve heard anyone refer to him as something other than Scotty. Spock always calls him Mr. Scott. He would never be so informal as to use nicknames. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/84 "2009-06-12T21:53:10Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Spock always calls him Mr. Scott. He would never be so informal as to use nicknames. In the series, I don’t recall anyone other than Kirk & McCoy calling the chief engineer _Scotty_. Of course part of that may be just protocol; in the first 5 year mission, he outranked Sulu, Chekov, & Uhura enough that they wouldn’t have done so, any more than those three ever called the captain _Jim_. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 9:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/85 "2009-06-12T21:56:02Z")
> [@dzeiger](#): > > I recall an episode with McCoy badgering Kirk about a required physical. If that’s an annual requirement for all crewmen, then that’s averaging a little over one a day, just to add to the medical workload a bit. Yes, but I can’t imagine that being an all-day thing. On the other hand, it must have taken a good chunk out of Kirk’s day, as otherwise he wouldn’t have bitched about it. Of course, Starfleet captains bitch about odd things; Kirk, Picard, & Janeway all had to be tricked into taking shore leave, and Crusher threatened to simply order Picard to take one. _Workaholic_ is probably in the job description. ---
**Author:** ![DSYoungEsq](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/c6cbf5/32.png) [@DSYoungEsq](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/DSYoungEsq)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/86 "2009-06-12T22:04:51Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > In the series, I don’t recall anyone other than Kirk & McCoy calling the chief engineer _Scotty_. Of course part of that may be just protocol; in the first 5 year mission, he outranked Sulu, Chekov, & Uhura enough that they wouldn’t have done so, any more than those three ever called the captain _Jim_. Actually, he only outranked Lt. Uhuru and Lt. Sulu by one grade, whereas Capt. Kirk outranked the Lt. Cmdr’s by two steps, and McCoy, at least (and Spock, in a couple memorable occasions) called him “Jim.” ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/87 "2009-06-12T22:09:30Z")
> [@DSYoungEsq](#): > > Actually, he only outranked Lt. Uhuru and Lt. Sulu by one grade, whereas Capt. Kirk outranked the Lt. Cmdr’s by two steps, and McCoy, at least (and Spock, in a couple memorable occasions) called him “Jim.” Yes, I know. McCoy routinely called the captain _Jim_, unless he wanted to make it absofuckingly clear that this was an official communication from Chief Medical Officer to Commanding Officer (“ **Captain** , you will leave the bridge at this time and get some rest, and that is an order. If you do not comply I will direct Security to remove you physically and take you to the transporter room, where you will be held until we are within transporter range of an amusement park or brothel.”) Spock tended to do it under emotional stress only but was clearly free to do so whenever he liked; I remember him doing so casually at once, in “Bread & Circuses.” Scott called him _Jim_ once that I recall, in “Mirror, Mirror,” when Kirk was about to sacrifice himself to enable Scott, Uhura, & McCoy to get home. Despite the above, I do not actually watch _Star Trek_ all the time; I haven’t seen an episode in years. My brain, however, does not appear to have a Delete button. ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/88 "2009-06-12T22:17:42Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Probably a lot, considering the sort of hijinks the Enterprise is prone to getting itself into. Of course much of the time the redshirts were considerate enough to simply die instead of get injured, rendering medical care unnecessary. But we have to assume while the ship was constantly getting blasted and shaken around, there were many more minor injuries that we never saw. The redshirt death rate was high enough that the Enterprise probably had one doctor engaged full-time in performing autopsies and writing up the required Starfleet paperwork. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/89 "2009-06-12T22:20:12Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > Scott called him _Jim_ once that I recall, in “Mirror, Mirror,” when Kirk was about to sacrifice himself to enable Scott, Uhura, & McCoy to get home. Good memory. I can assure you that this is the only time in which a regular cast member apart from Spock or McCoy referred to the Captain by his nickname. ---
**Author:** ![JThunder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/e95f7d/32.png) [@JThunder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JThunder)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:21pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/90 "2009-06-12T22:21:38Z")
> [@Rigamarole](#): > > Spock always calls him Mr. Scott. He would never be so informal as to use nicknames. There are some exceptions. In the animated series episode _The Lorelei Signal_, Spock distinctly says, “Beam us up, Scotty.” Also, there was one exceptional incident in _The Tholian Web_ wherein he addressed McCoy as “Bones.” ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:29pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/91 "2009-06-12T22:29:14Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The redshirt death rate was high enough that the Enterprise probably had one doctor engaged full-time in performing autopsies and writing up the required Starfleet paperwork. What’s more, it was EXPECTED to be high. In the idols-are-bad episode, “The Apple,” Kirk is excoriating himself for not immediately aborting the mission on Vaal’s planet at the first sign of danger; in talking sense to him, Spock basically says “We’re in freaking Starfleet, man. It IS NOT SAFE. We die all the time.” And clearly it wasn’t much better during Picard’s time, given that filing holographic farewell messages in the event of unexpected violent was the rule, not the exception. One wonders how high Starfleet pay must be to get people to sign up. ---
**Author:** ![Pushkin](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ee59a6/32.png) [@Pushkin](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Pushkin)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 10:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/92 "2009-06-12T22:48:37Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > The redshirt death rate was high enough that the Enterprise probably had one doctor engaged full-time in performing autopsies and **writing up the required Starfleet paperwork**. Which was how hard exactly? Name the planet and then tick box either a) swept up neatly or b) body twisted in agony and had to be shoved into torpedo casing _real_ hard for burial. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 12, 2009, 11:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/93 "2009-06-12T23:32:34Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Which was how hard exactly? At it’s made even easier by miniskirted yeomen wandering around with futuristicky clipboards, so you don’t even have to pull the file. ---
**Author:** ![alphaboi867](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alphaboi867/32/3898_2.png) [@alphaboi867](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/alphaboi867)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 12:47am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/94 "2009-06-13T00:47:18Z")
> [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](#): > > …One wonders how high Starfleet pay must be to get people to sign up. By TNG there is no pay; everyone works to “better themselves”. :rolleyes: ---
**Author:** ![Kent\_Clark](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kent_clark/32/105_2.png) [@Kent\_Clark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kent_Clark)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 1:31am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/95 "2009-06-13T01:31:44Z")
> [@Pushkin](#): > > Which was how hard exactly? Name the planet and then tick box either a) swept up neatly or b) body twisted in agony and had to be shoved into torpedo casing _real_ hard for burial. Sure, it SOUNDS easy. Until you get to the “Cause of death” box. Salt sucked out of body, red blood cells sucked out of body, killed by previously unknown poisonous plant, drank milk poisoned by crazy daughter of Kodos the Executioner, tripped over a “highly unstable” rock, turned into a dododecahedron then crushed by the Kelvins… It wasn’t writing reports that was so time consuming, it was responding to Starfleet’s “What the hell are you talking about?” inquiries. ---
**Author:** ![Bryan\_Ekers](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/bryan_ekers/32/183_2.png) [@Bryan\_Ekers](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Bryan_Ekers)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 1:52am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/96 "2009-06-13T01:52:43Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Sure, it SOUNDS easy. Until you get to the “Cause of death” box. Salt sucked out of body, red blood cells sucked out of body, killed by previously unknown poisonous plant, drank milk poisoned by crazy daughter of Kodos the Executioner, tripped over a “highly unstable” rock, turned into a dododecahedron then crushed by the Kelvins… “Beamed down to planet we weren’t orbiting anymore” (“And the Children Shall Lead”) must’ve been particularly hard for Kirk to explain away. I mean, geez…! ---
**Author:** ![Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/7cd45c/32.png) [@Elendil\_s\_Heir](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Elendil_s_Heir)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 3:21am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/97 "2009-06-13T03:21:48Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > “Beamed down to planet we weren’t orbiting anymore” (“And the Children Shall Lead”) must’ve been particularly hard for Kirk to explain away. I mean, geez…! Tell me about it. Probably the only Starfleet report in history to be headed by a smilie: :smack: ---
**Author:** ![Malacandra](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/45deac/32.png) [@Malacandra](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Malacandra)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 8:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/98 "2009-06-13T08:51:56Z")
> [@kunilou](#): > > Sure, it SOUNDS easy. Until you get to the “Cause of death” box. Salt sucked out of body, red blood cells sucked out of body, killed by previously unknown poisonous plant, drank milk poisoned by crazy daughter of Kodos the Executioner, tripped over a “highly unstable” rock, turned into a dododecahedron then crushed by the Kelvins… > > It wasn’t writing reports that was so time consuming, it was responding to Starfleet’s “What the hell are you talking about?” inquiries. Lt Kevin Riley survived that one, though. Nasty case of tetralubisol poisoning, but he was up and about in time to try to summarily execute Kodos in the dramatic climax. ---
**Author:** ![Kamino\_Neko](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/kamino_neko/32/34_2.png) [@Kamino\_Neko](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Kamino_Neko)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 10:53am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/99 "2009-06-13T10:53:39Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > “Beamed down to planet we weren’t orbiting anymore” (“And the Children Shall Lead”) must’ve been particularly hard for Kirk to explain away. I mean, geez…! On the other hand, it does guarantee that those crewmen would be remembered FOREVER. ---
**Author:** ![Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/ecccb3/32.png) [@Skald\_the\_Rhymer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Skald_the_Rhymer)\ **Post date:** [June 13, 2009, 4:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284/100 "2009-06-13T16:42:31Z")
> [@Bryan\_Ekers](#): > > At it’s made even easier by miniskirted yeomen wandering around with futuristicky clipboards, so you don’t even have to pull the file. A) All female crew were the mini-skirts. Fortunately obesity has been cured by the 23rd century. B) Hot female crew get killed too. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284.md?page=4) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/startrek-tos-more-time-in-rank-uhura-or-sulu/499284.md?page=6)