# Why do AT-ATs trip so easily? **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 8, 2004, 8:45pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264 "2004-10-08T20:45:24Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![KidCharlemagne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/k/ed8c4c/32.png) [@KidCharlemagne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/KidCharlemagne)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/41 "2004-10-12T17:28:48Z")
I suppose I’m the only one whose gonna mistake the thread title for wondering why Ace/Ten and Ace/Ten suited make a set on the flop “so easily?” ---
**Author:** ![msmith537](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/d9b06d/32.png) [@msmith537](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/msmith537)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/42 "2004-10-12T17:34:00Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Oh come on. It’s not just a tow cable, it’s a tow cable that’s been mounted onto a swiveling gun on the rear of the speeder and is considered so important, it’s got a person manning it. The rear gunner doesn’t have any other weapons, except a tow cable gun. I think the rear gunner also has a blaster. At least it does in Star Wars: Battlefront which is a LucasArts game so I assume it has his seal of approval. > [@Ross](#): > > Personally I was just chuffed to find out it WAS armour, because being only seven or eight I’d only just realised the stormtroopers weren’t robots. Well you got your fill of robots now in Episodes I-III! ---
**Author:** ![JSexton](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/96bed5/32.png) [@JSexton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JSexton)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 8:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/43 "2004-10-12T20:12:15Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Oh come on. It’s not just a tow cable, it’s a tow cable that’s been mounted onto a swiveling gun on the rear of the speeder and is considered so important, it’s got a person manning it. The rear gunner doesn’t have any other weapons, except a tow cable gun. Poor rear gunner. He has no job. The pilot flies, navigates, and fires the main guns. The rear gunner has a pop gun on a rope that would be pointless is they were up against reasonably designed tanks. And he doesn’t even got to have control over his little popgun. Listen to the dialog when they they that tactic: “Cable out…Let her go!” “Detach cable!” “Cable detached!” The pilot had to give the order to the rear gunner when to fire, when to reel it out, and when to cut off the cable. Threepio could have done the job better. ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 8:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/44 "2004-10-12T20:31:10Z")
> [@msmith537](#): > > I think the rear gunner also has a blaster. At least it does in Star Wars: Battlefront which is a LucasArts game so I assume it has his seal of approval. Because Lucas has been so consistent with his canon. 🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 8:35pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/45 "2004-10-12T20:35:32Z")
One other thing that buigs. On the battle of Endor, the Eqoks construct two logs to swing pendulum-like and hit a walker in the head, crushing it. I dunno, but it seems to bme that although they woudl certainly do damage they wouldn’t crack the hul’ like an egg. There would be damage, but I would have thought they were more solid than that. ---
**Author:** ![Jayrot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/3ec8ea/32.png) [@Jayrot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Jayrot)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 8:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/46 "2004-10-12T20:41:00Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > One other thing that buigs. On the battle of Endor, the Eqoks construct two logs to swing pendulum-like and hit a walker in the head, crushing it. I dunno, but it seems to bme that although they woudl certainly do damage they wouldn’t crack the hul’ like an egg. There would be damage, but I would have thought they were more solid than that. You also, perhaps, would have thought that a stormtrooper couldn’t be neutralized with rocks and sticks…what with that tough armor and all. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 8:42pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/47 "2004-10-12T20:42:14Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > One other thing that buigs. On the battle of Endor, the Eqoks construct two logs to swing pendulum-like and hit a walker in the head, crushing it. I dunno, but it seems to bme that although they woudl certainly do damage they wouldn’t crack the hul’ like an egg. There would be damage, but I would have thought they were more solid than that. You know, you’re right. If that kind of force was applied to a modern tank like the Abrams it certainly wouldn’t crack. I know the AT-ST isn’t the heaviest vehicle out there, but it has to be tougher than an early 21st century tank. ---
**Author:** ![Gangster\_Octopus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/g/a8b319/32.png) [@Gangster\_Octopus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Gangster_Octopus)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 8:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/48 "2004-10-12T20:55:27Z")
You know, you would think after the 100th time I post without previewing, and therefore expose myself to the humiliation of numerous typos I would learn to preview. But no. ---
**Author:** ![Miller](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/miller/32/481_2.png) [@Miller](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Miller)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 8:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/49 "2004-10-12T20:56:29Z")
> [@Gangster Octopus](#): > > One other thing that buigs. On the battle of Endor, the Eqoks construct two logs to swing pendulum-like and hit a walker in the head, crushing it. I dunno, but it seems to bme that although they woudl certainly do damage they wouldn’t crack the hul’ like an egg. There would be damage, but I would have thought they were more solid than that. Yeah, sure, if they were normal trees. But those are… um… space trees! That’s it! Space trees with an abnormally high density and mass! What always bugged me about that scene was, how the hell do a pack of three foot high teddy bears cut down all those trees? And then position the logs by hanging then from trees and such, without any sort of machinery? Without the Imperials finding out? And in only about twenty minutes after Han and the rebels get captured? ---
**Author:** ![Neurotik](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/91b2a8/32.png) [@Neurotik](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neurotik)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 9:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/50 "2004-10-12T21:00:41Z")
> [@Miller](#): > > What always bugged me about that scene was, how the hell do a pack of three foot high teddy bears cut down all those trees? And then position the logs by hanging then from trees and such, without any sort of machinery? Without the Imperials finding out? And in only about twenty minutes after Han and the rebels get captured? I think they rigged it up before the rebels went off to the base. And they probably figured out pulleys and such. I mean, they live in huge treehouse cities way up in the air. ---
**Author:** ![Captain\_Amazing](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/6de8d8/32.png) [@Captain\_Amazing](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Captain_Amazing)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 9:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/51 "2004-10-12T21:16:36Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Oh come on. It’s not just a tow cable, it’s a tow cable that’s been mounted onto a swiveling gun on the rear of the speeder and is considered so important, it’s got a person manning it. The rear gunner doesn’t have any other weapons, except a tow cable gun. Well, duh. They’re really harpoons to hunt ice-whales. ---
**Author:** ![blowero](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/41988e/32.png) [@blowero](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/blowero)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 9:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/52 "2004-10-12T21:18:02Z")
Why wouldn’t the coyote be dead after he slammed into a cliff face on rocket-powered roller skates? ---
**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:** [October 12, 2004, 9:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/53 "2004-10-12T21:22:06Z")
> [@blowero](#): > > Why wouldn’t the coyote be dead after he slammed into a cliff face on rocket-powered roller skates? ACME Health Insurance. ---
**Author:** ![Mr.Miskatonic](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/mr.miskatonic/32/310_2.png) [@Mr.Miskatonic](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Mr.Miskatonic)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 9:30pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/54 "2004-10-12T21:30:11Z")
> [@Neurotik](#): > > Oh come on. It’s not just a tow cable, it’s a tow cable that’s been mounted onto a swiveling gun on the rear of the speeder and is considered so important, it’s got a person manning it. The rear gunner doesn’t have any other weapons, except a tow cable gun. I just saw this last night and it sure looked like the gunner had a weapon. I could be wrong. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 9:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/55 "2004-10-12T21:43:42Z")
> [@Alessan](#): > > You know, you’re right. If that kind of force was applied to a modern tank like the Abrams it certainly wouldn’t crack. I know the AT-ST isn’t the heaviest vehicle out there, but it has to be tougher than an early 21st century tank. I’m not debating that silliness of the AT-ST being squashed by a pair of trees, but I’m not so certain that a tank wouldn’t be mashed flat. With a few back-of-the-envelope calculations and assumptions (6’x30’ perfectly cylindrical\* logs of the same density as red oak, 14.8 lbs per board-foot), we can determine that each log would end up weighing about 150,000 lbs. Swing two of them on pendulums so that they meet on either side of an A1 Abrams at precisely the same time, and I doubt the tank would survive. - 'Cause it becomes a front-of-the-modeling-tool calculation if you don’t assume a perfect cylinder. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 9:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/56 "2004-10-12T21:47:40Z")
> [@Captain Amazing](#): > > Well, duh. They’re really harpoons to hunt ice-whales. We’re whalers on the moon! We carry our Harpoons! But there ain’t no whales, so we tell tall tales and sing a happy tune. ---
**Author:** ![Padeye](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/a9a28c/32.png) [@Padeye](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Padeye)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 9:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/57 "2004-10-12T21:53:41Z")
I think it was said best on the old Brunching Shuttlecocks website; “These walkers can take anything you throw at them… except wood.” Overanalyzing Star Wars is like dissecting a frog. You can learn a lot but the frog dies in the process. ---
**Author:** ![HPL](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/h/3da27b/32.png) [@HPL](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/HPL)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 10:22pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/58 "2004-10-12T22:22:46Z")
> [@Cerowyn](#): > > I’m not debating that silliness of the AT-ST being squashed by a pair of trees, but I’m not so certain that a tank wouldn’t be mashed flat. With a few back-of-the-envelope calculations and assumptions (6’x30’ perfectly cylindrical\* logs of the same density as red oak, 14.8 lbs per board-foot), we can determine that each log would end up weighing about 150,000 lbs. Swing two of them on pendulums so that they meet on either side of an A1 Abrams at precisely the same time, and I doubt the tank would survive. > > - 'Cause it becomes a front-of-the-modeling-tool calculation if you don’t assume a perfect cylinder. Those damn teddybears are amazing lumberjacks, being able to cut down and make traps out of 150,000 lb trees in a matter of hours. ---
**Author:** ![Alessan](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alessan/32/465_2.png) [@Alessan](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Alessan)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 10:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/59 "2004-10-12T22:33:35Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Those damn teddybears are amazing lumberjacks, being able to cut down and make traps out of 150,000 lb trees in a matter of hours. Thy’re OK. Sleep all night, work all day. ---
**Author:** ![Cerowyn](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/82dd89/32.png) [@Cerowyn](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cerowyn)\ **Post date:** [October 12, 2004, 11:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264/60 "2004-10-12T23:11:26Z")
> [@HPL](#): > > Those damn teddybears are amazing lumberjacks, being able to cut down and make traps out of 150,000 lb trees in a matter of hours. There’s nothing in the movie that says that they came up with the traps in those few hours. Given that the Empire had been there for some time, they might well have taken weeks or months to construct them, but never had the opportunity to use them until the AT-ST was drawn away from the base in the chaos of the Rebel assault\*. On the other hand, the image of dozens of ewoks frantically sawing away at mammoth tree-trunks, sawdust flying, is pretty damn funny. 😃 - Now you know where the game name came from\*\*. \*\* And no, that wasn’t put there solely for the rhyming opportunity. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/why-do-at-ats-trip-so-easily/268264.md?page=4)