Fatal flaw in the transportation rings design?

[JonSnowShoveler]

Alright, I think I know where the issues come from. So let say SG-1 come to visit the Tok'ra. They're on the surface and activate the ring platform. In the Tok'ra tunnels some Tok'ra are on their way to another part of the underground complex and have to pass through that hallway. On their way through, the rings suddenly come out of the ceiling and crush the guy before he can react.

He had no way of knowing when a person would be coming in and SG-1 would have no idea if there was a person underneath. And because the rings are situated in a busy hallways, it's now more likely that a person would get crushed in such a way.
No warning label could possibly prevent this.

I can rest easy, now that someone gets it. What you described is exactly the situation in the clip I linked, except the people walking through the ring zone happened to get through just before SG-1 came down. They were seconds from death.

[DarkenLycht]

Maybe they just like the thrill of knowing they could be killed if they cross? Or maybe they think if someone wants to use them, they will say when they are going to do that, and everyone going through there at that time does at own risk

[DigiFluid]

If you walk into the road without looking to make sure it's safe, you could get hit by a car and die. You know that the road is there, you know that things travel on it much too quickly to stop suddenly, and so you know that you have to be cautious before walking across it, because you could get killed if you're not. That doesn't make it a fatal flaw in road design, it just means that being careless or stupid can get you killed.

(Out-of-universe/in real life: 100% likeliness that the episode's director just thought that the shot was the most interesting take.)

[StargateMillennium]

If you walk into the road without looking to make sure it's safe, you could get hit by a car and die. You know that the road is there, you know that things travel on it much too quickly to stop suddenly, and so you know that you have to be cautious before walking across it, because you could get killed if you're not. That doesn't make it a fatal flaw in road design, it just means that being careless or stupid can get you killed.

The issue with your example is that you can look both ways before crossing the road. You have a large window of opportunity to make sure everything is safe before crossing. Plus, you actually have a way to make sure it is safe. There is no way to know if there is someone on the surface who is just about to use the rings. The only way to know is that noise and light that it makes as the rings descend and then there is only a 1 second delay before the first ring reaches the bottom so less than a second for the ring to potentially smash you atop the skull.

[JonSnowShoveler]

The issue with your example is that you can look both ways before crossing the road. You have a large window of opportunity to make sure everything is safe before crossing. Plus, you actually have a way to make sure it is safe. There is no way to know if there is someone on the surface who is just about to use the rings. The only way to know is that noise and light that it makes as the rings descend and then there is only a 1 second delay before the first ring reaches the bottom so less than a second for the ring to potentially smash you atop the skull.

What he said ^. Glad I'm not the only one in this thread using logic. Less effort for me. Just for the sake of contribution though, I'll add to that.

Cars have lights, they make sound. You can generally hear sound and see light from a distance. There's a chance you are talking about a bend in the road and maybe there is too much noise already present to know if there's anything coming. In that case, consider that the vehicle approaching is being driven by another human, who has the ability to maneuver it out of the way. The crossing person goes left, the car goes right. The person driving the car can slow down, increasing their odds of successful evasion of the crossing person and the crossing person can sprint to avoid potential collision.

No, I will not deny the fact that it could still all go very wrong. The car could slide out of control, run over the crossing person and slam into a tree and catch fire. Everyone on the scene could die a horrific death. Yes, that is how risk works.

Compare the window of reaction time in this car scenario to that of the transportation rings. Please explain how it's the same situation.

I'm very confused as to why some of you believe that only stupid people are ever in any danger. It's pretty insulting, ignorant, and shortsighted.

[edgarcorny]

Hi,

First, the Tok'ra had their surface rings hidden in the sand. Anyone crossing the area when the rings came up could be skewered and riding the top of a ring.

Second, Look at how many dumb people race trains to the railroad crossing when they should know a freight train can not stop on a dime as they can with their car.

Third, I would hypothesize that there are markings and knowledge of the rings in the Tok'ra tunnels.

Fourth, At the same time, look at the SGC elevators. Looks good right? Notice that it sells quite well until you happen to see the floor - no metal joint markings where the elevator shaft to elevator cage is.

Fifth, look closely at some characters in space suits. The first recall of this was on Firefly/Serenity. The have great looking gloves and helmets and suit up for space walks. On a couple (not all) scenes in space, they have proper space boots. When they went to the Reaver ship (2nd or 3rd episode) the helmet was sealed and unless you blinked, there is one shot of these great space suits with cuffed trousers and the actors wearing sneakers (IIRC).

Sometimes implying what is there and let the other's mind fill in the expected details are used.

FWIW

Doug vV