due to a recent run-in with the authorities concerning a reconditioned train, we are interested in the decriminalization and registration of a small number of these vessels for junker use. these vessels are not a threat to the commerce of liberty as they are not able to interdict shipments with a cruise disruptor (and who could think of such a thing, anyway?) after paying a registration fee and receiving rights to dock at liberty stations, these transport can and will be used to further the prosperity of libertonian citizens via shipment of lawful cargo. here is our proposal for the registration procedure:
[collectors] vessel's position within a debris field is announced to authorities
authorities meet the vessel and accompany it to an authorized station of your choice
pilot of the vessel pays an $18,786,999 registration fee to authorities (open to negotiation)
after receiving clearance, vessel is added to an exception list and is clear to dock within liberty space
Transmission; Start
Identification: Commodore Christina Robinson
Location: New York system, Planet Manhattan, Fort Bragg
Encryption: Secure
Carlos Ortiz;
Regardless of your good intentions, the law is clear. There are no exceptions. Whereas the Pirate Transport is a very common transport used for piracy, the Pirate Train is far more easily employed as the smuggler's ship of choice. This is due to its generous cargo hold, capable defensive capacity, thick armour and surprisingly small size. In addition, it is readily available as a ship, and was found to be employed primarily in a smuggling capacity before it became illegal itself.
At first, this might seem silly, as smuggling was already illegal, so you could argue that the ship being illegal or not wouldn't matter. However, we can only catch smugglers in the act; this law gives us a way to counteract efficient smuggling within the house by totally removing the ability of unscrupulous individuals to deceive the authorities.
As with every blanket measure, there are innocent victims, but such measures help to better protect those who would otherwise be exposed to slavery, narcotics and other vile practices. I'd say that was a price worth paying, and I hope you would too.
we do not find this comparison fair-- the proposal was to permit a handful of specific callsigns to use reconditioned trains. i agree that permitting everyone and their mother to use these quasilegal ships freely would, as you said, cause huge problems for the good citizenry of liberty. a small number of known, law-abiding vessels licensed and registered to use the ship would certainly not create any problems, as you can count on us not to smuggle (or suffer severe consequences.)
you also assume that smugglers only use this train. in my days as a junker i have seen many smugglers operating all sorts of vessels-- mammoths, borderworld transports, and occasionally even storks and mastodons with forged paperwork! i suppose it would be best to ban all of these vessels too?
we can of course increase the registration fee to cover the background check for pilots to receive licenses if that would assuage the problem . . .
Transmission; Start
Identification: Commodore Christina Robinson
Location: New York system, Planet Manhattan, Fort Bragg
Encryption: Secure
Carlos Ortiz;
Each of those ships you mention as substitute smuggling ships lacks at least one of the characteristics of the Pirate Train. You're not the only one to have seen interesting combinations of ship and cargo. Using the examples you gave, the Mammoth lacks a large cargo hold or high armour rating, the Borderworlds Transport also lacks the resilience to weather an attack, and neither the Stork nor the Mastodon can adequately defend themselves alone. In fact, the reason the Pilgrim Liner wasn't banned in the same way as the Pirate Train is because, although it presents a very large battery of weapons to any attacker, it is both very large and somewhat lacking in cargo-space.
In short, the Pirate Train presented the perfect balance for the enterprising smuggler, something which no other transport ship enjoys. Of course, when the ship was made illegal, it was expected that the smuggler population would displace itself into using other vessels to continue their activities. However, each of these vessels has a significant flaw when used for smuggling, making it easier for us to catch them, or the penalty less when we unfortunately do not. The only thing the law did here was to introduce a significant flaw to the use of the Pirate Train in Liberty, the flaw being that it gets you shot.
The reason for the denial is as much to do with the often-criticised bureaucracy present in Liberty as it is to do with upholding the law as it currently stands. Memorising every exception to every law can be a process that leaves a once-enthusiastic patriot crestfallen, and besides that, creates even more potential loopholes ripe for exploitation. A small number of ships obtaining waivers from parts of the law begets more requests and cries of "why them and not us?!" In some cases, exceptions are unavoidable, but they are extremely rare even when they are possible.
As for your offer to increase the so-called registration fee, that is impossible as the chances of anybody gaining an exception to this particular law are zero.
okay, your reasons are now clear to us and we fully understand why you've said what you've said. let's try something different. here are some additional caveats which you may enjoy.
let us register our trains and we will bring you an amount of free scrap and raw materials for producing that which helps interdict smugglers, whatever that may be.
for every registered train, we will catch and turn in 1 smuggler a week, complete with photos of identification, vessel, and illegal cargo.
