I blame Star Trek for unreasonable requests

Sometimes people ask us if we can do something faster than we had estimated, or to amend something quickly and for free. They’re often frustrated if we say that we definitely can’t do it, and I think I know why.

The following scenario (or one like it) will be familiar to most of you:

(The Starship Enterprise…somewhere in deep space, and currently in even deeper trouble)

“Scottie, I need more power…we need to go faster”

“I cannae do it Captain, the engines cannae take it”

“I just need a little bit more Scottie, the Klingons are right up our (arse)…you can do it”

And Scottie invariably does.

Or

“Scottie, how long will it take to repair the Warp drive?”

“It’s looking pretty bad down here Captain, we need 2 days at least. I’ve got de-couple the engine coils from the tubular bells, and wire up the ancillary power outlets…”

“You’ve got 4 hours Scottie…that’s all the time we have before the X-On 9 explodes”

And Scottie does it in 3.

In almost every episode Captain Kirk would ask for ‘more’ and always get it, and people often expect the same.