Why I sign off with, "Fly carefully."

Yes, we’ve all done really stupid things in New Eden (nod to Rixx Javix.) I thought I’d confessed mine before, but I guess not. My stupendous blunder happened on my 1st birthday as a capsuleer – to the day. It went like this:

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Gamelog
Listener: Mabrick
Session started: 2009.03.22 00:12:11
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[ 2009.03.22 00:14:25 ] (None) Undocking from Jufvitte IV – Federal Defence Union Logistic Support to Jufvitte solar system.
[ 2009.03.22 00:14:39 ] (notify) Warping to Stargate (Ouelletta)
[ 2009.03.22 00:15:56 ] (question) The destination system is 0.4 security status. This is extremely dangerous and Concord police can not guarantee your safety there. Do you want to proceed?

Second mistake – I ignored the warning

[ 2009.03.22 00:15:59 ] (None) Jumping to Stargate (Jufvitte) in Ouelletta solarsystem
[ 2009.03.22 00:16:20 ] (notify) Warping to Ouelletta V – Moon 5 – Federal Navy Academy School prior to making docking attempt
[ 2009.03.22 00:17:12 ] (notify) Requested to dock at Ouelletta V – Moon 5 – Federal Navy Academy School station
[ 2009.03.22 00:17:12 ] (notify) Setting course to docking perimeter
[ 2009.03.22 00:17:25 ] (notify) Requested to dock at Ouelletta V – Moon 5 – Federal Navy Academy School station
[ 2009.03.22 00:17:25 ] (notify) Your docking request has been accepted. Your ship will be towed into station.
[ 2009.03.22 00:18:28 ] (notify) The training queue has not been uploaded yet
[ 2009.03.22 00:23:48 ] (None) Undocking from Ouelletta V – Moon 5 – Federal Navy Academy School to
[ 2009.03.22 00:23:59 ] (notify) Warping to Stargate (Jufvitte)
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:02 ] (notify) Sir Quentin: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:03 ] (combat) Sir Quentin [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 184 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:03 ] (notify) Petout: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:04 ] (notify) Sir Quentin [.YARR](Broadsword) has started trying to warp scramble you!
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:04 ] (combat) Petout [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 134 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:05 ] (notify) Petout [.YARR](Broadsword) has started trying to warp scramble you!
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:05 ] (combat) Sir Quentin [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 185 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:06 ] (combat) Petout [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 138 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:06 ] (notify) Thor75: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:07 ] (combat) Thor75 [.YARR](Thorax) hits you for 243 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:08 ] (notify) Thor75 [.YARR](Thorax) has started trying to warp scramble you!
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:08 ] (combat) Sir Quentin [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 179 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:09 ] (combat) Thor75 [.YARR](Thorax) hits you for 222 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:09 ] (combat) Petout [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 148 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:10 ] (combat) Sir Quentin [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 205 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:11 ] (combat) Thor75 [.YARR](Thorax) hits you for 193 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:12 ] (combat) Petout [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 322 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:13 ] (combat) Thor75 [.YARR](Thorax) hits you for 416 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:13 ] (combat) Sir Quentin [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 399 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:13 ] (notify) Spoon3r: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:14 ] (combat) Petout [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 518 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:14 ] (notify) Petout: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:14 ] (notify) Sir Quentin: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:15 ] (combat) Spoon3r (Scourge Fury Heavy Missile) hits you for 1474

Third mistake – I hesitated to warp my pod out.

[ 2009.03.22 00:24:28 ] (notify) Spoon3r [.YARR](Drake) has started trying to warp scramble you!
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:28 ] (notify) Sir Quentin [.YARR](Broadsword) has started trying to warp scramble you!
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:30 ] (notify) Petout [.YARR](Broadsword) has started trying to warp scramble you!
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:31 ] (notify) Thor75 [.YARR](Thorax) has started trying to warp scramble you!
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:34 ] (combat) Petout [.YARR](Broadsword) hits you for 266 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:34 ] (notify) Petout: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:34 ] (notify) Spoon3r: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:34 ] (notify) Thor75: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:34 ] (notify) Sir Quentin: You have foolishly engaged in criminal activity within sight of sentry guns and must suffer the consequences.
[ 2009.03.22 00:24:36 ] (combat) Spoon3r (Scourge Fury Heavy Missile) hits you for 165 damage
[ 2009.03.22 00:35:20 ] (question) Do you authorize payment for the change of clone type selected? The payment required is 1,340,000.00 ISK.

The last thing I remember hearing before opening my eyes in a clone vat was,

[ 2009.03.22 00:24:31 ] Sir Quentin > happy bday you are 1 year old

The vertigo of having my essence yanked several systems away and integrated into a new pile of meat made me nauseous. Almost as nauseous as having my first ship shot out from around me.

What? I forgot something? Oh, right! You want to know what my FIRST mistake was. Does this kill mail help answer that question?

2009.03.22 00:24:00
Victim: Mabrick
Corp: Center for Advanced Studies
Alliance: NONE
Faction: NONE
Destroyed: Hulk
System: Ouelletta
Security: 0.4
Damage Taken: 2535
Involved parties:
Name: Spoon3r (laid the final blow)
Security: -8.9
Corp: Back to Yarrr
Alliance: SCUM.
Faction: NONE
Ship: Drake
Weapon: Scourge Fury Heavy Missile
Damage Done: 1473
Name: Sir Quentin
Security: -9.9
Corp: Back to Yarrr
Alliance: SCUM.
Faction: NONE
Ship: Broadsword
Weapon: 220mm Vulcan AutoCannon II
Damage Done: 548
Name: Petout
Security: -8.4
Corp: Back to Yarrr
Alliance: SCUM.
Faction: NONE
Ship: Broadsword
Weapon: Warp Disruption Field Generator I
Damage Done: 272
Name: Thor75
Security: -8.7
Corp: Back to Yarrr
Alliance: SCUM.
Faction: NONE
Ship: Thorax
Weapon: Heavy Electron Blaster II
Damage Done: 242
Destroyed items:
Omber Mining Crystal II
Expanded Cargohold II, Qty: 2
Scordite Mining Crystal II, Qty: 6 (Cargo)
Veldspar Mining Crystal II, Qty: 2 (Cargo)
Plagioclase Mining Crystal II (Cargo)
Shield Recharger II
Modulated Strip Miner II, Qty: 2
Hammerhead I, Qty: 5 (Cargo)
Dropped items:
Omber Mining Crystal II, Qty: 2
Scordite Mining Crystal II (Cargo)
Magnetic Scattering Amplifier II
Survey Scanner II
Heat Dissipation Amplifier II
Veldspar Mining Crystal II (Cargo)
Plagioclase Mining Crystal II, Qty: 2 (Cargo)
Modulated Strip Miner II

Yeah, I was running courier missions into low-sec in a Hulk. Color me stupid, but it was the largest cargo hold I had at the time and the best tank (sad but true.) Still, it took me a month to earn enough ISK to buy a replacement. Fortunately, I always have a backup ship. My old Covetor was still in the hanger. Heck, it still is, if for no other reason than to remind me to not be stupid. 

It was a very expensive lesson. It drove home the mantra, “Don’t fly it unless you can afford to lose it.” Those words echo in my pod to this day. If there are any rookies reading this post, especially carebear rookies, understand that this mantra refers to much more than just the value of the ship. 

It took a month of my TIME – to replace a ship I had no business taking into low-sec – no matter how often I’d made the run safely. During that time, I had no increased mining profits the ship could have made me. Those days I spent 4 to 5 hours a day mining. That’s a lot of lost revenue. In addition, I could not use the 130 mil ISK I had to spend to replace the ship on other profit making enterprises. Who knows how much I could have made from the 130 mil. It certainly would have been more than the nothing I ended up with.

Yes, it was a very expensive blunder due to imprudent actions. I didn’t think. I didn’t consider the full ramifications of my actions and not just in the immediate future but long term. That’s why I now sign off with the best advice I can give a rookie carebear.

Fly carefully.