Speaking of Sci Fi

This is true of Star Wars, and is more justified there, but is true of PLENTY of science fiction.

For instance, Disney's Black Hole, 1979.  Most all the black and white stuff from the 50s

Why does everyone in a space vessel carry a side arm all the time?  Plenty of things on your spaceship do not react well to bullets, to quote a great mariner.  A negligent discharge is probably always damaging, and quite often a critical issue, or even catastrophic.

It's almost ubiquitous in the genre.  Being strapped.  One noticeable place it isn't is Star Trek.  They only seem to arm up if they are going planet side or are internal security.  For safety, certainly.  Makes sense.  Also, Alien.  Might have been handy for the Nostromo to at least have a few shotguns securied in the ship's locker, huh?

"I'll tell you why, T-Bolt.  See that second part?  The part that reads 'Fiction'?  That's why."

Right right, it helps move the narrative in your space story in exciting ways, but still.  And I only came to notice this recently.  Even on a space ships with no real risk of immediate mutiny, or being boarded at any moment by pirates, they drag around the equivalent of a service pistol everywhere but bed.  And if you were gonna be boarded, I'd want that holstered weapon on my space suit, anyway.  Jump into the suit as the bad guys secure the docking collar.  A pistol on my belt INSIDE the suit is sorta useless.