Plot Believability: Transporting Important Items

Ok, a main scene in something i'm working on is a heist:

Setting: a space colony (domed city on "some rock in space")

Genre: SF

Scenario: There are 5 truck transporting items to a wealthier part of the city. Food, meds, scientific gear, tech, etc. Hot stuff. Instead of taking the more direct route through the city, they opt to take a longer route through narrow side streets at night hoping to avoid the problems that the trucks in broad daylight on a busy road might cause.
Only thing is, my MC (and a few other people) intercepted the message and now know where these trucks are going to be and when. narrow streets mean the trucks are limited in where they can go, so the trucks are easily blocked and then robbed.

Additional info: its pretty much lawless slums outside of the wealthier inner ring of the city.

Question(s): is it believable that these trucks would take this indirect route or stupid? Is it logical that they would have more protection or would a police/military escort bring them more attention?

 

It does seem a little odd that they would go out of their way to drive through a known dangerous part of town, but it might make sense if their hands are forced. Like, if the other roads are down, and this is the only diverted route that can get them where they need to go.

 

Hm, with no other context, I would say it might seem a little bit forced in the sense that they're choosing a more difficult and risky path than necessary in hopes that stealth will help avoid a robbery attempt. This would reasonably only make sense if they fully expect such an attempt and they're not confident to thwart it with sheer force alone, which might seem oddly insecure from what I interpret to be the ruling elite of this society. Furthermore, if an attack on the transport is expected in the first place, it severely hampers the effectiveness of taking the less safe and direct route. Like, if you suspect the secrecy of the operation to be compromised from the start you'd probably just throw more manpower and firepower into defending it.

Additionally, is this all necessary for what you're trying to achieve, in terms of plot? Like, does it make a difference if the MC's manage to rob the transport either way? Why do you need to the transport to go through the slums?

While maybe a little bit cliché these days, perhaps this is a situation where you'd want the good old bait-and-switch tactic of sending a false transport through the more public and visible route as a diversion while the real one is sent covertly through the riskier route? The former might have more manpower devoted to security while the later is protected by fewer but way more elite troops, very hardcore mercenaries or something like that? Might be a good opportunity to introduce interesting antagonists. And just the fact that the MCs find out about this might be a plot point, if for example only a limited number of people knew about this move so it puts their informant at risk, or something like that?

 

For me it's not very believable.

If it is a caravan of trucks, they will probably gather more eyes and attention than if they sent the trucks one and one. And as such it would probably be a good idea to send along an escort.

How often do normal trucks pass on the main road? How do these trucks distinguish themselves from normal trucks, or do they? If I was the one sending the trucks, I would either send them one and one through the normal route, or if I had the resources, send them with added protection.

 

The setting is in the slums.
my main MC makes a living scavenging, trading, and selling. He makes it a point to say he's not a thief.
the 2nd MC is a close friend of his that his family takes in. he cares a lot about her (in a platonic sort of way). She doesnt come with him on his ventures, but she is the one who intercepts the message and she is the one who essentially forces his hand in attempting to steal the cargo with her. (technically, they didnt steal it... they waited for the anti-government faction to rob the trucks, and then my MCs steal from them and things kind of go wrong). but the main point im trying to achieve is putting my MCs at odds by her reckless behavior that has now put them all in danger.

the transport has to go through the slums anyway to get to the wealthier part. the wealthier part of the city is surrounded by the slums. there is a main road that leads into the wealthier part (which is heavily guarded). its just, do they go the more direct route or a less direct route

 

The question that leaps out to me is why not use the main streets at night? You’ve still got the cover of darkness, they should be otherwise deserted because of the time, and you’re less vulnerable than you would be cutting through narrow side ones. So there needs to be some reason that isn’t an option if you want to use this route.

 

Funneling a convoy down a less direct route through narrow streets where the vehicles lack maneuverability and are vulnerable to attack... The scenario feels contrived. If the supply trucks are traveling at night anyway, why wouldn't there be less traffic on the main road, making it the logical route?

Perhaps anti-government forces could cause chaos on the main road and force the convey to take the back roads to get essential supplies to the city center. Perhaps thick smog leads to a massive hundred car pile up on the main route. Any number of route-blocking possibilities exist.

 

Thanks! These are all helpful!

I've reworked a few things in the story with the feedback to make it more believable.

there are already opposing forces (one of which as introduced earlier in the story trying to mobilize people in a a demonstration, and asked my MC to get them a ton of gunpowder), and already a lot of skepticism on my main MC's part ("ever think they wanted you to hear that message so they can gather up all the people stupid enough to show up?").

I also like Fervidor's suggestion of a decoy convoy (which adds to my MC's skepticism: "what if these are the decoy trucks and the one on the main road are the real ones?"). And Catriona's suggestion about causing chaos on the main road to force the convoy to take the back road (earlier in the story, my MC walks through a group of protesters, and then one of his clients asks him to look into getting them a ton of gunpowder). I already have the pieces right there, so I'm going to build on that and turn it into a reason they detour.

 

not necessarily. New York, Chicago, LA, Las Vegas.... there are cities that dont become deserted at night. at least, parts of the city

 

Sure, but this may apply just as much to some of the side streets, especially since the sleepless districts of “cities that never sleep” are often the wealthiest ones. Could run into some serious issues near the end of the route.

A lot will hinge on your worldbuilding. Stuff like whether the domed city is populous enough for constant congestion (especially around the destination), what the possible routes are like, how valuable the goods are (which influences whether they’re in regular trucks or armored cars or even if the elites are willing to shut down arterial streets to ensure they arrive safely), etc.

 

Late to the party (as always lol), but as others have said, it may be illogical for them to take a more dangerous, confined route, unless they had to.

I've heard stories from friends and their families who were truck drivers about having to do pretty much the same thing. Known bad roads/areas are avoided like the plague unless they have no other choice. Or perhaps you could add in a subplot that the truck drivers (or their bosses/decision makers) purposely took the more dangerous route because they were incentivized to do so with a big kickback or protection or some other sweet deal that they traded their cargo for.