Right, I totally see what you're saying. Thing is, there's now other stuff that serves the same purpose, e.g.:
You want to smuggle something. But, you want to keep the risks (and reputation penalties) low, so you need to go in with the transponder off. So, you try to do that, but a patrol spots you and goes after you. They tell you to turn your transponder on, and once you comply, they run a cargo scan and confiscate any contraband that's found.
It's basically the same feel - and I'd say a good deal more dynamic, as there's gameplay and ability use involved in trying to duck a patrol, and they choices you get along the way are more important - but it's a lot less complex. That's really the issue with inspections as they are, really complicated for what they do. That, and random.