# A new "Amazing Race" season starts Sunday **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 12, 2010, 2:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708 "2010-02-12T14:57:11Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**Author:** ![Raygun99](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Raygun99](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Raygun99)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 3:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/41 "2010-02-15T15:53:07Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > I’m willing to cut them a little slack on that. If I go to Canada, most places, especially those close to the border, seem to have figured out how to accept American currency. Maybe that was their plan for Chile, that they’d be more accustomed and more likely to accept currency from a close neighbor like Brazil. Unluckily for them, they were in one of the two countries in South America that don’t border Brazil. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 4:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/42 "2010-02-15T16:00:56Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I don’t know - you don’t even have to be an arrogant American to assume that every airport in the world that has incoming flights from the USA will also have a place that lets you convert US currency to local. Sure, but they’re in a race. They were cooling their heels waiting for the flight to leave L.A. If they could change their money then, it might save them a few minutes in Chile and get them out of the airport first. It’s a sound strategy to use any down time to do something that might take up some time later. It might also have been a good idea to find an internet terminal (or better still, some bored traveler who’ll let you surf for free) and look up info on the next destination. It didn’t seem to save them any time getting out of the airport, so I’m wondering if all the teams just kept their American money after they landed. (Memo to myself: if I ever get on the Race, research which countries accept American money and which require the local wampum.) ---
**Author:** ![Frostillicus](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e9bcb4/32.png) [@Frostillicus](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Frostillicus)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 4:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/43 "2010-02-15T16:12:52Z")
> [@](#): > > Steve & Allie (TD: Father/daughter) (holding steady) - My wife thinks that Steve & Allie painting some random dude’s house is just about the most hilarious mistake ever. Other than that, we don’t learn a lot about this team in this episode, so I’m keeping them ranked in the middle. Since they painted the wrong house, the owner obviously did not have a clue to give them when they were done. So how did they know to go to the Pit Stop? ---
**Author:** ![Justin\_Bailey](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/justin_bailey/32/8792_2.png) [@Justin\_Bailey](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Justin_Bailey)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 4:14pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/44 "2010-02-15T16:14:48Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Since they painted the wrong house, the owner obviously did not have a clue to give them when they were done. So how did they know to go to the Pit Stop? Very few teams were actually shown doing the painting. They walked down the street, yelled “There it is!” and then the camera cut directly to them walking up to the Pit Stop. I think this happened to the Father/Daughter, the Lawyer Friends and the Cowboys. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/45 "2010-02-15T16:18:03Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Since they painted the wrong house, the owner obviously did not have a clue to give them when they were done. So how did they know to go to the Pit Stop? After finding out that they painted the wrong place, they must have gone out and found the right one. The Editors seemed to have cut out a lot of action for that task. Good thing they didn’t use up all the paint. Painting the wrong room was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. Imagine you’re a house painter in Valparaíso, Chile, and some random Americans and a camera crew come in and start painting. It’s so spectacularly random that it’s hysterical. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 4:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/46 "2010-02-15T16:19:58Z")
So they did a nice Olympic tie-in with the 1st place prize - a trip to Vancouver. Yet they somehow neglected to edit out that they’d be trying Skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre, where a luge competitor died a few days ago. I think I’d skip that part of the trip. ---
**Author:** ![zut](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/zut/32/2875_2.png) [@zut](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zut)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 4:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/47 "2010-02-15T16:23:42Z")
> [@Frostillicus](#): > > Since they painted the wrong house, the owner obviously did not have a clue to give them when they were done. So how did they know to go to the Pit Stop? Although they weren’t shown actually doing the task, there was a half-second glimpse of them running past other teams who were painting, so they obviously found the correct spot. ---
**Author:** ![muldoonthief](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/muldoonthief/32/3188_2.png) [@muldoonthief](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/muldoonthief)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 4:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/48 "2010-02-15T16:25:42Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Sure, but they’re in a race. They were cooling their heels waiting for the flight to leave L.A. If they could change their money then, it might save them a few minutes in Chile and get them out of the airport first. It’s a sound strategy to use any down time to do something that might take up some time later. It might also have been a good idea to find an internet terminal (or better still, some bored traveler who’ll let you surf for free) and look up info on the next destination. > > It didn’t seem to save them any time getting out of the airport, so I’m wondering if all the teams just kept their American money after they landed. (Memo to myself: if I ever get on the Race, research which countries accept American money and which require the local wampum.) I don’t think there’s **any** country, with the possible exception of some Carribean islands where 80% of their economy is based on US tourists, where you can count on every business taking US cash. I’m not denying that changing cash during downtime before you leave isn’t a good thing to do. I’m just saying that when you find that the cash of the country you want isn’t available, converting to different cash just because the countries are on the same continent is remarkably stupid. It’s a huge risk for very little gain. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 4:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/49 "2010-02-15T16:55:50Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > So they did a nice Olympic tie-in with the 1st place prize - a trip to Vancouver. Yet they somehow neglected to edit out that they’d be trying Skeleton at the Whistler Sliding Centre, where a luge competitor died a few days ago. I think I’d skip that part of the trip. I thought it was strange too, but they probably edited this episode weeks ago, and TPTB never gave it a 2nd thought as the tragedy happened just a couple of days ago. ---
**Author:** ![Robot\_Arm](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/robot_arm/32/18280_2.png) [@Robot\_Arm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Robot_Arm)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/50 "2010-02-15T17:07:09Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I don’t think there’s **any** country, with the possible exception of some Carribean islands where 80% of their economy is based on US tourists, where you can count on every business taking US cash. I’m not denying that changing cash during downtime before you leave isn’t a good thing to do. I’m just saying that when you find that the cash of the country you want isn’t available, converting to different cash just because the countries are on the same continent is remarkably stupid. It’s a huge risk for very little gain. In my box of travel mementos, I probably have some Eastern Caribbean Dollars and Deutschmarks. Yeah, the cowboys screwed up on the details this time, but I like that they were thinking ahead. ---
**Author:** ![jacquilynne](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/67e7ee/32.png) [@jacquilynne](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jacquilynne)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 5:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/51 "2010-02-15T17:50:46Z")
I’m surprised to find Joe and Heidi so highly ranked in the assessments. That couple has ‘massive relationship meltdown’ written all over them. ---
**Author:** ![tsm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tsm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsm)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 6:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/52 "2010-02-15T18:39:21Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > Painting the wrong room was one of the funniest things I’ve seen in a while. Imagine you’re a house painter in Valparaíso, Chile, and some random Americans and a camera crew come in and start painting. It’s so spectacularly random that it’s hysterical. I agree! I laughed out loud at that whole sequence. Loved the subtitles. “It is ugly. They do not know how to paint.” ---
**Author:** ![Algernon](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/a183cd/32.png) [@Algernon](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Algernon)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 7:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/53 "2010-02-15T19:27:32Z")
> [@DrFidelius](#): > > Stupid is entertaining. I’m liking this season so far. So many chances for Fail, and all attributable to the racers themselves. I agree. This leg had virtually no reliance on grabbing a smart and aggressive cabbie. The racers succeeded or failed on their own. Luck was not a factor as it often is. > [@tsm](#): > > I agree! I laughed out loud at that whole sequence. Loved the subtitles. “It is ugly. They do not know how to paint.” And wasn’t there another subtitled statement along the lines of “I don’t know what they are doing here.”? Because of the locals’ response of being nonplussed and simply letting them paint, this was one of the most hilarious mistakes ever. ---
**Author:** ![EllisDee](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ellisdee/32/4531_2.png) [@EllisDee](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/EllisDee)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/54 "2010-02-15T20:17:56Z")
> [@Fenris](#): > > (How do you win on Big Brother anyway? Is it Survivor-esqe where people are voted off? Based on what?) Basic Big Brother gameplay involves dopey physical challenges plus the occasional memory challenge: 1. The week starts with a challenge where everyone competes to be Head of Household. HoH can’t be evicted, and s/he nominates two people for elimination. 2. Couple days later the two nominees, the HoH and three random others compete for Veto. Winner can’t be evicted, and can take down (save) one of the nominees. If they do, HoH must nominate a new second nominee. 3. End of the week everyone but the HoH votes one of the two nominees out. Other than that it’s all reality show cliches, with making alliances and getting paranoid and backstabbing etc.. Next paragraph decribes how Jordan specifically managed to win. Through the first part of the game Jordan and Jeff hung out apart from the group and just snuggled. The second half of the game Jeff turned it on and started smoking everyone in the dopey physical challenges. The only reason he was sent home is because you can’t be HoH twice in a row. Jordan was kept around by everyone else because they figured she was a coattail rider who would guarantee them a win in the final two. However, Jordan stepped it up bigtime and won two legs of the crucial three-part final challenge, meaning she could choose who to bring in the final two. She smartly brought an even bigger coattail rider than she was. With nothing else breaking the tie, the fact that Jordan was sweet and kind and personable clinched the win over the hateful, meanspirited troublemaker with terrible hygiene she brought with her to face the final jury. (Last seven people eliminated.) ---
**Author:** ![tsm](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/db5fbb/32.png) [@tsm](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/tsm)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:23pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/55 "2010-02-15T20:23:34Z")
> [@Algernon](#): > > Because of the locals’ response of being nonplussed and simply letting them paint, this was one of the most hilarious mistakes ever. Yes! That was the best part! You’d think they would have thrown them out but they just let them paint. ---
**Author:** ![Johnny\_Q](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/898d66/32.png) [@Johnny\_Q](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Johnny_Q)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 8:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/56 "2010-02-15T20:50:33Z")
I’m sure much was forgiven when they saw the camera crew. And the rest was forgiven when the producers slipped them a few bucks to pay for the damage. ---
**Author:** ![Polly\_Glot](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/9de053/32.png) [@Polly\_Glot](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Polly_Glot)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 10:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/57 "2010-02-15T22:00:00Z")
I dunno, but I think if some strangers welcomed themselves inside my house and promptly began painting it, I’d bring them a beer at the very least! ---
**Author:** ![RachelChristine](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/7ab992/32.png) [@RachelChristine](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/RachelChristine)\ **Post date:** [February 15, 2010, 10:09pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/58 "2010-02-15T22:09:26Z")
Okay, the painting the house is one of the all-time funniest moments ever, but when one of the blondes said “Danke”, my husband and I about fell out of our chairs! Of all the times these people have spoken their broken Spanish in all the non-Spanish-speaking countries, we get this! Hilarious. ---
**Author:** ![Neidhart](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Neidhart](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Neidhart)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 1:58am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/59 "2010-02-16T01:58:50Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > I don’t think there’s **any** country, with the possible exception of some Carribean islands where 80% of their economy is based on US tourists, where you can count on every business taking US cash. I’m not denying that changing cash during downtime before you leave isn’t a good thing to do. I’m just saying that when you find that the cash of the country you want isn’t available, converting to different cash just because the countries are on the same continent is remarkably stupid. It’s a huge risk for very little gain. The US dollar is the official currency of Ecuador. ---
**Author:** ![TheBoltEater](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/779978/32.png) [@TheBoltEater](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/TheBoltEater)\ **Post date:** [February 16, 2010, 4:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708/60 "2010-02-16T16:54:48Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > In my box of travel mementos, I probably have some Eastern Caribbean Dollars and Deutschmarks. > > Yeah, the cowboys screwed up on the details this time, but I like that they were thinking ahead. Well, if they were _really_ thinking ahead they would’ve exchanged dollars for Brazilian _and_ South African money. Cause, you know, Africa is the next closest continent and it’s pretty much straight East to Cape Town. …Of course, it’s also just about straight West to New Zealand, so they probably should’ve bought Kiwi money too. Or at least Australian money if they couldn’t find any New Zealand Dollars, cause that’s close enough. :smack: [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708.md?page=2) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/a-new-amazing-race-season-starts-sunday/528708.md?page=4)