# Amazing Race 12/2/2012 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [December 3, 2012, 2:32am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814 "2012-12-03T02:32:41Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 15\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [December 3, 2012, 10:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/41 "2012-12-03T22:51:26Z")
Well, it’s not like cuffs and collars take a lot of room to pack. Plus, selling tasks are pretty common on the race, so it was a good bet they’d get used. ---
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [December 3, 2012, 11:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/42 "2012-12-03T23:51:21Z")
> [@zut](#): > > Well, it’s not like cuffs and collars take a lot of room to pack. Plus, selling tasks are pretty common on the race, so it was a good bet they’d get used. Those boys are just…pleasant to look at. Especially Jaymes. ---
**Author:** ![StGermain](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/stgermain/32/2868_2.png) [@StGermain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StGermain)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 12:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/43 "2012-12-04T00:12:41Z")
> [@lorene](#): > > Those boys are just…pleasant to look at. Especially Jaymes. You know which is which? That’s impressive. StG ---
**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:** [December 4, 2012, 12:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/44 "2012-12-04T00:15:48Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Does anyone know what the deal was with the greeter? Some famous Spanish comedian? A little-known Barcelona tradition of headless people? Someone in the Spanish witness protection program? I was wondering if that might come into play later. The final leg sometimes has a task that tests recalling things from earlier in the Race. Maybe they’ll have to identify her voice (sounded like a woman) out of a hundred people, or something. > [@obfusciatrist](#): > > Personally, I like the twins but then I like their attitude of never taking anything particularly seriously and being able to call each other names and not hurt the others feelings. They have leapt in to every task so far. I think their weakness is competence rather than attitude. Driving a stick shift or turning a wrench aren’t all that difficult, but really caught up with them on this leg. > [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > Sheesh. How those goat farmers managed to survive this long is beyond me. At the start of the episode, they had the benefit of a bunching point caused by the ferry schedule. They still managed to come in last at Los Diablos; from the editing, it seemed like they were well behind all the other teams. Then they chose exactly the wrong person to do the tennis challenge. Here’s a hint: when you are at a tennis court, with people playing tennis, at the home of one of the greatest tennis players in the world, the challenge will probably involve _playing tennis_. Their cab took them to the wrong place. Instead of the cathedral (or whatever it was), it looked like they went to a hotel with the same name. They’re not the best racers, but that was bad luck that they didn’t deserve. > [@randwill](#): > > I noted that the teams don’t seem to be seeing each other between legs. My impression, based on footage shown in past years, was that the teams were all in the same hotel, dining and socializing between legs. But since they were unaware who had been eliminated in the leg previous to tonight’s, apparently they are now sequestered from each other except when on the leg itself. It may be a matter of scheduling rather than deliberate sequestration. If I only had 12 hours between legs, I’d wash some clothes and hang them to dry, eat, and go to bed. If another team was a few hours behind, I’d be asleep before they checked in, and they’d still be asleep when I left. Speaking of which, how far behind were the Farmers at the start of this leg. I think the Twins flew to Barcelona in the afternoon, spent the night somewhere, and were at the ferry terminal before the Farmers even got started. Massive bunching point, though; seems like the lead teams cooled their heels for a full 24 hours. And hasn’t the cheetah caught that damn rabbit yet? ---
**Author:** ![CarnalK](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/carnalk/32/486_2.png) [@CarnalK](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/CarnalK)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 2:15am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/45 "2012-12-04T02:15:15Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > Does anyone know what the deal was with the greeter? Some famous Spanish comedian? A little-known Barcelona tradition of headless people? Someone in the Spanish witness protection program? Barcelona has a lot of quite fancy “statue” buskers - that’s what it looked like to me. Do a Google image search of “Barcelona buskers” and you’ll see the headless person fits right in. ---
**Author:** ![Red\_Barchetta](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/r/da6949/32.png) [@Red\_Barchetta](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Red_Barchetta)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 3:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/46 "2012-12-04T03:07:24Z")
Surprised no one else has mentioned the 2 very visible cameramen. They didn’t even attempt to hide them in that scene. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/47 "2012-12-04T05:03:38Z")
did we ever find out how Abba broke his legs? ---
**Author:** ![D-bear](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/aeb1de/32.png) [@D-bear](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/D-bear)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 7:03am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/48 "2012-12-04T07:03:25Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > did we ever find out how Abba broke his legs? The twins did it… ---
**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:** [December 4, 2012, 11:27am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/49 "2012-12-04T11:27:50Z")
> [@adhemar](#): > > did we ever find out how Abba broke his legs? According to the show recap, [“Abba hurt his knee as he stepped into raw sewage on the side of the road”](http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/episodes/193438) while doing the “rat patrol” Fast Forward back in Bangladesh. As I recall, that mishap occured slightly off-camera (James and Abba were on the other side of some sort of vehicle from the cameraman), so we couldn’t see exactly what happened. I suspect he may have tripped and fallen awkardly. ---
**Author:** ![Shoeless](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/shoeless/32/7099_2.png) [@Shoeless](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shoeless)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 12:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/50 "2012-12-04T12:54:04Z")
From memory, the twins left around 2:30am, Trey and Lexi about two and a half or three hours later, goat farmers around 9:30. They were pretty far behind, so yeah not much time to mingle with the other teams. ---
**Author:** ![Dr\_Doom](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Dr\_Doom](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Dr_Doom)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 4:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/51 "2012-12-04T16:57:46Z")
Watching, or, rather, listening to Tall Goat Farmer try to “play” tennis was pretty damned annoying. At least Monica Seles sounded like she had some kind of fortitude, unlike the over-dramatic trying hard to be audible whimpering of Goat Boy. It’s not like any of them had to run around to return those balls; it seemed as though about 33% of the serves were aimed right to the racer. The machine was pounding them so hard, also, that all they needed do was to have a semi-decent aim and allow the ball to hit their racquet. They really didn’t have to swing at those serves. If those goat farmers make the Final Three, I will be surprised. Or not. Twinnies had a horrible leg, but they’ve been so consistently solid, compared to Goatboyz, who have been consistently lucky, inept, and whiny. ---
**Author:** ![Saint\_Cad](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saint_cad/32/18907_2.png) [@Saint\_Cad](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saint_Cad)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:16pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/52 "2012-12-04T17:16:00Z")
Before Twinny 1 even mentioned it, I commented to Mrs Cad that Twinny 2 looked like she was trying to drive the leg side ball for four. She didn’t get it. Tennis club I would assume I’d be playing tennis but goat farmers (justifiably) assume they need to sit in the umpire’s seat as someone else hits the balls. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 5:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/53 "2012-12-04T17:24:36Z")
> [@Lamar\_Mundane](#): > > I’m disappointed that nobody thought to tilt at the windmills after getting the clue from Don Quixote. :smack: I just now see the connection. ---
**Author:** ![adhemar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3da27b/32.png) [@adhemar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/adhemar)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 6:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/54 "2012-12-04T18:17:56Z")
> [@zut](#): > > According to the show recap, [“Abba hurt his knee as he stepped into raw sewage on the side of the road”](http://www.cbs.com/shows/amazing_race/episodes/193438) while doing the “rat patrol” Fast Forward back in Bangladesh. As I recall, that mishap occured slightly off-camera (James and Abba were on the other side of some sort of vehicle from the cameraman), so we couldn’t see exactly what happened. I suspect he may have tripped and fallen awkardly. that would have to be a heck of a fall to break both of his legs. ---
**Author:** ![Saltire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/saltire/32/553_2.png) [@Saltire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Saltire)\ **Post date:** [December 4, 2012, 9:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814/55 "2012-12-04T21:40:27Z")
Weird kind of synchronicity from this leg for me. I’m reading an alternate history adventure novel (1635: The Papal Stakes), that involves some people trying to rescue friends who were being held prisoner by Spaniards in the 17th century. They follow them to Mallorca (where they make a point of noticing how the island is covered with windmills) and have to break them out of Castell de Bellver (the pitstop). The twins don’t usually strike me as lazy, but they apparently knew that driving a stick could make or break them, then hardly tried to prepare. They should have both learned how, and kept practicing until they were actually proficient. Instead they wimped out. Can hardly believe that it didn’t come up until this late in the race. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/amazing-race-12-2-2012/642814.md?page=2)