# The Amazing Race 10/9/2011: "Don't Lay Down On Me Now (Indonesia)" **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 9, 2011, 11:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125 "2011-10-09T23:38:49Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**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:** [October 10, 2011, 2:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/21 "2011-10-10T14:36:28Z")
I thought it was really interesting that the two teams that had taxi problems (Jeremy and Sandy: breakdown, and Amani and Marcus: incompetent driver) actually had that work to their advantage in the end, because just about everyone else had to go back and settle up with their cab driver before heading for the mat. In the bicycle challenge at the beginning, when Ernie and Cindy lost a pedal, my wife and I were both wondering if the producers had randomly sabotaged one bike just to make it interesting. ---
**Author:** ![JuliaSqueezer](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/82dd89/32.png) [@JuliaSqueezer](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/JuliaSqueezer)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 2:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/22 "2011-10-10T14:47:55Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > Also, the one Showgirl who was eliminated tonight mentioned that she was a “single mom” at least 3 or 4 different times just this one episode; Does she feel that she should get some sort of award (or that Phil was going to give her a Non Elimination For Life Pass) for such a rare and noble distinction? I noticed that, too and immediately thought of a classic one-liner from Judge Judy to a litigant who repeatedly mentioned the “I’m a single mom” mantra: “I don’t care if you’re a single mom. I don’t care if you’re a **double** mom…” ---
**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:** [October 10, 2011, 3:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/23 "2011-10-10T15:31:12Z")
> [@twickster](#): > > Seriously, that was my biggest WTF moment of the show – even more so than that they so completely misplayed _having been given the exact answer to the task_ – why the hell didn’t they just go back and shove in some more grass? Well, considering they’d have to lug their mostly-full bags back to the grass pile, they were essentially starting the task over from scratch. And now they knew what the task entailed, so they probably figured the other option would be quicker. On the beware-of-any-challenge-involving-animals principle, I would have chosen the rice task from the get go. I think the teams that did that finished faster than went to the grass-and-sheep task. ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 3:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/24 "2011-10-10T15:36:41Z")
I think Single Mom was speaking in code. She was trying to say “I’d hoped to stay in longer, because I’m a Single Mom AND I REALLY NEED THE MONEY”, but nobody talks about prize money for non-winners. I was confused by the taxi kerfuffle. Why was it so important for the contestants to find their taxis again? The bicycle task was completely worthless. No effort, no strategy, as long as you could avoid driving into a ditch and require a helicopter airlift out. And it doesn’t really count as an animal task if you can lift your animal and carry it to the destination. 🙂 Although sheep are surprisingly mellow about that, apparently. ---
**Author:** ![twickster](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/t/ec9cab/32.png) [@twickster](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/twickster)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 3:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/25 "2011-10-10T15:47:48Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I was confused by the taxi kerfuffle. Why was it so important for the contestants to find their taxis again? They hadn’t paid them and/or had left their bags with them. ---
**Author:** ![jayjay](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/jayjay/32/6765_2.png) [@jayjay](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jayjay)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 4:07pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/26 "2011-10-10T16:07:06Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I was confused by the taxi kerfuffle. Why was it so important for the contestants to find their taxis again? Like **twickster** said, they didn’t know that the Pit Stop was actually on the grounds when they got there, so they didn’t release their drivers, which meant that when they did find out that the Pit Stop was right there, they had to go settle up and get their bags, since they absolutely can’t check in with a taxi fare outstanding (which almost knocked Uchenna & Joyce out of the win back in their season). ---
**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:** [October 10, 2011, 4:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/27 "2011-10-10T16:44:10Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > I thought it was really interesting that the two teams that had taxi problems (Jeremy and Sandy: breakdown, and Amani and Marcus: incompetent driver) actually had that work to their advantage in the end, because just about everyone else had to go back and settle up with their cab driver before heading for the mat. The advantage might carry over. Everybody gave away their money at the orphanage, so they’ve only got the money from this leg. The teams that didn’t pay their taxis to wait for them are probably carrying over more money to the next leg. ---
**Author:** ![MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/c0e974/32.png) [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/MPB_in_Salt_Lake)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:25pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/28 "2011-10-10T17:25:51Z")
> [@jsc1953](#): > > I think Single Mom was speaking in code. She was trying to say “I’d hoped to stay in longer, because I’m a Single Mom AND I REALLY NEED THE MONEY”, but nobody talks about prize money for non-winners… There is no doubt she was constantly mentioning that she was a single mom in order to try and elicit sympathy, as if suddenly the rules of the Race would magically change for her and she would be instantly whisked to the finish line in a glorious Single Mother Matter Transporter…:rolleyes: Also, IS there actually any prize money for non-winners? (I had never heard about that, thinking that the opportunity to travel on CBS’s dime would be incentive enough for most people to want on the show) ---
**Author:** ![jsc1953](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/5daacb/32.png) [@jsc1953](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jsc1953)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:36pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/29 "2011-10-10T17:36:58Z")
> [@MPB\_in\_Salt\_Lake](#): > > There is no doubt she was constantly mentioning that she was a single mom in order to try and elicit sympathy, as if suddenly the rules of the Race would magically change for her and she would be instantly whisked to the finish line in a glorious Single Mother Matter Transporter…:rolleyes: > > Also, IS there actually any prize money for non-winners? (I had never heard about that, thinking that the opportunity to travel on CBS’s dime would be incentive enough for most people to want on the show) One of the nice things about TAR is that the team’s personality and relationships with other teams does not make a helluva lot of difference. So: so what if there’s a Surivor contestant team, or if a contestant is pleading for sympathy? Doesn’t cut much ice, as we have seen. This ain’t Survivor or Big Brother. Yes, there is prize money for non-winners, although it drops off steeply (but [the source](http://www.tarflies.com/article.php?_f=detail&id=29#et4) for this info is a few years old) ---
**Author:** ![Sweetums](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/5f8ce5/32.png) [@Sweetums](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Sweetums)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 5:47pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/30 "2011-10-10T17:47:10Z")
When I heard the “I’m a single mom” thing from the showgirl, I remarked that she was going to get eliminated in this leg. Like a guy in a war movie who shows a picture of his fiance, when a racer suddenly starts talking about their home life, and how hard it is, you know they’re a goner!🙂 ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 10, 2011, 7:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/31 "2011-10-10T19:20:45Z")
I’ve been to Yogyakarta and Borobudur. The temple is quite impressively large. It’s also set some distance away from the parking area. It’s just a short hike, though; football wife shouldn’t have gotten winded getting to the clue guy, unless she’s _seriously_ out of shape. Clue guy wasn’t even at the top of temple, just at the first or second level. There are also a hell of a lot more Buddha statues than what they counted. When you get to the top, there are dozens more. (According to Wikipedia, there are 504 Buddhas in all.) They must have just been counting the statues on a single level. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2011, 12:29am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/32 "2011-10-11T00:29:57Z")
The blurb on the program listings for this ep says that one team is stranded in Indonesia after a medical emergency. Did anyone see that? StG ---
**Author:** ![Suburban\_Plankton](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/suburban_plankton/32/219_2.png) [@Suburban\_Plankton](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Suburban_Plankton)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:51am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/33 "2011-10-11T00:51:26Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > The blurb on the program listings for this ep says that one team is stranded in Indonesia after a medical emergency. Did anyone see that? > > StG I was just about to post the same thing; the episode description on our DVR said the same thing. Based on the way Cathi kept falling over during the Detour, I were betting on ‘broken femur’, but nothing ever happened. Perhaps it’s foreshadowing for next week? ---
**Author:** ![panamajack](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/47e85d/32.png) [@panamajack](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/panamajack)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 5:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/34 "2011-10-11T05:34:40Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > I’ve been to Yogyakarta and Borobudur. The temple is quite impressively large. It’s also set some distance away from the parking area. It’s just a short hike, though; football wife shouldn’t have gotten winded getting to the clue guy, unless she’s _seriously_ out of shape. Clue guy wasn’t even at the top of temple, just at the first or second level. There are also a hell of a lot more Buddha statues than what they counted. When you get to the top, there are dozens more. (According to Wikipedia, there are 504 Buddhas in all.) They must have just been counting the statues on a single level. Just wondering - how recently did you go? I was curious if they just require all visitors to wear sarongs now, or it was just something TAR did - it seemed everyone there that day had them on. That wasn’t so back when I visited about 4 years ago. My sister went a couple years back and they didn’t do it then either (she actually had lunch at the restaurant they showed). I’m also wondering how much has been repaired. I know that several headless and otherwise broken buddha statutes near the lower level were prominent when I went; they didn’t show them and I doubt they had to count them. All in all, I didn’t much care for this episode aside from the restaurant task - that was one where “300 rice plants” sounds like a lot but it was probably quite a long walk to the sheep pen. ---
**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:** [October 11, 2011, 12:28pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/35 "2011-10-11T12:28:19Z")
> [@StGermain](#): > > The blurb on the program listings for this ep says that one team is stranded in Indonesia after a medical emergency. Did anyone see that? > > StG My DVR blurb says “A mechanical catastrophe leaves one team stranded in Indonesia as they watch their competition race by”, presumably referring to the broken bike pedal. ---
**Author:** ![Terminus\_Est](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/terminus_est/32/3087_2.png) [@Terminus\_Est](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Terminus_Est)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 12:40pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/36 "2011-10-11T12:40:40Z")
> [@panamajack](#): > > Just wondering - how recently did you go? I was curious if they just require all visitors to wear sarongs now, or it was just something TAR did - it seemed everyone there that day had them on. That wasn’t so back when I visited about 4 years ago. My sister went a couple years back and they didn’t do it then either (she actually had lunch at the restaurant they showed). > > I’m also wondering how much has been repaired. I know that several headless and otherwise broken buddha statutes near the lower level were prominent when I went; they didn’t show them and I doubt they had to count them. > > All in all, I didn’t much care for this episode aside from the restaurant task - that was one where “300 rice plants” sounds like a lot but it was probably quite a long walk to the sheep pen. Definitely no sarongs when I went, more than a decade ago. It does look like they require everyone to wear them now. The thing about planting rice is that, not only do you have to wade in the mud, but you also have bend all the way down to do it. Not very easy if you’re not used to it. I’m sure that the producers were hope for some juicy footage of a team melting down, but the animals were more interesting in the end. ---
**Author:** ![Flutterby](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/6f9a4e/32.png) [@Flutterby](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Flutterby)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 1:08pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/37 "2011-10-11T13:08:55Z")
According to Phil’s twitter feed on Sunday night (he’s been live tweeting along with the eastern airing this season) the sarongs are issued by the government and must be worn by all tourists. Everyone in the background also had them on from what I could tell. ---
**Author:** ![fiddlesticks](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/fiddlesticks/32/18129_2.png) [@fiddlesticks](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/fiddlesticks)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/38 "2011-10-11T16:05:53Z")
> [@muldoonthief](#): > > My DVR blurb says “A mechanical catastrophe leaves one team stranded in Indonesia as they watch their competition race by”, presumably referring to the broken bike pedal. Huh…I could have sworn my program guide said “medical” too. I was thinking maybe the description got mixed up with a future episode when no one got hurt or sick (didn’t want to post about it because it might be spoilery if it truly was a mix up). ---
**Author:** ![Rebo](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/rebo/32/13005_2.png) [@Rebo](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Rebo)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/39 "2011-10-11T16:11:31Z")
> [@tumbleddown](#): > > The Rickshaw Assessment for “Don’t Lay Down On Me Now” > > **Ox Status: Broken** > > - Philiminated with an extreme eyebrowing > > [ul] > [li]\*\*\*Kaylani & Lisa \*\*\*\*- \*Done in by too much time finding their taxi and getting back to Phil. It was clearly very close between 7th, 8th and 9th place, and they were the unlucky ones, having run as competitively through the leg as the rest of the bottom of the pack. Really tough way to go out. Props to Phil for his kind words to Kaylani at the mat, as well.[/li][li]\ ***Ron & Bill** \*and _ **Ethan & Jenna** _[/li][/ul] > **Unrolling Hay Bales in Sweden** > > - they’re trying but they’re just not getting it > > [ul] > [li]\*\*\*Liz & Marie \*\*\*- They were majorly hampered at the Roadblock despite working in a group with three other teams, and then did far too much fiddling around with their taxi nearly cost them the race. They’ve got to think harder and move faster if they want to last through another leg.[/li][/ul] > \*\*Duct Taping the Bumper > \*\*- things don’t look good, but they _may_ eke out some improvement > > [ul] > [li]_ **Amani & Marcus** _ - They had bad luck with a taxi, but also made a near-fatal decision to switch tasks at the Detour rather than simply gathering more grass, and were hampered, as predicted, by Amani’s lack of conditioning. Saved only because they weren’t in the taxi hijinks, they’ve clearly got a major disadvantage in any upcoming speed tasks or races to the mat.[/li][/ul] > **Andale, s’il vous plait, xie xie!** > > - some bumbling and fumbling, but not terribly at risk _yet_ > > [ul] > [li]\ ***Justin & Jennifer** - \*Their sibling squabbling seems to have been put aside this leg, and it served them well, as they moved ahead. They’re still middle of the pack, but they showed on this leg that they can gain ground when they work together.[/li][li]\ ***Ernie & Cindy** \*- They’re not getting better, but they’re not getting appreciably worse, either. That’s about all there is to say about their performance this leg. Having the Express Pass in their back pocket means that they can’t be counted out, though.[/li][li]_ **Bill & Cathi** _- They seem to have some forward momentum after their disastrous race start, and Bill, to his credit, was one of the few who did the Buddha challenge on his own steam. Despite Cathi’s inability to stay on her feet at the Detour, had they dealt with their bags & taxi earlier they’d have had a top-half-of-the-pack finish.[/li][/ul] > **Our Driver is Awesome!** > > - ahead of the pack, for now > > [ul] > [li]\*\*\*Jeremy & Sandy \*\*- \*They keep working smart with very little drama. They caught a good break this leg, ironically, from a broken down taxi. It pays to never assume that the worst is the worst. If they keep their heads together and race, they’ll contend for top of the heap.[/li][/ul] > **Carried all the Heavy Stuff & Ate All the Cheese** > > - nothing can stop them but themselves > [ul] > [li]\*\*\*Laurence & Zac \*\*\*- Despite a 15 minute penalty (these sorts of things used to be 30 minutes, didn’t they?) they showed all of the traits of winning Racers this leg: teamwork, patience, perseverance and positivity. They’ve just got to be more careful with reading their clues.[/li][li]\*\*\*Andy & Tommy \*\*\*- They maintained their front of the pack status, even had they come second it would’ve been just by a matter of moments. Like Laurence & Zac, they’re racing smart but they’re also racing strategically – see: giving info to Amani & Marcus. They’ve also got the goods physically; thus far it’s hard to imagine what could stand in their way in future legs.[/li][/ul] > > Props to zut, Mullinator, the Taxi Assessment, the Raj Rating and all recappers who came before! Thanks for the Rickshaw Assessment! ---
**Author:** ![Motorgirl](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/m/e36b37/32.png) [@Motorgirl](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Motorgirl)\ **Post date:** [October 11, 2011, 4:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125/40 "2011-10-11T16:20:43Z")
> [@Terminus\_Est](#): > > I’ve been to Yogyakarta and Borobudur. The temple is quite impressively large. It’s also set some distance away from the parking area. It’s just a short hike, though; football wife shouldn’t have gotten winded getting to the clue guy, unless she’s _seriously_ out of shape. Is she asthmatic? I swear I saw someone using an inhaler during week one, but I don’t remember who. [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-10-9-2011-dont-lay-down-on-me-now-indonesia/599125.md?page=3)