# The Amazing Race 2/27 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [February 27, 2011, 11:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853 "2011-02-27T23:02:47Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 2
**Author:** ![lorene](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/l/65b543/32.png) [@lorene](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/lorene)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:15pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/21 "2011-02-28T14:15:26Z")
> [@zut](#): > > We didn’t see that much from Kent & Vyxsin this episode, and what we did was mostly them stopping for directions, or not reading the clue and…gathering children. Perplexed children, I might add. Right? It made him seem like a weird pedophile…_Come, children, come and dance with us…Someone help me get children…_::shudder:: That’s very akin to drawing chalk cricles around the children in Africa. And while I do understand the sentiment that the cowboys don’t deserve to stay in because of how poorly they did in Sydney, I don’t think it’s unusual or even wrong for teams to need to hit their stride. Yeah, they need to sharpen up and quickly, but I’m willing to give them a pass for now. I really want the Globetrotters to win, though. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 2:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/22 "2011-02-28T14:55:11Z")
> [@zut](#): > > First of all, I have to say I really like the clues this season. “Get ‘To Sail To Stop’”? that’s _way_ better than “Find the big anchor directly in front of the Sydney Town Hall.” I think it was a bit too hard. I mean really what does ‘To Sail To Stop’ mean? Now if there was more that would be different. I’ll bet I could find something in most every town that most people know what it is, but not what it’s called. Jet and Cord asked a lot of people and no one seemed to know what it was. > [@](#): > > “Find the home of the Magpies”? Way better than “Go to Central Football Club stadium in Broken Hill.” A periodic table? Brilliant! I love seeing all the teams scrambling around trying to figure out what’s going on. This is a bit different, I would say that most people know what the ‘Home of the Magpies’ means. Especially in a smaller town and it’s probably one of the more popular gathering places. I do think they need harder clues, but they need to be thought out, just because it seems good to one person doesn’t mean it’s a good clue. Even the periodic table one might have been really hard. If the street name was close to where they exited the stadium and it was on the periodic table that’s one thing, but if it was just two things highlighted on the table that’s another and might be literally impossible to figure out. I hope they don’t swing the other way and make clues so hard that people get the boot just because someone thought it would be easy and it wasn’t. ---
**Author:** ![amarinth](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/3be4f8/32.png) [@amarinth](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/amarinth)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:10pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/23 "2011-02-28T15:10:20Z")
> [@zut](#): > > First of all, I have to say I really like the clues this season. “Get ‘To Sail To Stop’”? that’s _way_ better than “Find the big anchor directly in front of the Sydney Town Hall.” “Find the home of the Magpies”? Way better than “Go to Central Football Club stadium in Broken Hill.” A periodic table? Brilliant! I love seeing all the teams scrambling around trying to figure out what’s going on. I also really like the clues, too. But it’s throwing the teams who are all used to “go to the anchor.” So far, half the teams screwed up with the unscramble the flag clue, they either hoped someone else would tell them or botched it in some other way. A bunch ran around like chickens with their heads cut off for “To Sail To Stop” and a number tried to “solve” the periodic table clue by running as fast as they could in the direction that everyone else was going rather than figuring out the answer. I can’t tell if they’re not used to that kind of clue so don’t know how to respond to it, or if they just don’t have it in them to do it. ---
**Author:** ![PoorYorick](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/p/ecccb3/32.png) [@PoorYorick](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/PoorYorick)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:19pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/24 "2011-02-28T15:19:35Z")
> [@amarinth](#): > > So far, half the teams screwed up with the unscramble the flag clue, they either hoped someone else would tell them or botched it in some other way. A bunch ran around like chickens with their heads cut off for “To Sail To Stop” and a number tried to “solve” the periodic table clue by running as fast as they could in the direction that everyone else was going rather than figuring out the answer. Yeah, that’s one reason I’m giving the Cowboys a break here. What was it, four teams that essentially gave up on the flag task only to have other teams give them the answer? Man, people are being way too nice right now. It’ll be more interesting once these silly little alliances start breaking down. ---
**Author:** ![wonky](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/wonky/32/393_2.png) [@wonky](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/wonky)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 3:51pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/25 "2011-02-28T15:51:49Z")
I want some of those bouncy shoes. _sproing_ Yes, I would even dress like a kangaroo to get 'em. I, too, wondered why people were choosing the mosaic rather than spitting. CHOOSE SPITTING! Would Margie have been penalized for losing the shoe covering if she hadn’t gone back to find it? ---
**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 28, 2011, 4:05pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/26 "2011-02-28T16:05:44Z")
> [@jsgoddess](#): > > Would Margie have been penalized for losing the shoe covering if she hadn’t gone back to find it? Yes. Whenever a check-in requires the teams to be in costume, they have to have every piece of the costume. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2011, 4:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/27 "2011-02-28T16:24:15Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > Yes. Whenever a check-in requires the teams to be in costume, they have to have every piece of the costume. I actually thought for a couple of minutes that Big Easy didn’t have the foot pieces on at all, but realized that the problem was that his legs were so damn long that there was something like a 2 ft. gap between the thigh pieces and the foot pieces, whereas everyone else’s were a lot closer together. ---
**Author:** ![AlsoNamedBort](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/alsonamedbort/32/3213_2.png) [@AlsoNamedBort](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AlsoNamedBort)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 4:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/28 "2011-02-28T16:38:18Z")
Regarding the detour, it seemed like a lot of teams said they were going to do the “dancing” challenge. I don’t know if the description was really vague, or they just saw dancing and went with that. And it looked like they didn’t have to do any sort of specific dance. Margie and Luke were just jumping around on top of their drawing. ---
**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 28, 2011, 5:41pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/29 "2011-02-28T17:41:51Z")
> [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I think it was a bit too hard. I mean really what does ‘To Sail To Stop’ mean? Now if there was more that would be different. I’ll bet I could find something in most every town that most people know what it is, but not what it’s called. Jet and Cord asked a lot of people and no one seemed to know what it was. Well, on the one hand, you’re right. There was another team-based travel reality show three or four years ago that only lasted one season (I forget what it was called). One of the problems with that show was that a lot of the clues were so hard teams were just randomly stumbling across answers. Kind of took the skill aspect right out of it. On the other hand, how hard is it to find a computer to Google _“to sail to stop” sydney_, for fuck’s sake? When I Google _“to sail to stop” sydney_, the second link is [this one](http://www.flickr.com/photos/8405842@N02/3932671691/), which tells you exactly where the thing it. (The first link is [this one](http://www.travelblog.org/Photos/5654414), which is actually an Amazing Race photo, and rather interesting.) I guess I’d vote this clue as being a wee bit too hard, because the best clues could be answered by teams interacting with a local. Still, it’s not that far out of bounds. > [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > I do think they need harder clues, but they need to be thought out, just because it seems good to one person doesn’t mean it’s a good clue. Even the periodic table one might have been really hard. If the street name was close to where they exited the stadium and it was on the periodic table that’s one thing, but if it was just two things highlighted on the table that’s another and might be literally impossible to figure out. I was thinking about this one. Phil said that a bunch of streets in Broken Hill had chemical names. All the teams had a map, so far as I can tell, and were driving themselves. I think it’s not too much to ask to assume team who are studying the map might notice something like that. And here asking a local would get an immediate positive response (as, if I recall, more than one team did). ---
**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:** [February 28, 2011, 5:54pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/30 "2011-02-28T17:54:07Z")
Anyone else notice when Phil told Jamie and Kara that they were the two hottest kangaroos that he had ever seen? That was something I can’t ever remember him doing before, commenting on a Racer’s physical attractivness. What’s most funny is to me is that neither one looks NEARLY as good as they did when they were first on Amazing Race. Both look like they have had work done (boob job, facial work?) and they sure seem to slather on the make-up with a trowel. Still attractive women, but in a “hard” kind of way… ---
**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 28, 2011, 6:00pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/31 "2011-02-28T18:00:53Z")
Incidentally, I found that Google street view extends all the way to Broken Hill. [The corner of Mercury and Bismuth.](http://maps.google.com/maps?hl=en&ie=UTF8&q=Central+Football+Club+magpies+in+Broken+Hill&fb=1&gl=us&hq=Central+Football+Club+magpies&hnear=Broken+Hill+New+South+Wales,+Australia&cid=0,0,11248130523594505839&ll=-31.964451,141.446239&spn=0,0.009624&t=h&z=17&layer=c&cbll=-31.963634,141.445268&panoid=2udlbzV1qzIxRbYkMC105A&cbp=12,96.69,,0,6.4) (If you zoom out, there’s a marker at the stadium.) Pretty cool. ---
**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 28, 2011, 6:02pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/32 "2011-02-28T18:02:04Z")
How many unofficial rules do we have now for TAR? There’s “RTFC” and “learn to drive a stick shift”. I propose we add “learn ‘take me to an internet cafe’ in as many languages as possible” to the list. And no one answered my question, how did the cowboys eventually find the anchor at Sydney Town Hall? ---
**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 28, 2011, 6:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/33 "2011-02-28T18:18:46Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > And no one answered my question, how did the cowboys eventually find the anchor at Sydney Town Hall? They found a cabbie who knew it was at Town Hall. He added a “mate” on the end as well. ---
**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 28, 2011, 6:33pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/34 "2011-02-28T18:33:31Z")
I just rewatched that section on [CBS.com](http://CBS.com), and I have to say the shadows were _really_ long when Gary & Mallory / Amanda & Kris / Ron & Christina finally found the anchor. I’m sure it took the cowboys quite some time to find it, but I’m thinking it took Gary & Mallory longer since hey started earlier. ---
**Author:** ![Edward\_The\_Head](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/ce73a5/32.png) [@Edward\_The\_Head](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Edward_The_Head)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 6:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/35 "2011-02-28T18:43:32Z")
> [@zut](#): > > On the other hand, how hard is it to find a computer to Google _“to sail to stop” sydney_, for fuck’s sake? …which is actually an Amazing Race photo, and rather interesting.) I guess I’d vote this clue as being a wee bit too hard, because the best clues could be answered by teams interacting with a local. Still, it’s not that far out of bounds. I did the same thing, but then there’s the case of what happens, at it happened to the cowboys, that you ask people and they don’t know so you have to keep asking. One could get lucky and get the first person right off, while others could take a long time. It’s almost as bad as getting a bad cabbie. > [@](#): > > I was thinking about this one. Phil said that a bunch of streets in Broken Hill had chemical names. All the teams had a map, so far as I can tell, and were driving themselves. I think it’s not too much to ask to assume team who are studying the map might notice something like that. And here asking a local would get an immediate positive response (as, if I recall, more than one team did). That is if you know what Bismuth is, I’ve never heard of it that I can remember and only one person knew what it was. The rest asked someone with a phone to look it up. As for the map, it really depends on what kind of map they have, some don’t have all the street names on them, especially if it’s just a paper map and not an atlas it might not have the smaller road names on there. I don’t mind the second one as much, the find the anchor one a bit more difficult. ---
**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 28, 2011, 7:13pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/36 "2011-02-28T19:13:41Z")
> [@Justin\_Bailey](#): > > They found a cabbie who knew it was at Town Hall. He added a “mate” on the end as well. Thanks. I may still try to watch it from [cbs.com](http://cbs.com). > [@Edward\_The\_Head](#): > > That is if you know what Bismuth is, I’ve never heard of it that I can remember and only one person knew what it was. The rest asked someone with a phone to look it up. As for the map, it really depends on what kind of map they have, some don’t have all the street names on them, especially if it’s just a paper map and not an atlas it might not have the smaller road names on there. Never heard of bismuth; where do you think Pepto-Bismol got its name? Another propsed TAR rule: when you get to a new place, get a map. Don’t spend the whole day looking for one, of course, but you’ll probably be in an airport or some place that is expecting a lot of tourists. On my European travels, the first place I looked for was a tourist info office. And that being such a small town, I’d expect the map to have plenty of room for all the street names. For that matter, while they were driving around, did any of the teams notice the pattern in the street names before getting the Hg and Bi clue? ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 7:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/37 "2011-02-28T19:37:18Z")
> [@Robot\_Arm](#): > > How many unofficial rules do we have now for TAR? There’s “RTFC” and “learn to drive a stick shift”. I propose we add “learn ‘take me to an internet cafe’ in as many languages as possible” to the list. There’s a sub-list of recommended phrases, that each team should know in multiple languages. That’s a good phrase to add to the list. **Robot Arm** , that’s a good top-level Amazing Rule. 1: This is a fucking RACE! 2: Read the fucking CLUE. Then read it again! 3: Know how to drive a fucking stickshift transmission. 4: Stay hydrated, or you will get fucked up. 5: First thing you do at the arrival airport (or port or train station), buy a fucking MAP! ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 7:43pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/38 "2011-02-28T19:43:19Z")
Rule 0: Do not lose your passport. ---
**Author:** ![Scuba\_Ben](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/278dde/32.png) [@Scuba\_Ben](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Scuba_Ben)\ **Post date:** [February 28, 2011, 7:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/39 "2011-02-28T19:49:30Z")
Oh right. Never let go of the fucking Amazing Fanny Pack, for without your money and passports, you are royally fucked. ---
**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:** [February 28, 2011, 7:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853/40 "2011-02-28T19:53:32Z")
I have to admit that when they read the challenge for Broken Hill, I thought “Just watch one of the Gothettes be some kind of chemistry savant.” Sure enough, Kynt knew the periodic table by heart. Freaky. StG [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853.md?page=1) [Next page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-2-27/572853.md?page=3)