# The Amazing Race, Oct 20 **URL:** \ **Category:** Cafe Society\ **Created:** [October 21, 2013, 2:34am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778 "2013-10-21T02:34:52Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 20\ **Page:** 3
**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:** [October 22, 2013, 9:17pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/41 "2013-10-22T21:17:26Z")
> [@Rhiannon8404](#): > > I cannot believe, even when they were lost and had no idea what to do, they would not trade the extra EP for directions. They think they can leverage it for help, but mostly people don’t seem to care that much. That’s what’s so funny. If you’re hoping to leverage the extra EP for help when you need it, isn’t this about as perfect an opportunity as you’ll ever have to reap that benefit? Hand it over to get the help that you need. Duh. ---
**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 23, 2013, 1:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/42 "2013-10-23T01:12:22Z")
It is just tweaking (not twerking) my memory that some team in the pat has been turned back because of their lack of clue. Not the Cowboys (who I love and would like to see on every race) but maybe the male duo with the autistic guy? That may have been his passport. It just feels like it’s happened before. StG ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 4:12am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/43 "2013-10-24T04:12:41Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > I’ve never seen any ep where Phil at the mat asked for the Pit Stop destination clue. I’ve seen him tell them that they missed an important point in their clue, such as “you have to give ALL your money to the orphanage,” but never a “Hey. Where is your Pit Stop clue?” That I can recall, anyway. That may be true, but it also may be that Phil would only ask the question if he knew (or had reason to believe) that the team didn’t have their clue. For example, Phil doesn’t ask teams at Pit Stops if they have their passports, yet when James and Abba lost theirs in Season 21, Phil asked them for their passports at check-in time. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 4:37am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/44 "2013-10-24T04:37:47Z")
We see about 25 seconds of edited footage of Phil with the teams on the bath mat. They are only going to show something if something is wrong. Example of Boring TV Phil: Got the Shield? Check Phil: Got the clues? Check Phil: Do you have your passport? Check ```auto Example of Interesting TV Phil: Do you have your passports? Oh Shit, No we don't Phil: Go Find them ``` ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:08am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/45 "2013-10-24T05:08:37Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > We see about 25 seconds of edited footage of Phil with the teams on the bath mat. > > They are only going to show something if something is wrong. > > Example of Boring TV > > Phil: Got the Shield? Check > Phil: Got the clues? Check > Phil: Do you have your passport? Check > > ```auto > > Example of Interesting TV > > Phil: Do you have your passports? Oh Shit, No we don't > Phil: Go Find them > > ``` I always assumed (and I could be wrong) that if something horrible happens (lost passport, missing clue, team didn’t follow directions) one of the sound/video crew lets Phil know by text (or some other method) before they reach the mat, so Phil only asks if he’s told that there’s something amiss. Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 6:01am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/46 "2013-10-24T06:01:37Z")
That all sounds reasonable. Now… we need some more bikini tasks! ---
**Author:** ![aurora\_maire](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/aurora_maire/32/328_2.png) [@aurora\_maire](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/aurora_maire)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 6:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/47 "2013-10-24T06:06:01Z")
> [@NoClueBoy](#): > > What I see as worrying Pinky and No Brain about the clue is that they don’t know if there is some other challenge or detour to do BEFORE the Pit Stop. From their POV, if they were to simply follow the other couple to the Pit Stop, they might have missed something required. Of course, we know, because we are watching after all the edits. Having the actual clue in their hand would have solved that problem for them. It’s too bad Nicole didn’t think to psych her out when she wouldn’t trade the EP: “Good luck with the next part of the roadblock!” 😃 ---
**Author:** ![StarvingButStrong](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/starvingbutstrong/32/335_2.png) [@StarvingButStrong](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/StarvingButStrong)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 12:56pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/48 "2013-10-24T12:56:51Z")
You’ve got to wonder what they would do if a team lost a clue/passport in a way totally not their fault. Like an armed robber accosted them and took their fanny pack. ---
**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 24, 2013, 1:12pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/49 "2013-10-24T13:12:41Z")
> [@aurora\_maire](#): > > It’s too bad Nicole didn’t think to psych her out when she wouldn’t trade the EP: “Good luck with the next part of the roadblock!” 😃 The hippie guys did this a couple weeks ago on the jigsaw puzzle tile task. When Pinky showed up to do the task, they told her they’d been there three hours already, and that the ice girls (who were just leaving) had been there two hours before they got there! ---
**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:** [October 24, 2013, 1:31pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/50 "2013-10-24T13:31:40Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > You’ve got to wonder what they would do if a team lost a clue/passport in a way totally not their fault. Like an armed robber accosted them and took their fanny pack. You have to figure the odds of that are pretty low what with the film crew following them around. ---
**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 24, 2013, 1:37pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/51 "2013-10-24T13:37:48Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > The hippie guys did this a couple weeks ago on the jigsaw puzzle tile task. When Pinky showed up to do the task, they told her they’d been there three hours already, and that the ice girls (who were just leaving) had been there two hours before they got there! That was the Afghanimals. When I see “hippie guys” I think of the Beards (althought it’s not a great fit, it’s better than calling the Afghanimals “hippies”. They’re just bros.). ---
**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:** [October 24, 2013, 1:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/52 "2013-10-24T13:49:52Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > You’ve got to wonder what they would do if a team lost a clue/passport in a way totally not their fault. Like an armed robber accosted them and took their fanny pack. Would you include a taxi taking off with their backpacks? Because that happened (Season 21, James&Abba) and the team was SOL. ---
**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 24, 2013, 1:53pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/53 "2013-10-24T13:53:13Z")
> [@CarnalK](#): > > Would you include a taxi taking off with their backpacks? Because that happened (Season 21, James&Abba) and the team was SOL. Also to Dallas(?) and his mom in an earlier season. They were stuck in Russia without passports and couldn’t go on to the next country, so they were eliminated. ---
**Author:** ![zev\_steinhardt](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/z/97f17d/32.png) [@zev\_steinhardt](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/zev_steinhardt)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 4:18pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/54 "2013-10-24T16:18:00Z")
> [@StarvingButStrong](#): > > You’ve got to wonder what they would do if a team lost a clue/passport in a way totally not their fault. Like an armed robber accosted them and took their fanny pack. I don’t see why that’s any different (in terms of the race) than any of the other bad things that happen which aren’t the fault of the racers (broken down cabs, bad directions, etc.). Zev Steinhardt ---
**Author:** ![Shark](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/73ab20/32.png) [@Shark](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Shark)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:27pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/55 "2013-10-24T17:27:58Z")
Do you think the producers knowingly supplied a wheelbarrow with a flat tire, or that it was just bad luck? I could see them supplying one bad wheelbarrow and by luck of bad picking the Afghanimals got it because they didn’t check. But if they did check and swapped it for a good one, would that have meant that some other team got the bad one? Maybe there were a surplus of wheelbarrows and nobody had to get stuck with a flat. ---
**Author:** ![notfrommensa](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/n/f14d63/32.png) [@notfrommensa](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/notfrommensa)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 5:34pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/56 "2013-10-24T17:34:03Z")
> [@Shark](#): > > Do you think the producers knowingly supplied a wheelbarrow with a flat tire, or that it was just bad luck? I could see them supplying one bad wheelbarrow and by luck of bad picking the Afghanimals got it because they didn’t check. But if they did check and swapped it for a good one, would that have meant that some other team got the bad one? Maybe there were a surplus of wheelbarrows and nobody had to get stuck with a flat. Two of the teams (Oklahoma, Baseball Bunnies) took the other part of the detour so there were at least 2 extra wheelbarrows available. ---
**Author:** ![AncientHumanoid](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/ancienthumanoid/32/278_2.png) [@AncientHumanoid](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/AncientHumanoid)\ **Post date:** [October 24, 2013, 6:48pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/57 "2013-10-24T18:48:42Z")
> [@notfrommensa](#): > > Two of the teams (Oklahoma, Baseball Bunnies) took the other part of the detour so there were at least 2 extra wheelbarrows available. Above the Arctic Circle, wheelbarrows spontaneously generate whenever codfish oil is present in sufficient quantities. All they had to do was wait. :smack: ---
**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 24, 2013, 7:57pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/58 "2013-10-24T19:57:48Z")
> [@jayjay](#): > > That was the Afghanimals. When I see “hippie guys” I think of the Beards (althought it’s not a great fit, it’s better than calling the Afghanimals “hippies”. They’re just bros.). D’oh, you’re right. Yeah I was thinking of the Beards but it was the Afghanimals. ---
**Author:** ![Cayuga](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/c/3e96dc/32.png) [@Cayuga](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Cayuga)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 4:49pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/59 "2013-10-26T16:49:28Z")
I could have sworn there was a leg a few years ago where a team was sent back from the mat because they didn’t have their clue with them. They went back to the site of the last task, found it, and returned to be checked in. But maybe I’m mistaken. ---
**Author:** ![eenerms](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/cdc98d/32.png) [@eenerms](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/eenerms)\ **Post date:** [October 26, 2013, 7:38pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778/60 "2013-10-26T19:38:41Z")
> [@Shoeless](#): > > D’oh, you’re right. Yeah I was thinking of the Beards but it was the Afghanimals. We call them the Beardos 😉 [Previous page](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/the-amazing-race-oct-20/671778.md?page=2)