S27.E12: We Got A Chance, Baby!

[Lingo]

I didn't watch this whole season or the last few seasons.

 

What happened to the money distribution part?  In earlier seasons, racers were given a set amount of cash at the start of each leg and managing that money was part of the race.  

 

When did this change and how do they get money now? 

 

As far as I can tell, that hasn't changed at all. But the money that's given out each leg is rarely mentioned on the show these days, except sometimes when it's plot-relevant.

 

Way up thread, someone commented that a lot of TAR's audience love teams that show that they were fans, too. Justin just mugged and shouted too much...bragging about his knowledge. The audience (mostly) turned against his "style." Turns out that Kelsey and Joey were also big fans of TAR for years...in fact, Kelsey and her family watched it together from Race 1, Episode 1.  Yet, we never had K/J claiming to be uberfans through the race.

 

Kelsey mentioned it a few times (in bonus clips)...but yeah, they certainly didn't shout it to the rooftops like J&D did. I think J&D got the "superfan" edit just because they won so many legs....like, what else could explain how well they were doing?

 

Not when they have a forced "donation" of all the cash they have halfway through the Race. I think it's very likely that not having any idea how many more rides they'd have to pay for, and how far each would be, was a big factor in Justin's negotiation. 

J&D mention in a bonus clip that if they had given the cabbie that extra $100, then they would have had only $30 left, and they were worried that wouldn't be enough for the rest of the leg. K&J were in a similar boat, apparently. K&J gambled on paying, and won. J&D gambled on not paying, and lost.

 

 (Wasn't Justin the only contestant who opted not to give all of his money to the orphange until Phil shamed him into it?) 

 

Nope, that was Chris.

 

I will cut Diana some slack.  They are on a tv show racing around the world for $1 million.  They have won many legs and seem to have a good chance of winning the whole thing.  He is a hot head and would rather blame you than try to calm down.  This is not the time to "poke the bear."

 

But if she stays with him, it is another story.   

 

They've been together for 8 years, and Diana says at the end of the Race that they still as in love with each other as they did when they first met. I don't think anything on this race is going to break them up.

 

Do they have a specific budget for each leg or can they use unspent money from previous legs?

 

Yeah, they can use whatever they have left over from previous legs as well as whatever they're given for this one.

[Netfoot]

Diana says at the end of the Race that they still as in love with each other as they did when they first met. I don't think anything on this race is going to break them up.

 

And that is the saddest thing to come out of this race.

[needschocolate]

It did look like the winner was obvious once one got a cab and two took the bus, but I also remember that in the past, the memory challenges took some teams hours and hours to complete, and as it turns out, the bus was not so much slower that at least one team was unable to catch up. Given that Justin and Diana managed to get to the final task while Joey and Kelsey were still there, and Logan and Chris got to the lobster task in 2nd place but were still doing the flags long after Justin and Diana were well into completion of the chairs, I do think the leg allowed for shuffling of order based on performance outside of transportation. It was really the flags that did in the Paparazzi. And if Joey and Kelsey had also struggled with it, they might well have lost to another team despite having been the only ones to get a cab ride out of the fire/rescue task.

 

If one of the memory tasks was replaced with questions like "How do you pronounce Hague?" and "Are all Catholics Christian?" the other teams may have passed Joey and Kelsey up (for the record, I never held either of those instances against them - being stressed and tired can lead to brainfarts).

 

They've been together for 8 years, and Diana says at the end of the Race that they still as in love with each other as they did when they first met. I don't think anything on this race is going to break them up.

 

Well then, every single woman between the ages of 20 and 40 needs to send Diana a thank you card, because they don't have to worry about Justin trying to pick them up.  I would say she took a bullet for the team, but it appears she seems to like him.  

 

Chris should probably get thank you cards too.  

[sinycalone]

It did look like the winner was obvious once one got a cab and two took the bus, but I also remember that in the past, the memory challenges took some teams hours and hours to complete, and as it turns out, the bus was not so much slower that at least one team was unable to catch up. Given that Justin and Diana managed to get to the final task while Joey and Kelsey were still there, and Logan and Chris got to the lobster task in 2nd place but were still doing the flags long after Justin and Diana were well into completion of the chairs, I do think the leg allowed for shuffling of order based on performance outside of transportation. It was really the flags that did in the Paparazzi. And if Joey and Kelsey had also struggled with it, they might well have lost to another team despite having been the only ones to get a cab ride out of the fire/rescue task.

 

It drives me crazy that the show didn't use the "Kelsey is also a superfan" angle in their "story editing." I really thought the reporters had been recruited for some unknown reason, and had no idea until I watched "extra videos" that she had grown up watching, was a hardcore fan, and that she had Joey had been dreaming about being on the Race, had trained extensively even before they were cast, etc. Wouldn't "Battle of the superfans" be as good (or better) a story than "superfan vs the bland non-entities"?

That was exactly my reaction when I read the post-race interview with EW and saw the video.  Real fans and not recruited....much more interesting couple than we were allowed to see.

[ichbin]

Maybe I'm getting soft, but the more I think about it, I wouldn't wish Justin's fate on anyone.   Life is hard enough all on its own.   I can't imagine carrying that kind of regret around, thinking about it every day you go to work or every time you wonder about your kids' futures.  How you almost realized your dream and had a million dollars if not for your own hubris.   Justin was a big jerk, but not so terrible that he deserves that kind of life sentence.   I hope he can forgive himself at some point.

If it is a life sentence it will be one all of his own making.  This isn't Hunger Games and he and his fiancée do not appear to be desperate people with no other hope for their future.  They both have professions and are surely not without means.  Winning a million dollars is nice for sure, but I doubt the loss would be a serious detriment to his children's futures.  

[John Seavey]

Seeing Justin weep made the season almost worthwhile. Almost because he has that laundry list of prizes to fall back on. And yet . . . that's not good enough for him. I understand being in it to win it, but boy, talk about being an ingrate. He had a once in a lifetime experience (though because of the strong feelings he generates, they may get a second shot in an All Stars bid) and tens of thousands in prizes and he's still unhappy. I can't decide if it's his injured ego or if he was the kid who got the trophy just for showing up.

 

The exact opposite: Justin was the one with the hypercompetitive parents who broke his participation trophies in front of him and screamed that "there are no prizes just for showing up!" and "second place is just the first loser!" until he grew up convinced that you have to come in first at everything and that losing is the ultimate sin. (..he hypothesized. Don't know the guy or his parents. But he acted like someone who was raised to think that winning was all that mattered.)

 

Lotsa stuff in this thread...they do still hand out money on a per leg basis, same as in Season One on, but it's shown a lot less than it was in the early seasons because players are a lot smarter about spending and so they rarely get into situations where the amount of money they have matters. Back in Season One, people would stay in hotels overnight and then have to decide between a bus and a taxi--now they walk to the destination and camp out until morning. :)

 

They also still do villain edits just like in Season One--for those of you complaining about Justin and Diana's edit being some sort of new thing to turn us all into sadists demanding our pound of flesh and not at all like the old days when it was all about the racing, maaaan, let's keep in mind that the Guidos got an edit designed to make everyone cheer for the fact that they weren't even in the same state as the winning team. Editing to create personalities has always been a part of the show, and let's not pretend otherwise.

 

Even if the taxi was shady and Justin was in the right in releasing it, he could have a) taken Logan and Chris's taxi (yes, that was their taxi he inadvertently convinced to leave) back to the main part of Manhattan and gotten a taxi from there to Belmont, or b) asked to use the phone of one of the thirty or so firefighters in the background and called a taxi dispatcher and asked them to send out a taxi. Instead, he locked up on, "We have to go to where taxis are already," which was very time-consuming. (Unless there's something about New York that's different than my hometown--can you not call a taxi on the phone in NYC? I don't think there are any Race rules against borrowing a phone and ordering a taxi.)

 

Was it just me, or did there seem to be a lot more cheering than usual from the other Racers when the person running to the mat for first wasn't Justin and Diana? I could have sworn I saw the Cheerleaders hugging each other. Also, Josh and Tanner were clearly getting a kick out of Justin pouting at the mat.

[TV Anonymous]

J&D mention in a bonus clip that if they had given the cabbie that extra $100, then they would have had only $30 left, and they were worried that wouldn't be enough for the rest of the leg. K&J were in a similar boat, apparently. K&J gambled on paying, and won. J&D gambled on not paying, and lost.

 

While I know that hindsight is 20/20, Justin could have bargained with the driver. For example, he could have offered $50 tip instead. However, he just right away stopped the discussion and sent the taxi away, knowing full well where they were.

 

One other thing about the demise of the Green Team that is not discussed much is Justin's showboating at the Adirondack chairs assembly. I fail to understand why he did that. With success measured in seconds and their trailing, would one second of his showboating and taunting not be better spent on keeping his head down and concentrate on the task on hand? One could argue that had he paid more attention to his work he might be able to see the imperfection on the orange chair; and with that they might actually have had a chance, considering that the reporters struggled a bit in the task.

[rose711]

For anyone wondering.<br /><br />The flat fare includes the islands that you can drive to from Manhattan. This is from the Taxi and Limosibe FAQ about the flat rate:<br /><br />Do flat fares from JFK extend to the islands in New York City?<br /><br />The flat fares extends to the islands of Manhattan that have vehicular access, including Franklin D. Roosevelt, Belmont, Ellis, Governor's, Liberty, Mill Rock, Randall's, Ward's Islands.<br />

[Ilovemylabs]

The thing that bothered me about Justin (among other things) was that because he was such a fan and because he had set up a fake amazing race to run previously, he thought he OUGHT to win!   I give the couple props for being excellent contestants.  They really did shine.  But the thing about the AR is that you never know what might happen...flat tires, taxi drivers get lost, traffic, mis-reading clues, etc.  I really wish he had been eliminated over the mistake about the Macao ferry.  Hey Justin, build a bridge and get over yourself!  Put on your big-boy pants and stop blubbering.  Diana--you are much more of a class act.

[millennium]

If it is a life sentence it will be one all of his own making.  This isn't Hunger Games and he and his fiancée do not appear to be desperate people with no other hope for their future.  They both have professions and are surely not without means.  Winning a million dollars is nice for sure, but I doubt the loss would be a serious detriment to his children's futures.  

 

Well that's good to know.   I worried that all the people in Justin's district would be executed as punishment for him placing second.

 

I guess I'm just not in a position to imagine being able to shrug off the loss of a million dollars.

Edited December 13, 2015 by millennium

[RCharter]

The thing that bothered me about Justin (among other things) was that because he was such a fan and because he had set up a fake amazing race to run previously, he thought he OUGHT to win!   I give the couple props for being excellent contestants.  They really did shine.  But the thing about the AR is that you never know what might happen...flat tires, taxi drivers get lost, traffic, mis-reading clues, etc.  I really wish he had been eliminated over the mistake about the Macao ferry.  Hey Justin, build a bridge and get over yourself!  Put on your big-boy pants and stop blubbering.  Diana--you are much more of a class act.

I wonder about this though.  Diana doesn't seem like all that great a person.  I wonder if she just looks more reasonable because he is such an enormous ass.

 

She was right in there getting in the cabbie's face "oh you don't want to make money, why don't you want to make money?"  Damn, lady, take it easy.  If he is going to take you anywhere, its going to be because of your charm, not because you start yelling at him.  Flies, honey and all that jazz.....

[millennium]

 

One other thing about the demise of the Green Team that is not discussed much is Justin's showboating at the Adirondack chairs assembly. I fail to understand why he did that. With success measured in seconds and their trailing, would one second of his showboating and taunting not be better spent on keeping his head down and concentrate on the task on hand? One could argue that had he paid more attention to his work he might be able to see the imperfection on the orange chair; and with that they might actually have had a chance, considering that the reporters struggled a bit in the task.

 

I think he believed it was strategy: if I can unnerve the other team, distract them, maybe we can beat them.

[Madding crowd]

Those were not scarves! Those were sweaters, tied around their necks. Very Hamptons/preppy, and a nice touch! (Even though I think this was in August, and the amount of sweat from the Racers suggests the sweaters were ornamental only!)

Yes, I accidently wrote scarfs-I know they were sweaters and I know what preppies are. I just think it looks silly for grown men to wear sweaters around their necks on a beach when it was probably 80 degrees. As I said, just my opinion.

[In Pog Form]

Maybe Justin should have used Uber. 

Isn't there a rule that all travel has to be done in certified taxis, and private cars aren't allowed? That would prohibit the use of Uber.

[cooksdelight]

Isn't there a rule that all travel has to be done in certified taxis, and private cars aren't allowed? That would prohibit the use of Uber.

Yes, if the clue says "take a taxi" you better get a taxi and nothing else. If it says "take any public transportation" then it would be fine.

[J-Man]

 

asked to use the phone of one of the thirty or so firefighters in the background and called a taxi dispatcher and asked them to send out a taxi. Instead, he locked up on, "We have to go to where taxis are already," which was very time-consuming. (Unless there's something about New York that's different than my hometown--can you not call a taxi on the phone in NYC? I don't think there are any Race rules against borrowing a phone and ordering a taxi.)

I think there's always been a rule that the people who are involved in the roadblocks and detours (in this case, the people at the firefighters academy) are not allowed to provide any help regarding directions, maps, etc., and I'm sure they can't' ask them to use their phones. They could've looked for a random stranger and asked him or her to call for a cab, however. 

[John Seavey]

I think there's always been a rule that the people who are involved in the roadblocks and detours (in this case, the people at the firefighters academy) are not allowed to provide any help regarding directions, maps, etc., and I'm sure they can't' ask them to use their phones. They could've looked for a random stranger and asked him or her to call for a cab, however. 

 

Hmm. Interesting hair-splitting question: Could you ask a firefighter so long as it wasn't one of the ones directly involved in the challenge? I mean, it was a firefighting academy, I'm sure plenty of them weren't involved in the Race at all that day.

 

Not that it's important--he didn't ask anyone, and it really hurt them. (And it's kind of sad that by that point, I didn't expect Diana to do any kind of decision-making, because any time she tried to think for herself he just yelled at her and told her she was wrong. I'd be that way too--you just want a monkey to help you with tasks? Fine, I'll be your monkey. Don't expect me to chime in when you do something stupid.)

[Marvin]

Thank Goodness Green didn't win !! 

 

This is a really dangerous challenge I cant believe they have them going in a burning building. Is this fear factor or the amazing race?

 

If you noticed on the thermal camera image there was a real fireman sitting a few feet away keeping an eye on them the whole time !

 

What a boring and predictable season - that is, until this last episode - the one that ultimately matter.

 

I can't help but think that the eliminated racers are happy that crybaby Justin got what he deserved in the end - after his showboating all season.

 

I fully agree - he got his just deserts !

 

I think his behavior with the cabdriver had a lot to do with his "I lived in New York for 20 years" bull, like he was trying to show off that he knew how to handle the service people.  

 

He also tried to play that card on the firefighting challenge by saying something like "i'm also from Brooklyn" to his mentor. Why would you say that unless you were trying to gain favour or show off !

 

I found Justin more bearable this challenge right until he was working side by side with another team - that is when he became obnoxious again ! I was hoping he would mess up on the chairs as they were more focussed on speed than detail !

[scrb]

Maybe imagining things but the other racers seem genuinely happy that it wasn't Justin and Diana running down the plank towards the finish line first.

[Knuckles]

scrub,

It wasn't just you...and I don't think it was just sour grapes from the other racers. They were happy enough for Kelsey and Joey, so I think the Greens were seriously difficult to be around. And by difficult, I mean gratingly obnoxious. If what we saw was enough to put us off them, imagine having to be in their vicinity for the duration of the race. Though I don't know if I could stand being in earshot of the Paps.

[etagloh]

I think the reporters are relatively new to their careers. I just read their bios and was shocked that Kelsey is only twenty-five. And even though she said she's proud that she graduated early, unless she's a prodigy, she doesn't have much work experience yet.

It's the nature of the job, I think: local news people are styled to look at least 30 from their first on-camera time until they're in their late 40s, then they become 'middle-aged news team' and are styled for that age. It seems to hold even outside of the studio.

[jjj]

Yes, I accidently wrote scarfs-I know they were sweaters and I know what preppies are. I just think it looks silly for grown men to wear sweaters around their necks on a beach when it was probably 80 degrees.

Oh, it was totally ridiculous! [that was my comment you quoted]  But that is what made it so funny! 

 

By the way, did we ever see Chris/Logan finish the chair task?  Because that final memory challenge and the detail required for the chairs would be a killer combination for them.  Maybe they got a mercy edit before it was totally dark? 

[ichbin]

Well that's good to know.   I worried that all the people in Justin's district would be executed as punishment for him placing second.

 

I guess I'm just not in a position to imagine being able to shrug off the loss of a million dollars.

Well, if it makes you feel any better for them the 2nd place team purportedly get $25K.  Certainly not a million but definitely more than 9 other teams who most likely entered the race with the same hopes of winning the big prize, but perhaps not the same expectation.

[jjj]

He also tried to play that card on the firefighting challenge by saying something like "i'm also from Brooklyn" to his mentor.

I thought he was from the Bronx?

Well, if it makes you feel any better for them the 2nd place team purportedly get $25K. 

I thought it was $100,000 for second place?  Or am I thinking of another reality show with a $1 million top prize? 

[calliope1975]

Well, if it makes you feel any better for them the 2nd place team purportedly get $25K.  Certainly not a million but definitely more than 9 other teams who most likely entered the race with the same hopes of winning the big prize, but perhaps not the same expectation.

 

Plus, they got an amazing experience, and they won oodles of cash and trips for their first place wins. Not too shabby. 

 

I'm rewatching S1, and those teams didn't even get Phil unless they were getting Philiminated, let alone swanky extravagant trips and cash. 

[ichbin]

I thought he was from the Bronx?

I thought it was $100,000 for second place?  Or am I thinking of another reality show with a $1 million top prize? 

The show doesn't say, but based on http://www.today.com/popculture/what-do-second-place-finishers-win-2D80554458 and this  http://www.tvguide.com which quotes Rachel Riley more recently backing up what was in the first link.  I think I've heard the lesser prizes are larger on Survivor.

[Eolivet]

I didn't think it was possible, but after watching this, I'm even more irritated at Justin.

 

So, he blames the cab as the one deciding factor of the whole race? That there was absolutely no chance that they could've made a mistake or another team would've been faster than them on any other task? No, it was all about the cab. That just confirmed exactly why I didn't like him. There's confidence, there's arrogance and then there's utter self-centered delusion to the point that other teams aren't even acknowledged as legitimate competition. Hey, Mr. "I took a cab for 40 minutes for a destination within walking distance and was almost eliminated by a penalty," you'd think you'd have a modicum of humility by now.

 

Do we know for a fact that Kelsey and Joey's mistakes on the chairs were worse than Justin and Diana's mistakes? Do we know for a fact that Justin and Diana would've pulled up the lobster traps at a faster pace than Kelsey and Joey? Do we know for a fact that even if Justin and Diana had kept their cab, that they absolutely would not have gotten stuck in traffic or had to stop for gas or a flat tire?

 

Oh, we don't? Then for the last time, hopefully ever...

 

Shut. Up. Justin.

[BarneySays]

I guess I'm just not in a position to imagine being able to shrug off the loss of a million dollars.

Well, it's not as if he had actually won the million and then lost it.  He had a 1 in 11 chance of winning the prize.  Those are pretty bad odds.  There are 27 seasons of second place finishers, many of whom lost due to circumstances beyond their control.  To say nothing of the others who suffered a similar fate earlier in the race.  I hope they've all been able to go on with their lives without beating themselves up about it.  You have to maintain perspective.  They were all able to participate in a wonderful and unique experience. And obtain a little local celebrity (if that's their wont).  Frankly, I would be more sympathetic to those for whom the experience put them in bad light in the public's eyes, even if the portrayal were fair.  YMMV.

 

Do we know for a fact that Kelsey and Joey's mistakes on the chairs were worse than Justin and Diana's mistakes?

It looked like Justin and Diana were generally sloppy in putting the chairs together.  When K&J were putting theirs together and were being vigilant, I thought, oh, no, please don't let this be a task where attention to detail is unnecessary because J&D seemed to not pay attention to that.  The back of the dark blue chair, for one, was completely crooked.  And there were gaps in the backs of most of theirs.  the editing was very choppy.  When they showed a shot of Justin after K&J got their clue, he was standing in front of the dark blue chair.  I think his reaction  occurred right after he was told it needed to be fixed, not after K&J got their clue.  It would be interesting to know how soon after the winners they arrived at the finish line. 

Edited December 13, 2015 by BarneySays

[Dobian]

I finally summoned the courage to watch the finale today.  There were three possible outcomes, only one of which was acceptable.  Fortunately I got the acceptable outcome.  Go cry all the way home, Justin, though I have the feeling this show is going to give you another chance in their next all star season.  Chris you wimp, you don't give up a cab.  Possession is nine-tenths, and with cabs it's ten-tenths.  Not a great season, glad it's done.

[TV Anonymous]

NYC cab drivers are very difficult to deal with. Most of them will not take you anywhere where they don't believe they could get a return fare. Also, Belmont is not in NYC, it's in Nassau County. They wouldn't be able to even pick up another fare until they reach the city line a few miles away. But with that said, I wonder how much that cab ride cost Kelsey and Joey because NYC cabs are metered and there is a charge for waiting. Maybe Justin should have used Uber. I'm also curious how the teams got on the bus because you need a metro pass or exact change of $2.75 (no bills accepted).

 

But how? To be able to use Uber, user needs to register and to have the application on a smartphone. Furthermore, Uber charges directly to credit card, personal one in this case. So no, unless Uber becomes a sponsor and has a product placement there, it can not be used in The Amazing Race.

[TV Anonymous]

Hmm. Interesting hair-splitting question: Could you ask a firefighter so long as it wasn't one of the ones directly involved in the challenge? I mean, it was a firefighting academy, I'm sure plenty of them weren't involved in the Race at all that day.

 

I just happen to know somebody who knows somebody whose organization was involved in one of the tasks in The Amazing Race Canada. She told me that all the staff of that organization signed agreement with the production about many aspects about the organization's participation in the show, including confidentiality. That agreement is such a blanket agreement that covers everybody.

 

If the practice is the same, we may conclude that everybody works for the FDNY Academy were not allowed to help in any way.

[cooksdelight]

I thought it was $100,000 for second place? Or am I thinking of another reality show with a $1 million top prize?

That's Survivor's 2nd place prize. And it goes down in $10,000 increments, I believe.

I think Justin & Diana had a lot of errors on their chairs they had to fix, based on how the sun was starting to set, and was almost entirely set by the time Logan & Chris finished. Justin wasted a lot of time watching the other team and not paying attention to how they were nailing in the boards.

[Bryce Lynch]

I finally summoned the courage to watch the finale today. There were three possible outcomes, only one of which was acceptable. Fortunately I got the acceptable outcome. Go cry all the way home, Justin, though I have the feeling this show is going to give you another chance in their next all star season. Chris you wimp, you don't give up a cab. Possession is nine-tenths, and with cabs it's ten-tenths. Not a great season, glad it's done.

Agree on Justin disagree on Chris. It was clear that the cab driver was going nowhere without Kelsey and Joey and the fare they owed him.

Logan and Chris might as well have gotten onto one of the fire trucks and demanded the firefighters take them to Belmont Park. There was as good a chance of that happening as there was of the cab driver taking them there.

[Netfoot]

I guess I'm just not in a position to imagine being able to shrug off the loss of a million dollars.

 

The idea that Justin lost the million is what I'd expect to hear from Justin himself.  Because he is entitled.  But Justin didn't lose the million.  Any more than Chris & Logan lost the million, any more than all the other TAR racers who didn't go home with the prize lost the million.  Any more than I lost the million when I bought a raffle ticket and didn't win.

 

No, Justin didn't lose the million.  Justin lost The Amazing Race.  Bwaaaahhhh!!!

[millennium]

Tough room, lol.

[Waldo13]

But how? To be able to use Uber, user needs to register and to have the application on a smartphone. Furthermore, Uber charges directly to credit card, personal one in this case. So no, unless Uber becomes a sponsor and has a product placement there, it can not be used in The Amazing Race.

Sorry, I was being facetious because, in NYC, uber and the taxi cab commission has been very much at odds over the addition of uber drivers. Uber drivers have been know to go to areas taxi cab drivers are reluctant to go.

I do remember though that on one season, the duo ordered a car to drive them around rather than use a taxi cab. I believe this was done when the final leg was in LA.

[scrb]

Only way they allow racers to use Uber is if Uber becomes a sponsor.

 

Hell then they'd plan legs only in cities with Uber.

[Guest]

I didn't understand the taxi negotiating.  There is a rate for waiting.  Run the meter and pay the rate.  What were they negotiating... his tip for not refusing to wait because his shift was ending?  There was talk of the cabbies going home.  If J&D's cabbie thought he'd get a $100 tip for waiting on top of the metered rate, that's a little absurd.  

 

Though I'm glad K&J won. I was 90% sure they would, given the edits.  While Dave & Conor were pretty bad, I think they try to avoid editing the winners to be total jerks.  

[ProfCrash]

The idea was give the driver extra so that he would stay. Essentially it was a very large tip.

[Guest]

So he wanted $100 for the first $50 leg (so a $50 tip) then $100 more tip, to wait?  I may have dismissed him, too.  They didn't even have $200.  What else could they do?  

[RCharter]

The idea was give the driver extra so that he would stay. Essentially it was a very large tip.

That would make sense to negotiate the $100 additional money to wait.  

 

If its a "tip" than he can avoid giving any of it to the taxi cab company, but if its just the meter running and part of his fare than he has to give part of it to the cab company.

 

If thats the case, I think the $100 was fair to sit there waiting.  He had no idea how long that task was going to take for them to complete.

[RCharter]

So he wanted $100 for the first $50 leg (so a $50 tip) then $100 more tip, to wait?  I may have dismissed him, too.  They didn't even have $200.  What else could they do?  

He could have negotiated.  He went straight to "I'm not paying you x!"  

 

In life, I've found that people generally aren't opposed to working with you if you're not an ass.  Most of the time.  There are some people who are just jerks.  But I think if he had had more of a "hey, listen, I only have y amount of money, I'll give it all to you if you can do this for me, please.  This way you don't have to drive back into the city to get another fare and since your car will be off, it'll just be a great tip"

 

Sometimes you need a spoonful of sugar, and not a face full of vinegar with people.

 

It would have made sense for both parties.  J&D would have had a cab waiting for him.  The cabbie would have essentially "taken his lunch break" and gotten paid for it and he would have had money for driving back into the city.  Even if he wouldn't have gotten the entire amount of driving back, he either has to drive back into the city for free, or he takes J&D back and at least gets a little money for it.

[proserpina65]

That was actually a pretty good final leg.  The physical tasks were challenging, the memory tasks did at least slow up one team, and best of all, I got to watch Justin cry bitch baby tears (TM Cristina Yang) because he didn't win despite being the most superest super fan ever.

 

Yay, Kelsey and Joey, who were, for the most part, pleasant and competent and deserved to win.

[proserpina65]

Have no proof one way or the other whether you can steal a cab or not "legally" on TAR....however, there have been many drivers who refused to be coerced/hijacked by another team when they were waiting for a specific team.  But I love that Joey and Kelsey just went right after Chris/Logan with no hesitation and grabbed the cab back!

 

 

I do wonder if a team has their stuff in a cab that was waiting for them and another team steals it, does it result in a penalty?  We have seen a few instances of racers taking other people's cars that resulted in late check ins.  I missed a few minutes of the show so I don't remember if Joey/Kelsey had their gear with them for the final leg. 

The rules allow one team to take another team's taxi (if the driver agrees) as long as the other team's bags aren't still in the cab.  We saw discussion of this particular point on the blind dating edition last season.

[proserpina65]

 

And yeah the memory challenges made a bit of a difference, but the leg was decided by cab shite, and even if you're a Justin-hater, you can't respect TAR and like that outcome.

I've watched TAR since the first season, love and respect it greatly, and have no problem with a team losing because of bad taxi luck.  Justin made a poor strategic decision on the final leg when his team was in the lead and it came back to bite him in the ass.  Too bad, so sad.

 

[Bryce Lynch]

So he wanted $100 for the first $50 leg (so a $50 tip) then $100 more tip, to wait? I may have dismissed him, too. They didn't even have $200. What else could they do?

I think the driver was asking for a total of $150. $50 for what he was already owed for the trip from the airport, plus $100 to wait and take them to their next destination.

Justin was only willing to pay $100 total.

We don't know how much cash they had, as it would depend on how much they had saved from prior legs.

Justin gave no indication that he lacked the cash needed and made no attempt to negotiate. He said, "I'm not gonna pay you $100 more than this." He then paid the $50.

Justin seemed very casual about the whole thing. He seemed to have no clue that it might be a big deal to let the cab leave.

Given that Justin lived in NYC for 20 years and went to Randalls Island on his stupid Fake Amazimg Race proposal, this had to be one of the dumbest mistakes in TAR history.

On the bright side he did save $100, so he only blew $999,900. He can use the $100 to buy some more dorky hats and t-shirts

Did anyone else especially enjoy watching Justin weep like a little girl while wearing that stupid, smiley face "Be Happy" shirt?

[Bryce Lynch]

The rules allow one team to take another team's taxi (if the driver agrees) as long as the other team's bags aren't still in the cab. We saw discussion of this particular point on the blind dating edition last season.

Right, under TAR rules, you can steal a cab if the other team left nothing in it and the driver agrees.

What Logan can't seem to comprehend is that the cabbie is not bound by TAR rules.

I wonder why it hasn't become standard practice to leave some unimportant items in your waiting cab. This would prevent having your cab stolen and it would be no big deal if the cab drives away with them.

[legaleagle53]

I thought it was $100,000 for second place?  Or am I thinking of another reality show with a $1 million top prize? 

 

You're thinking of Survivor.

Edited December 14, 2015 by legaleagle53

[dgpolo]

 

I wonder why it hasn't become standard practice to leave some unimportant items in your waiting cab. This would prevent having your cab stolen and it would be no big deal if the cab drives away with them.

The cabbies themselves, are allowed to take items out of their cabs. In other words if a cabbie decides to abandon their first fare and take another team, and the first team left their bags in the cab, the cabbie can take them out and allow the other team in. It's just other teams that are not allowed to touch another teams bags.

 

Cab drama has been a big part of TAR finales from the first. In the very first season Frank micro managed his cabs route while Rob and Brennan just let theirs go, they won. Season 2 had all three final teams running around San Francisco trying to find cabs. Colin hired a car rather than deal with a cab and that car got a flat and Chip and Kim won. Joyce and Uchenna got a cabbie that spoke Spanish while Rob and Amber's didn't. Then Joyce and Uchenna almost lost because they needed to settle with the cabbie -before- hitting the mat and they had run out of money, he had to beg for it. (but it was up to the cabbie how much he was willing to settle for) which may have been in the teams, not just J&D, minds. If they used all their money on that cab what would they do if they had to take another cab before hitting the mat. They had to be sure they had enough to pay off a cab so they could go to Phil.

 

Cab drama is part of the race and sometimes the best part (Colin almost getting arrested for stiffing his cabbie in Africa, Jonathan getting thrown out of a cab in?? eastern Europe somewhere, Chip paying of a cab with his watch etc)

[proserpina65]

 

Quote

    

    Is the way this show operates not obvious season after season.  All these posts about being happy with the winner, finding out ahead who won just who you could watch or so worried that the wrong team might win etc. make me laugh.

    

    The nicest team with the best edit wins every season.  It was very obvious weeks ago that Kelsey and Joey had to be the winners.

You've obviously never seen Flo, or Freddy and Kendra, all of whom were dreadful people, and yet they still won.