S27.E12: We Got A Chance, Baby!

[RemoteControlFreak]

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.

Taxis are not generally considered to be public transportation. And Uber is even less so.

 

And also, isn't it kind of SOP in the last leg of TAR to land in a US airport, grab the first available cab and throw all your money at the cabbie as a bribe to stay with you reach the finish line?  As super fans, Justin and Diana should have seen the scenario played out a lot in previous seasons.  

Edited December 14, 2015 by RemoteControlFreak

[Kel Varnsen]

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.

I imagine that hauling around and keeping track of these items might be more trouble than it was worth. Especially if you have to fit everything in 1 backpack.

[Bryce Lynch]

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

Dan and Jordan were rather obnoxious as well.

Also, while I liked them a lot, Connor and Dave seemed to be rather unpopular among viewers.

Even most of the inoffensive winners weren't necessarily fan favorites with the best edits.

[TallulahBelle]

Eh, he might have been unlikeable, but I still would have preferred a Green Team win based on their race-ability. (But really, I was fine as long as it wasn't Logan and Chris, who I'm still not convinced actually like each other even a little bit.)

[Waldo13]

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.

I think the issue was more than just stealing the cab. Kelsey and Joey didn't pay the cab driver. This was confirmed by them on the video. They said please wait and keep the meter running. I think the cab driver was confused as to the team, who got into his cab, was not Kelsey and Joey. I really think that since the cab was not paid for, the cab really could not be taken, by the paparazzi, since the fare was not settled. It's like you hail a cab and the meter was still running from another fare. I'm quite sure that the cab driver couldn't even take the paparazzi if he wanted to without eating Kelsey's and Joey's fare from JFK to Randall's Island and than their waiting time. I wish Phil would have given some kind of explanation instead of just listening to them arguing. Also, I would really like to find out if the paparazzi would have received a penalty for not returning the equipment and leaving it on the infield at Belmont Park. I find that very disrespectful since I know how much care firefighters put into maintaining their equipment they use to save their lives on a daily basis.

[Bryce Lynch]

I think the issue was more than just stealing the cab. Kelsey and Joey didn't pay the cab driver. This was confirmed by them on the video. They said please wait and keep the meter running. I think the cab driver was confused as to the team, who got into his cab, was not Kelsey and Joey. I really think that since the cab was not paid for, the cab really could not be taken, by the paparazzi, since the fare was not settled. It's like you hail a cab and the meter was still running from another fare. I'm quite sure that the cab driver couldn't even take the paparazzi if he wanted to without eating Kelsey's and Joey's fare from JFK to Randall's Island and than their waiting time. I wish Phil would have given some kind of explanation instead of just listening to them arguing. Also, I would really like to find out if the paparazzi would have received a penalty for not returning the equipment and leaving it on the infield at Belmont Park. I find that very disrespectful since I know how much care firefighters put into maintaining their equipment they use to save their lives on a daily basis.

The cab driver wasn't confused. He told Logan and Chris, "No, no, no!" as they approached the cab, but they got in anyway. Kelsey was a pretty good distance from the cab at the time as she ran to stop the theft. The driver had plenty of time to pull away, but he didn't move.

Also, earlier told Justin and Diana "I have someone right here." when they tried to talk him into taking them.

I totally agree that an explanation from Phil would have been much more interesting than Logan's bellyaching

I would also like to know if there would have been a penalty for taking the fire gear. I suspect there would have been. It was FDNY property and not just some silly costume for the show.

Also, both Justin and Joey changed and Joey asked the fireman if he needed to change. They didn't show his response, but the fact he did change suggests the answer was yes

In addition , I think in most cases you are either required to leave outfits behind or required to wear them to the mat.

[scowl]

Also, I would really like to find out if the paparazzi would have received a penalty for not returning the equipment and leaving it on the infield at Belmont Park. I find that very disrespectful since I know how much care firefighters put into maintaining their equipment they use to save their lives on a daily basis.

 

 Didn't Maya walk away from the movie set wearing her protective costume and have to run back to return it?

[cooksdelight]

Taxis are not generally considered to be public transportation. And Uber is even less so.

 

And also, isn't it kind of SOP in the last leg of TAR to land in a US airport, grab the first available cab and throw all your money at the cabbie as a bribe to stay with you reach the finish line?  As super fans, Justin and Diana should have seen the scenario played out a lot in previous seasons.

I worded the second quote wrong, they say "make your way to XYZ...." which allows them to take any form of transportation available. But if it's specific -- taxi, boat A, train B -- you follow those directions or face a penalty.

[Guest]

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.

I don't think that's how NY cabs work.  They run a meter and keep the fare and pay a flat fee for the cab for the day.  If they could screw the cab company by just never running the meter, they would and people wouldn't get fair fares.  

[Quilt Fairy]

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

And Kleenex.

[RCharter]

I don't think that's how NY cabs work.  They run a meter and keep the fare and pay a flat fee for the cab for the day.  If they could screw the cab company by just never running the meter, they would and people wouldn't get fair fares.  

You can get paid either by renting the cab for the day, or by a percentage of profits. (generally 1/3 of the profits go to the cab company)

 

If the driver was doing percentage of profits he makes more by not running the meter.  If the driver was doing a flat rate, he still makes money because I'm assuming cab drivers have to pay taxes based on the miles or on the amount they run on the meter.

 

ETA: if you pay a percentage of your daily totals, I believe the cab company picks up the cost of gas, which is a way to monitor how much you're actually driving.  Additionally they can check the odometer on the vehicle and require you to contact dispatch with updates as to where you are taking fares to make sure it matches up with gas/odometer.

Edited December 14, 2015 by RCharter

[Netfoot]

I believe the cab company picks up the cost of gas, which is a way to monitor how much you're actually driving. Additionally they can check the odometer on the vehicle and require you to contact dispatch with updates as to where you are taking fares to make sure it matches up with gas/odometer.

 

That would all be irrelevant.  You could in theory drive up and down all day and never get a fare.  There is no way they could compute revenue earned based upon distance traveled.  

[RCharter]

That would all be irrelevant.  You could in theory drive up and down all day and never get a fare.  There is no way they could compute revenue earned based upon distance traveled.  

If you're in a cab you shouldn't be driving around everywhere unless you get a fare.  So yes, they should be able to compute revenue based on distance travelled.  If you start out at point A to get a fare (lets say the airport, or a popular hotel) you should leave from there and drop off your fare.  You should contact dispatch once you drop off the fare and let them know where you are going or heading to.  The goal shouldn't really be to aimlessly drive around all day, if dispatch contacts you with a fare than you go to that fare, if you are going someplace where you think there are plenty of fares, you contact dispatch and tell them.

 

As long as your movements are tracked (and even more so by GPS now) and you are in contact with dispatch to account for your time (which you should be) than there is a way to compute the amount of money you should be bringing in.  However, if you tell them you are just laying low for a while and they can track that you're driving all over town....you're busted.

[biakbiak]

If you're in a cab you shouldn't be driving around everywhere unless you get a fare. So yes, they should be able to compute revenue based on distance travelled. If you start out at point A to get a fare (lets say the airport, or a popular hotel) you should leave from there and drop off your fare. You should contact dispatch once you drop off the fare and let them know where you are going or heading to. The goal shouldn't really be to aimlessly drive around all day, if dispatch contacts you with a fare than you go to that fare, if you are going someplace where you think there are plenty of fares, you contact dispatch.

Girlfriend of a cabbie/dispatcher and that isn't the way it works at all.Cab drivers do drive around "aimlessly" (he would say it isn't aimless) until the get fares particularly in a place like in NYC where nearly all of your fares are hails. Other places rely slightly more on dispatchers but even than its lots of driving around in an empty cab.

Also at least in NYC and SF where I know cabbies, drivers not the company are responsible for paying for their gas.

Edited December 14, 2015 by biakbiak

[In Pog Form]

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.

I don't think Uber would count as "public transport" either. Uber's entirely private, and racers are not allowed to hitchhike or otherwise accept rides from strangers. Trains, buses and other official transport infrastructure are a different matter.

[DEL901]

According to their exit interview, Kelsey and Joey got in the cab, realized he still had his fireman's boots on, got out and went to take them back.  They went together because that's TAR rules - no separations unless the clue tells you to.  So the cabbie knew Kelsey and Joey were in the vicinity and ready to leave.  Maybe if he hadn't seen them in an hour he might have gotten worried, eaten the fare and taken Chris and Logan, but he knew his fare (who owed him a bundle) were ready to go.

[Bryce Lynch]

Didn't Maya walk away from the movie set wearing her protective costume and have to run back to return it?

It would have been great if Chris and Logan arrived at the mat first only to be told they needed to go back to Belmont Park to retrieve the fire gear, return it to Randalls Island and then come back and check in.

[Guest]

The NYC Taxi Commission regulates fares.  The fare for waiting is $.50/minute.  They also can't refuse to wait, it sounds like, so I kind of hope that cabbie who was demanding huge tips got in trouble.

 

• What are the rules concerning multiple-stop trips?

Drivers are not permitted to refuse passengers with more than one stop. There is no limit to how many stops are allowed.  Keep in mind, the taximeter will run as one continuous trip; it is not turned off and then started again with every stop.  You pay the entire fare at the end of your trip.  If you encounter a situation where the driver refuses you service based on multiple destinations, get the taxicab medallion number, and contact us at 3-1-1 to file a complaint against the driver.

 

 

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/faq/faq_pass.shtml#16

[mertensia]

I'm not sure multiple destinations were the issue; sounds like payment was.

[mertensia]

I'm not sure multiple destinations were the issue; sounds like payment was.

[Guest]

But why wouldn't the cabbie just run the meter?  J&D had enough to pay that.  By those rules, there should have been no negotiating and he should've had no choice but to wait, UNLESS his  max12-hour shift was up, in which case he had no choice but to leave.  

 

I don't know, I'm just glad I live in a 'drive yourself everywhere' city.  When a cab can drive you out to the boonies then effectively ask whatever amount he wants for the return trip, that's just wrong.  That's why cabs have meters and regulated fares.  

[Bryce Lynch]

The NYC Taxi Commission regulates fares. The fare for waiting is $.50/minute. They also can't refuse to wait, it sounds like, so I kind of hope that cabbie who was demanding huge tips got in trouble.

http://www.nyc.gov/html/tlc/html/faq/faq_pass.shtml#16

The thing is Justin asked the driver if he wanted to wait and then talked money and then told him to leave. He didn't TELL him to wait and run the meter.

[Waldo13]

As an aside, the green team and the paparazzi didn't need to take a bus to get a cab. There is a walking bridge that crosses the East River that they could have used to get into Manhattan. If they knew it would have saved them a load of time from taking a bus. Besides, t still don't know how they came up with $5.50 in exact change, all coins, to pay the bus fare.

[yankee1151]

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.

Technically, if they had found a stranger (someone not affiliated with the fire dept if they are not allowed to help) with the Uber app on their phone, they could have called for a taxi. Uber has a taxi option now (at least in NYC) and there is just a fee of $2 charged to the Uber account, the actual fare is paid by meter like any other taxi. They could have paid the account holder the $2 and then taken the taxi that was sent by Uber (which would be a lot faster (and probably cheaper) than calling a car service based in Queens or Manhattan, which IMO would have been their only other option aside from what they did, which was to take the bus in the wrong direction in order to get to Manhattan and hail another cab. Of course, finding someone not associated with the fire dept and THEN convincing them (nicely of course) to allow their Uber app to be used to get a taxi (or even to borrow their phone and call a car) would require Justin to stop being an entitled dick for five minutes and I don't think he's capable of that. And he surely wouldn't have allowed Diana to speak...

Edited December 14, 2015 by yankee1151

[Kel Varnsen]

As an aside, the green team and the paparazzi didn't need to take a bus to get a cab. There is a walking bridge that crosses the East River that they could have used to get into Manhattan. If they knew it would have saved them a load of time from taking a bus. Besides, t still don't know how they came up with $5.50 in exact change, all coins, to pay the bus fare.

If racers spontaneously hop on a bus do they have to pay the fare for the camera and sound guys too? Edited December 14, 2015 by Kel Varnsen

[Guest]

The thing is Justin asked the driver if he wanted to wait and then talked money and then told him to leave. He didn't TELL him to wait and run the meter.

I guess I'm confused why New Yorker and know-it-all Justin did that.  You'd think he'd know the low fare for waiting.  Or would've hammered it out on the ride from JFK.  Even if it took them half an hour on Randall island, they would've only owed an extra $15 in fare. I'm sure there is some extenuating circumstance, though. 

[blackwing]

That "hashing it out" mat chat was interesting.  I agree with the general consensus that Logan should just zip it.  But I guess she was still all worked up about it, because she had just finished the race and fully believed that Chris' decision to get out of the cab cost them a million dollars.  I thought it was interesting that she thought that Justin took her cab.  But Justin simply said "no, your cab left" without acknowledging that the cab left because Justin was trying to browbeat him into taking him.  The fact that Logan thought that Justin took her cab explains better why she was so ticked off that Chris got out.  She figured that if Justin stole her cab why can't she steal Kelsey and Joey's?

 

In the end though, she is wrong, because that cab wasn't going to take anyone but Kelsey and Joey, and it was made pretty clear by that driver.  Maybe after she watched the race, she might have a different perspective.  There was no way she would be able to force that driver to take her.  In any event, the cab driver didn't cost her the million dollars.  Their idiocy with the flags did.  Granted, some of those flags were tough to recognise (Zambia vs. Zimbabwe) but if you are on the Amazing Race, you should have known to have paid attention to things.

 

I do wonder what country that extra unused flag was.  Anyone?

 

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.

I love how disparate couples can be. Kelsey's pet peeve about Joey is he can be impatient, and Joey's is Kelsey taking too long to get ready before they go out. Since the questions are game related, I thought Joey's response was a little silly.

I thought that Joey's bio actually said he came from a station in L.A.  Maybe he was just an assignment reporter there, and at the Santa Barbara station, he is actually an anchor.  I am happy for them.  They seem like nice people, and I thought that it was great that he said the first thing he would do was pay off his parents' mortgage, instead of something for himself.   As for those "pet peeve" questions, I always think they are kind of silly, because really, what are you going to say?  "My pet peeve about my partner is that she is a huge beeyotch that always yells at me and is ultra controlling."  He wants to say something innocuous that doesn't reflect badly on him, kind of like the "I'm a perfectionist" answer to the cliched "what's your greatest weakness" interview question.

Edited December 14, 2015 by blackwing

[Bryce Lynch]

As an aside, the green team and the paparazzi didn't need to take a bus to get a cab. There is a walking bridge that crosses the East River that they could have used to get into Manhattan. If they knew it would have saved them a load of time from taking a bus. Besides, t still don't know how they came up with $5.50 in exact change, all coins, to pay the bus fare.

Diana probably had a nickel for every time Justin acted like a douchbag. :)

Seriously, I wonder if the crew carries Metro cards that they will sell to the racers if they need them. I can't imagine they could have come up with exact change.

It looks like walking to Manhattan on the 103rd Street Footbridge would have taken about a half hour, so that might not have saved any time.

Edited December 14, 2015 by Bryce Lynch

[TattleTeeny]

Call me crazy, but I actually wanted J&D to win. I'm glad it wasn't asshole Logan and whiny Chris though. Logan's just the worst kind of ineffectual know-it-all. You want to keep the cab? How about YOU insist on it then, instead of waiting for your idiot S.O. to do it FOR you. She's that person who won't make a decision for fear of being wrong, yet jumps at the chance to criticize after someone does it for her. Ugh, she blows.

Edited December 14, 2015 by TattleTeeny

[Bryce Lynch]

Call me crazy, but I actually wanted J&D to win. I'm glad it wasn't asshole Logan and whiny Chris though. Logan's just the worst kind of ineffectual know-it-all. You want to keep the cab? How about YOU insist on it then, instead of waiting for your idiot S.O. to do it FOR you. She's that person who won't make a decision for fear of being wrong, yet jumps at the chance to criticize after someone does it for her. Ugh, she blows.

Call me crazy, but I actually wanted J&D to win. I'm glad it wasn't asshole Logan and whiny Chris though. Logan's just the worst kind of ineffectual know-it-all. You want to keep the cab? How about YOU insist on it then, instead of waiting for your idiot S.O. to do it FOR you. She's that person who won't make a decision for fear of being wrong, yet jumps at the chance to criticize after someone does it for her. Ugh, she blows.

You're crazy! :)

Agree about Logan. If she was so sure they could successfully pull off the cabjacking, why didn't she stay in the cab and call for Chris to come back?

[Special K]

I thought it was bullshit that the show expected NYC yellow cabs to take them to Belmont park, outside of the City.  I mean going to Newark Airport in a cab is one thing -- you can always get a fare back.  But Belmont?!?   Seriously, I'm surprised ANY of them got there!
 

Best Chris and Logan moments:

 

Chris, in the helicopter:  I feel like Donald Trump.

Logan:  What, your hair?

 

Chris: I have to take these pants off, I'm taking off my pants.
Logan:  You are NOT TAKING OFF those pants.

Chris:  Yes, I am!  I'm taking my pants off.

Logan: Don't you dare!

Chris:  And I'm leaving them and the boots.

Logan: Don't you DARE TAKE OFF THOSE PANTS!  AND YOU DON"T HAVE ANY OTHER SHOES!!!
 

Logan (on the mat):  Yeah, this probably isn't that healthy.  Don't try this at home, y'all!

 

So hilarious.

Edited December 14, 2015 by Special K

[PhD-Purgatory15]

The color scheme of the additional flag made me think Egypt or Palestine....but don't hold me to that. As a geography and int'l soccer junkie I immediately knew that it wasn't Macau's flag. It's all green with what looks like a lotus flower in the center.

 

When L&C finally watched it back, I'm sure they probably lost their minds on Justin. Ultimately their inability to recognize flags would've done them in later on....but Justin scaring off their cab cost them the lead (or a virtual tie) going into the lobster task. As others upthread mentioned, I would not have been happy watching the cheerleaders struggle with both the NYFD task and the lobsters. Maybe not as egregious as watching the female poker pros (Maria and Tiffany?) struggle futilely with that sledgehammer carnival game a few seasons back, but close. One or the other maybe, but at least one of the two should've been in a detour format to avoid brute strength being such an advantage in this finale leg. Or the NYFD task should've been altered to become a females only task.

 

I feel like K&J will go down as probably the perfect illustration of the blandest (although a portion of that rests with the editors who decided to give J&D approximately 70% of the screen time for the whole season), reasonably competent, and reasonably non-offensive TAR winning team over the entire 27 seasons. Not sure who exactly they replace, maybe Megan and Cheyne or Tammy and Victor (a pair that I had zero recollection of until I wikipedia'd the list of all winners).

Edited December 14, 2015 by PhD-Purgatory15

[Special K]

Kelsey's run looked like maybe she had scoliosis as a kid.  Not pretty, but she got it done.  Logan, wow, there was a shot of her sprinting down the road, and she looked like a track star. 

 

Edited December 14, 2015 by Special K

[scowl]

As an aside, the green team and the paparazzi didn't need to take a bus to get a cab. There is a walking bridge that crosses the East River that they could have used to get into Manhattan.

 

I was looking at that on Google Maps. It looks like it's just a mile or so. I and my would-be TAR partner can run a mile in nine minutes so we would have been tearing our asses over that bridge instead of waiting for a bus. 

Edited December 14, 2015 by scowl

[legaleagle53]

Diana probably had a nickel for every time Justin acted like a douchebag. :).

 

If that were true, she'd have had enough to pay for everyone's cabs, including tips.

Edited December 14, 2015 by legaleagle53

[Special K]

I was looking at that on Google Maps. It looks like it's just a mile or so. I and my would-be TAR partner can run a mile in nine minutes so we would have been tearing our asses over that bridge instead of waiting for a bus. 

 

My running group used to run up the East Side of Manhattan and over that foot bridge to run on Randall's island all the time.  Not with backpacks, though.  :)

 

Edited December 14, 2015 by Special K

[Guest]

I know Justin clued the cabbies in to the Belmont destination causing them to leave but I kind of feel like even if Logan and Chris had, their driver still would've refused.   

[Guest]

double post

Edited December 14, 2015 by Guest

[Hanahope]

I do think Justin was short sighted on the cab issue, even if he was concerned over money.  He should have known the problems in getting a cab from Randall Island if he let his go, so he should have either tried to negotiate something if he didn't want to pay the extra $50 the driver was asking for ($50 flat rate plus $100 tip to wait), which J&D said would only leave them with $30 for whatever other cab fare or other expenses were needed to the next location.  Either leave the meter running, or negotiate for $75 or something (such as here's all the money I have - save back $20 - please be our cab for the day) . I do understand the concern to only have $30 left for cab fare elsewhere, given how pricey NYC is.  How much does it cost to cab it to Belmont?  We could have seen Justin trying to beg for money at the race track.

 

I agree that it seems Justin thought he'd just take someone else's cab, which is rude, though I suppose within the bounds of racing if the driver agrees.  Perhaps this is a consideration for future racers, that on the last leg, instead of ditching your packs at the airport/checking them on the plane, bring them with you to keep in the cab to make sure no one can steal your cab.  All you risk is the loss of the stuff (which is also a possibility at the airport), so just make sure you pack stuff you don't mind losing.

[Guest]

A cab from Randall island to Belmont would be another $50ish, the internet says. Assuming the $120ish(?) K&J said they had was what the show gave them for the leg, it sounds like it was just enough?  That sounds like poor planning.  I wouldn't want a team to lose due to over-charging cabbies, which might've been exactly what happened, though since it was Justin, we were ok with it.  

[Special K]

There's a flat fee from the airports to Manhattan, which is $49 from JFK I think -- since Randall's Island is pretty near to Manhattan, relative to JFK, that's probably where the $50 came from (and you'd probably tip $10 and pay any tolls).  To take a yellow cab out of the five boroughs (other than Newark airport, see previous), you'd have to negotiate with the driver the cost.  He could demand anything you'd be willing to pay, I guess.  Though maybe there are limits on gouging?
 

Edited December 14, 2015 by Special K

[TattleTeeny]

You're crazy! :)

Agree about Logan. If she was so sure they could successfully pull off the cabjacking, why didn't she stay in the cab and call for Chris to come back?

Because that's how she always does things! Like a "cover your ass" blame-game preemptive strike. 

[Muffyn]

For Justin’s cab driver to have even brought up the extra $100, there had to have been a prior debate on fare.  We know there was some kind of discussion of an extra payment.  We just don’t know who started that discussion.  Did the driver tell J&D he would only take them to Randall’s Island for an extra amount or did Justin offer the driver an enormous tip hoping to motivate him to go very fast and stay with them?   If it’s the former, J&D would have been better off getting into a different cab from the start.  They were at the airport so other cabs were most likely available.  If the latter, then it is on Justin.  I can imagine him thinking of this as a winning strategy, trying to get the driver on his side through the offer of an excess payment.  At the same time, Justin’s ever-so-grating personality and the way in which he spoke to the driver may have been enough to have him figure it was not worth it or made the driver believe it wasn’t a real offer.  Unless J&D had a huge amount of cash saved up, it’s pretty foolhardy to offer an extra $50 or $100 to the driver when you don’t know what is coming up.

[yankee1151]

For Justin’s cab driver to have even brought up the extra $100, there had to have been a prior debate on fare.  We know there was some kind of discussion of an extra payment.  We just don’t know who started that discussion.  Did the driver tell J&D he would only take them to Randall’s Island for an extra amount or did Justin offer the driver an enormous tip hoping to motivate him to go very fast and stay with them?   If it’s the former, J&D would have been better off getting into a different cab from the start.  They were at the airport so other cabs were most likely available.  If the latter, then it is on Justin.  I can imagine him thinking of this as a winning strategy, trying to get the driver on his side through the offer of an excess payment.  At the same time, Justin’s ever-so-grating personality and the way in which he spoke to the driver may have been enough to have him figure it was not worth it or made the driver believe it wasn’t a real offer.  Unless J&D had a huge amount of cash saved up, it’s pretty foolhardy to offer an extra $50 or $100 to the driver when you don’t know what is coming up.

Cabbies are not allowed to refuse fares within the city limits, or negotiate a fare outside of the metered rate (or in the case of airport fares, the flat rate that is posted in all cabs). I mean, they DO refuse all the time (usually when asked to go to another borough from Manhattan) but usually it's by making an excuse like the meter just broke or they are going off duty, etc. The dude would not have done that with a camera crew present, he could lose his hack license. I agree that the discussion of $$ for waiting came up before they hit the FDNY training center, and Justin thought what the cabbie was asking was too much. Instead of calmly and nicely negotiating (OR JUST ASKING HIM TO RUN THE METER, DAMN), Justin went into full on "I'm a New Yorker and yer fucking me over, man" mode. Trust me, I know that feeling, but TIME AND PLACE, Justin. This was NOT it. Also, I'm not even sure the driver WAS trying to fuck them over. They had no idea how long they'd be gone or how long they would need his services. Again, METER. Also, I'm SURE Justin was crowing the whole ride there about how he was going to win $1,000,000, so why the hell WOULDN'T the cabbie assume they REALLY REALLY needed his help and would be willing to pay whatever for it? 

 

I know I'm being redundant but I'm just so glad Justin's mouth ended up doing him in. 

 

Also, cabs aside, I'm not sure they even would have won. Yeah they were able to make up the time fairly quickly (as were Logan & Chris) as evidenced by all 3 teams seeing each other on the boats. But Kelsey and Joey appeared to do all the flags in the first attempt (with the exception of initially adding the extra flag on the bottom) - we know L&C sucked at that one but I'm pretty sure J&D did not complete that as quickly as K&J. Also, we saw them have to fix one chair, but this could simply be because the editors wanted it to make it look closer than it was. It's entirely possible that they had re-do more of the chairs. Justin certainly spent a lot of time looking/yelling at K&J during that task while Diana hammered away. Does anyone know the time difference between first and second to the mat? I'm very curious. I mean, it would be hilarious if it was like 5 minutes, meaning the cab WAS their entire undoing, but I suspect there was more at play than that. K&J ran a pretty flawless leg. 

Edited December 14, 2015 by yankee1151

[Special K]

Cabbies are not allowed to refuse fares within the city limits, or negotiate a fare outside of the metered rate (or in the case of airport fares, the flat rate that is posted in all cabs).

 

RIght.  And at the NYC airports, the only way to hail a taxi (within regulations, I guess) is to stand on the taxi queue and the taxi guy (concierge?) puts you in the cabs as they line up.  No cabbie could refuse to take them in that context.  Cabbies line up, the fares line up, and the taxi queue guys keeps it all in order.

[blackwing]

Not sure if I have seen this addressed... when the teams had to "fly to Long Island" were they forced to take a spoonfed flight?  Joey said something like "we are all going to be on the same flight".  Or did teams try for better times and not find anything?  I get that they want to try and keep everyone together, but it would have been more interesting to see the airport jockeying.  There are two airports in "Long Island" that are feasible and from Hong Kong there would have been plenty of options.  JFK is usually used for international flights, and a flight to JFK would be a direct flight.  But maybe the direct flight to JFK doesn't leave for 12 hours, and in 4 hours there was a flight to Chicago that was leaving.  From there they could have found a better flight through LaGuardia.

 

I do think that it's a bit disappointing to equalise everyone on the final leg.  It's how a fairly weak team that was nearly eliminated like the Beekman Boys ends up winning.  At least there were actual significant, time consuming tasks this time around.  I recall the days when it was pretty much just land, get in a cab, go here, get in another cab, and go to finish line.

[Ottis]

As soon as I realized that Kelsee and Joey had the only 'talking head' segments that were being shown, it was quite obvious they would be the winners. I call shame on the editors for that. Surely they could have danced around that to make it more suspenseful (I realize they couldn't use Justin's because of tears, but...).

 

 

I called it last week after seeing the "on the next episode" teasers. There was something about what they showed that gave it away. I told Mrs. Ottis and the Ottises at the time the reporters will win. Made me look like a genius Friday.

 

I post this every season, but they need to remove taxis from the equation. In this case, it may have been Justin who screwed it up, but he never should have had a taxi to deal with. 

Edited December 14, 2015 by Ottis

[Quilt Fairy]

My running group used to run up the East Side of Manhattan and over that foot bridge to run on Randall's island all the time.  Not with backpacks, though.  :)

By that time, I don't think any of the teams still had their backpacks. J&D definitely did not.

[blackwing]

I post this every season, but they need to remove taxis from the equation. In this case, it may have been Justin who screwed it up, but he never should have had a taxi to deal with. 

 

Yes, but what is the solution?  To have them drive themselves?  That'd be disastrous.  They almost always come from overseas, so they are dealing with jet lag.  Add in killer fatigue and exhaustion.  But most importantly, they are racing for $1 million so they would probably be very dangerous and fast drivers on the road.  Not safe at all.

 

The other possibility is to have spoonfed drivers, but with that, there is absolutely no suspense.  All of the drivers would know where they are going and how to get there.  

 

I do feel that taxi management is a skill.  Justin demonstrated what a douchenozzle he was in the taxi in Hong Kong.  He acted like the guy was costing him a million dollars.  His attitude extended to the driver in New York.  I find it appalling that he was in a position to potentially win a million dollars, and he was actually being calculating and subtracting out the $5 he paid for the toll.

 

I absolutely love that taxi karma played a huge hand in the outcome.  But it wasn't just taxi karma.  It was how you treat people.  I have no doubt that Kelsey and Joey were nothing but gracious and polite to their driver, which is why he was willing to wait for them without them having paid him first.  He must have liked them.  Logan and Chris probably bickered the whole way to the fire station about everything, and the guy didn't want anything more to do with them.  And then there was Justin, who was probably bouncing up and down and gloating the entire ride about how he was going to win a million dollars.  Meanwhile, he treats everyone he encounters like a mere servant who exists only to help him win a million dollars.  The driver was probably all "why do I want to help this asshole".

 

A taxi did not cause Justin to lose.  Justin being Justin caused him to lose.

[Bryce Lynch]

Yes, but what is the solution? To have them drive themselves? That'd be disastrous. They almost always come from overseas, so they are dealing with jet lag. Add in killer fatigue and exhaustion. But most importantly, they are racing for $1 million so they would probably be very dangerous and fast drivers on the road. Not safe at all.

The other possibility is to have spoonfed drivers, but with that, there is absolutely no suspense. All of the drivers would know where they are going and how to get there.

I do feel that taxi management is a skill. Justin demonstrated what a douchenozzle he was in the taxi in Hong Kong. He acted like the guy was costing him a million dollars. His attitude extended to the driver in New York. I find it appalling that he was in a position to potentially win a million dollars, and he was actually being calculating and subtracting out the $5 he paid for the toll.

I absolutely love that taxi karma played a huge hand in the outcome. But it wasn't just taxi karma. It was how you treat people. I have no doubt that Kelsey and Joey were nothing but gracious and polite to their driver, which is why he was willing to wait for them without them having paid him first. He must have liked them. Logan and Chris probably bickered the whole way to the fire station about everything, and the guy didn't want anything more to do with them. And then there was Justin, who was probably bouncing up and down and gloating the entire ride about how he was going to win a million dollars. Meanwhile, he treats everyone he encounters like a mere servant who exists only to help him win a million dollars. The driver was probably all "why do I want to help this asshole".

A taxi did not cause Justin to lose. Justin being Justin caused him to lose.

Taxi Karma - Good

Taxi Luck - Bad

Justin and Diana deserved the taxi Karma. Many racers in the past didn't deserve the bad taxi luck they got.

I don't really see how driving in the final leg is any more dangerous. Teams seem to rush around like it is the final leg in all the legs.

Plus, I would think driving overseas often on the left side of the road, with road signs not in English and some crazy traffic would be more dangerous.

My guess is they feel American accident victims would be far more litigious and more easily able to sue a US based production company.