I'm with you sumi. I mean, what is the harm in making sure you have your things WITH you? Yes, you might have to spend time hailing a new cab, but to leave your passport behind? Major stooooooopido.

The cab situation is interesting in general. How do they know when they will need the same cab all day? And if they can't barter for cab fare when they are out of money, they are back to begging which I thought they tried to eliminate with the changes to non-eliminated teams not losing their cash.

It feels like there is more running out of money this season -- I wonder why, if it's true.

Yeah, I can't tell from watching if they're just bad at managing the cash, or if there's something else going on. Now, this leg, obviously it took extra for them to make the trip back and such.

Are the penalties for misbehavior fixed in advance? Two hours for each seemed long, although if they'd only gotten a half hour for each they still would have come behind the next team.

Totally agree with Jessica about the bags. D. even said so at the time; the other partner should be running right now. But I guess the redheads made it clear they were trying to be circumspect about why they went back. I think it would have been possible for teams not to notice what happened, being focused on their own propeller.

And seriously, people, never leave your passport. Did none of you watch last season?

Are the penalties for misbehavior fixed in advance?

Phil said that it was in the rules so I would guess so. I would think that every contestant would get full set of the rules before the race.

And seriously, people, never leave your passport. Did none of you watch last season?

Nevermind watching past seasons - never leave your passport is Travel 101!

(Actually, how'd they get to the party cab challenge anyway if their money was back at the dock?)

They got in the cab with the idea that he would drive them to their money when the challenge was over. But the cab driver must have overheard them muttering in the back that they couldn't pay him, because he took off while they were in the party van.

So they effectively stiffed their driver? Shouldn't that carry some kind of penalty? I guess they hadn't actively screwed him at that stage.

I would think that every contestant would get full set of the rules before the race.

They didn't look even a little surprised when Phil called them on it, just bummed that they were getting held back. I don't know that they consciously remembered when they were doing it, but it wasn't news to them.

The two hours for this actually makes me think the 1/2 hour for deliberately sabotaging other teams is bit light. But Jessica's thought about why it's a rule in the first place makes me think they're right to be extra strict on the bartering thing.

Yeah, on reflection, I guess that makes sense.

I didn't like that bit (re: the girls, stiffing the driver) but I was glad that they negotiated for free upfront with the other bit.

The stuntmen did also negotiate in advance at that point, and now that I think about it, at the mat they said something along the lines of "we had to take care of the people" kinda deal, so I think they probably were aware of it at the time and just decided to violate it so that they'd be giving the drivers at least something of value.

I swear I'm starting to miss the days when people got behind because they wouldn't cut their hair or because their ox was broken over leaving a challenge without your passport or your shoes. I'm sorry, I just can't get past the shoe thing. How on earth do you not go "hang on, I just gotta grab my shoes"? And then you go back to your bag for your shoes and you have time to think "hey, I wonder maybe should we just bring all this stuff along, since I'm right here and all?" and presto! problem solved.

because their ox was broken

That will NEVER not be funny.