Before TAR14 reduced the race to "get inside a taxi, complete a childish task, get inside another taxi, run for a minute", it was one of the most challenging shows on TV. Some teams triumphed, showing their brilliant travel skills to the nation (and usually came in 2nd place as a result). But even the best teams made some really dumb moves.
This list is a look at some of the most regrettable, and ultimately avoidable, mistakes in TAR history. Sometimes they led to elimination; sometimes the perpetrator was saved by a bunching; sometimes they were lucky enough to have another team in an even worse situation. For this list, the consequences don't matter as much as the potential consequences.
As a rule, I've tried to avoid listing things where:
1. Mistakes where it's impossible to tell exactly what went wrong - for example, Peter/Sarah getting horribly lost in Kuwait was obviously a "dumb move", but it's hard to blame them since we don't know what kind of luck they had with passersby compared to the other teams.
2. Mistakes that would have been impossible to predict given the limited information given in the clues - for example, Steve/Dave chose the cheese-carrying Detour thinking that the manure pile's size could damage Dave's knee; had they known how it was stacked, they would have taken it and survived over Tian/Jaree (ATCs in the bull-run, surely one of the worst missed opportunities ever?)
3. Mistakes caused by innate ineptitude - for example, Dandrew's inability to walk.
4. Mistakes that require an enormous amount of speculation - for example, the Clowns were probably stupid telling every single team about the bus to Alpi in Leg 2, since they could have given their alliance a huge heads up. But it's hard to say if that would have had any impact in the long-term.
First ten up soon...
PS: I hardly have any TAR8 moments on the list, partly because I didn't pay much attention on rewatching (and still haven't rewatched a few things), so if anyone remembers any particularly heinous things that should be included PM me. This kind of a first draft anyway, so I'll add things I've forgotten when this one's done.
LIST SO FAR:
#115 - David/Jeff Fail To Understand Fish Dimensions (TAR4, Ep 8)
#114 - Don's Task Delegation (TAR6 Ep2-4)
#113 - Don/MJ Don't Stack (TAR6, Ep 4)
#112 - Christie Thinks She Owns The Airport (TAR5, Ep 7)
#111 - Flo/Zach Waste Time Selling Fruit (TAR3, Ep 11)
#110 - Peach Doesn't Haggle (TAR2, Ep 4)
#109 - Lyn/Karlyn Invent The Hydroform Tavern (TAR10, Ep 4)
#108 - Dustin/Kandice Stall For Fear Of Mirna (TAR11, Ep 8)
#107 - Gretchen Rides An Elephant (TAR7, Ep 9)
#106 - Tian/Jaree Ride An Elephant (TAR4, Ep 7)
#105 - Vipul/Arti Ask For English Speakers (TAR10, Ep 1)
#104 - Susan/Patrick Don't Exchange Currency (TAR7, Ep 2)
#103 - Kelly's Thoughts On Beethoven
#102 - All But One Team Take A Slow Boat To Paqueta Island (TAR2, Ep 1)
#101 - Duke/Lauren Get Ditched (TAR10, Ep 3)
#100 - Colin/Christie & Others Go To The Wrong Cemetery (TAR5, Ep 2)
#99 - Kris/Jon Go To The Wrong Cemetery (TAR6, Ep 4)
#98 - Dave & Blake & The Flight To Hong Kong (TAR2, Ep 7)
#97 - Kami/Karli Wait 45-Minutes For A Detour (TAR5, Ep 8)
#96 - Russell Confuses Towns (TAR4, Ep 3)
#95 - Chip Goofs Around At The Yield (TAR5, Ep 10)
#94 - Kami/Karli Ignore The Puzzle (TAR5, Ep 5)
#93 - Tyler/James Forget Their Medallion (TAR10, Ep 11)
#92 - Terence/Sarah Stop For A Random Flag (TAR13, Ep 3)
#91 - Victor Follows Hiking Signs (TAR14, Ep 3)
#90 - Christie Doesn't Control The Ox (TAR5, Ep 11)
#89 - Brandon/Nicole + Colin/Christie Don't Check Flights (TAR5, Ep 13)
#88 - Kelly/Jon + Chip Suck At Easyshare Cameras (TAR4, Ep 12)
#87 - Charla Fiddles With GPS Buttons (TAR11, Ep 12)
#86 - Bowling Moms Take A Taxi + Go To The Bank With Him (TAR5, Ep 9)
#85 - Bowling Moms Stiff A Taxi Driver (TAR5, Ep 9)
#84 - Kynt/Vyxin Switch Detours (TAR12, Ep 7)
#83 - Frank/Margarita Start Climbing Over Walls (TAR1, Ep 12)
#82 - Pat/Brenda Visit The Wrong Foucault's Pendulum (TAR1, Ep 3)
#81 - Only Ken/Gerard Book Taxis (TAR3, Ep 11)
#80 - Chos & Bama Pussy Out (TAR10, Ep 5)
#79 - Mojo Only Get One Crayfish (TAR9, Ep 9)
#78 - Rob Throws Tomatoes (TAR10, Ep 12)
#77 - Kim/Leslie Haggle (TAR1, Ep 2)
#76 - David/Jeff's Entire Korea Leg (TAR4, Ep 10)
#75 - Tammy/Victor Don't U-Turn Margie/Luke (TAR14, Ep 11)
#74 - BJ/Tyler Don't Yield the Frats (TAR9, Ep 10)
#73 - Tyler/James & Romberly Don't Yield The Blondes (TAR10, Ep 11)
#72 - Mark/Michael Bumble Through The Detour (TAR14, Ep 4)
#71 - Gary/Dave Waste Time In Thailand (TAR2, Ep 5)
#70 - Gary/Dave Waste Their Fast Forward (TAR2, Ep 7)
#69 - Shola/Doyin Waste Their Fast Forward (TAR2, Ep 2)
#68 - Zach Waits In Line (TAR3, Ep 11)
#67 - Heather/Eve Don't Walk (TAR3, Ep 4)
#66 - Four Teams Fail To Check Opening Times (TAR6, Episode 4)
#65 - Cyndi/Russell Get Lost In Thailand (TAR2, Ep 5)
#64 - Arianne Does A Roadblock (TAR3, Ep 4)
#63 - Meredith/Gretchen Choose To Haul Boats (TAR7, Ep 11)
#62 (accidental tie, lol) - Andre/Damon Need Instructions On Donkey Handling (TAR3, Ep 1) + Dustin/Kandice Ostracise Themselves (TAR10, Ep 2-12)
#61 - Nancy/Emily Don't Switch Detours (TAR1, Ep 9)
#60 - Lake/Michelle Don't Ask For Directions To Rion (TAR9, Ep 7)
#59 - Wanda/Desiree Miss The Sign For Munich (TAR9, Ep 4)
#58 - Derek/Drew & Ken/Gerard Follow Yellow Flags (TAR3, Ep 11)
#57 - Romber Don't Check Their Spelling (TAR11, Ep 4)
#56 - Colin/Christie Wait At The Wrong Airline Terminal (TAR5, Ep 1; TAR13, Ep 1)
#55 - Kelly/Christy Don't Get Their Cab To Wait (TAR13, Ep 2)
#54 - Alison/Donny Take The Slow Bus (TAR5, Ep 2)
#53 - Old People Get Lost (Many Eps)
#52 - Dustin/Kandice Miss The Detour (TAR11, Ep 3)
#51 - Gary/Dave Dig From The Walls (TAR2, Ep 9)
#50 - Danny Buys Newspapers (TAR11, Ep 9)
