Topic: Usage of public transportation during the race...

[Goldeneye]

Now, the usage of public transportation is almost inadvisable unless required here in the States (see TAR 16 Leg 1), but in the past two legs - public transportation in St Petersburg would have saved a chunk of money if permitted on all angles...

I have seen racers in the past use public transport as an option (one of them a requirement as a task, TAR 13 Leg 10), but that has been very scarce since TAR 16 Leg 1 - I wonder if the usage of even the Metro was barred during the St Petersburg legs...I would understand if things like the marshrutka would be banned, but I think the normal buses, trolleybuses, trams and Metro should still be permitted if not prohibited by the clue.

...which is sad because the very first task of this past leg took them out to Avtovo Circus, which is very close (about a 5 minute walk) to the world-famous Avtovo metro station.

[Cocoa]

I think producers want to exhibit how Russian taxi drivers are infamous.

[Caelestor]

The problem is the producers want to limit sightings and speed filming up so that the whole race finishes in 3 weeks.
Don't want people to get lost in the metro, now, do we?

[jerseydude]

And the racers themselves don't want to take public transport in case it makes them fall behind. E.g. TAR 12 Taiwan Leg when Jen and Nate took a metro then bus to the detour costing them the race.

[Goldeneye]

I probably should add that the St Petersburg Metro is very frequent and one rarely has to wait more than 5 minutes for a train, and quite often it's usually every 2 or 3 minutes.

Not sure how bad St Petersburg traffic can be though.

[theschnauzers]

This was the third time (IIRC) the show has been in St. Petersberg, and they've yet to use mass transit there. They've been to Moscow a few times, and they have used the metro there. 

There can be issues with using mass transit (visibility, teams going to the wrong places, wnatnot) and my impression is that TPTB are trying to control the amount of time it takes to film. As it is, this season appears to be a couple of days longer than the recent average, so I suspect that is one reason against using mass transit if it might slow things down.

[apskip]

this season appears to be a couple of days longer than the recent average, so I suspect that is one reason against using mass transit if it might slow things down.

theschnauzers,
Huh? AR17 began on May 26 and finished June 15. By my calculation, that is 21 days. When has any Amazing Race season been completed in less than 21 days?

[Neobie]

Public transportation don't extend legs by more than two or three hours; the producers are just trying to keep everyone together and to avoid spoiler sightings. Shame for the lost racing possibilities.

[DrRox]

I seem to remember some problems with filming Toni and Dallas in TAR 14 in Moscow subway.....it was after Dallas lost the passports. They tried to use the subway but were banned by security.....seems maybe the permit had expired........does anyone remember exactly? They ended up having to use surface busses.

[Dånooky]

I seem to remember some problems with filming Toni and Dallas in TAR 14 in Moscow subway.....it was after Dallas lost the passports. They tried to use the subway but were banned by security.....seems maybe the permit had expired........does anyone remember exactly? They ended up having to use surface busses.

If I remember correctly, they wouldn't allow filming in the Subway after a certain hour