Topic: Amazing Race Questions

[SuperTux]

I've heard that winners don't need to pay taxes if they choose to get the prize money 20 grands each year instead of getting the whole 1 million bucks once and for all. Then what if CBS collapses in 50 years?

As far as I know, CBS pays the full million to the team (one half to each teammate) and after that, each team member is responsible for paying any income taxes (federal, most states, and some localities) on their share of the prize money, By the way, teams also have to declare and pay income taxes on any prizes they win during the Race. Because individual tax situations are different, it's not possible to state what percentage of the prize money goes to taxes; and some tax planning during that tax year may also reduce the amount of taxes that has to be paid.
Whether an annuity gets used is an individual post-race planning issue which is not done by CBS. I'm not comfortable speculating about how that could be done or whether there's any way to use annuities to reduce the tax burden. I am aware that annuities are available for winners of the multi-state or state-operated lotteries in the U.S. (they get to choose after they win if the want the adjusted lump sum with taxes withheld, or a 20 year annuity which adds up to the announced jackpot amount; but that doesn't apply to the US version of TAR. I also don't know how any of the regional versions deal with income or other taxes.

Got it. Thanks for educating me in that!

[AmazingRace]

What happens when the teams get separated from their camera crew?

Like for example the team runs into a train as the doors were closing and the door closed right after the team entered the train but leaving the camera crew behind on the platform?

[Platrium]

What happens when the teams get separated from their camera crew?

Like for example the team runs into a train as the doors were closing and the door closed right after the team entered the train but leaving the camera crew behind on the platform?

  They'll be given... a time credit?

[theschnauzers]

What happens when the teams get separated from their camera crew?

Like for example the team runs into a train as the doors were closing and the door closed right after the team entered the train but leaving the camera crew behind on the platform?

  They'll be given... a time credit?

I do believe this scenario had happened in an early season, and in that instance, IIRC, the team had to wait at the destination stop for the camera crew to catch up. I'm not sure that the team would get a time credit since, ideally, the team should have waited with the crew for the next available train so as to not get separated. (In other words, the team would have had to wait, one way or the other so the next effect on the amount of time waiting would have been the same.)

[jetishidae]

Remember the taking order in Chinese detour?
Does the subtitle of what Jen & Kisha said is for real or just for the humor?

Speaking of Jen & Kisha, where did Kisha stated that she's gay?

[Platrium]

Remember the taking order in Chinese detour?
Does the subtitle of what Jen & Kisha said is for real or just for the humor?

Speaking of Jen & Kisha, where did Kisha stated that she's gay?

I don't think it's humor. Chinese is really... complicated? (not sure with the term complicated)

[SuperTux]

Another question is about spending. Usually in which country do the crew spend most money?

[SuperTux]

Is it the case that TAR fans dislike football? They usually share the same time slot.

[slayton]

Remember the taking order in Chinese detour?
Does the subtitle of what Jen & Kisha said is for real or just for the humor?

Speaking of Jen & Kisha, where did Kisha stated that she's gay?

http://www.realitytvworld.com/news/exclusive-jennifer-and-lakisha-hoffman-talk-the-amazing-race-8911.php

Reality TV World: LaKisha, a couple of weeks ago there was a story about how you're openly gay but how that wasn't featured anywhere in the [show]. Was that your decision or was that someone else's decision?

LaKisha: I think it was CBS' decision just because this is a race so I think [the teams] have certain labels and we were 'the athletic sisters' and they really wanted to focus on that aspect of our relationship.  And I think they did a great job of that because from the beginning of the race with us adjusting to each other to the end of the race [with] us really supporting and working well as a team, I think they really captured that.

And you know, it's just one of those things where I have big breadth. There's different characteristics of me that make me who I am, from being a woman, to being African-American, to being a sister... it could be as a teacher... it could be as a lesbian.  You know there's so many aspects of me so I guess they picked what they felt would really be fitting for us at that moment.

No, that wasn't my decision because my family knows about me and my friends know about me.

[EDITOR'S NOTE: According to a CBS spokesperson, LaKisha's sexual orientation would have "definitely" been mentioned if it had been deemed, similar to the gay father and son team of Mel and Mike White, to be a "major story point" of her The Amazing Race participation.  The show has also similarly not noted the orientation of openly gay "Mother and Son" team member Luke Adams, the spokesperson noted.]

[SuperTux]

Could teams exchange money at the pitstop, for example, which means they don't need to take their time for doing so during the race?

In the first leg of S24 fans reported that many teams, instead of exchanging money in banks, did so with fans even if it meant to lose some money they could have got (e.g. a team exchanged 60 dollars for 298 RMB).

[RachelLeVega]

Another question is about spending. Usually in which country do the crew spend most money?

Most likely Japan (especially Tokyo), but maybe Italy would be the most expensive for the crew.

[RachelLeVega]

I thought teams weren't supposed to help other teams with a Roadblock, if this is true, why didn't Jason & Amy receive a penalty?

[georgiapeach]

No rule against a team helping another team that I know of, you just can't actively hinder another team.

And no, football is good for ratings, so we LIKE football.

[Don Task]

I like when 'Additional info' paper is clearly visible on screen, so I can take a deeper look into production. I know that it includes info about how to perform every task or about security demonstrations we dont see on TV. What else is usually written in them? Dont you some have a clear screencap of one of these?

I've got just this one http://oi43.[banned image hosting site].com/29239g1.jpg

[Dånooky]

I like when 'Additional info' paper is clearly visible on screen, so I can take a deeper look into production. I know that it includes info about how to perform every task or about security demonstrations we dont see on TV. What else is usually written in them? Dont you some have a clear screencap of one of these?

I've got just this one http://oi43.[banned image hosting site].com/29239g1.jpg

I remember in earlier seasons production would paste instructions to drive stick on the wheel of a car.

[theschnauzers]

The additional information could be any number of things, from specific rules and requirements for a task to instructions and limitations about transportation, and even the place name in the native language and alphabet that the teams have to get to, especially in places where English speakers aren't common or special local laws or customs that have to be observed (such as women Racers covering their heads when entering a mosque, which has happened in several different Races over the years.

The sheets that are one-third of normal size letter paper are what the producers want the Racers to read on camera (usually) but the additional instructions at the beginning of the Race often included the flight information for the teams' first flight.

[AmazingRace]

The Race does not allow teams to fly on certain airlines, am I right?

I was just reading up on an airplane crash in Mozambique that happened last week. The airline was LAM. It sounds familiar as I believe this was the airline teams flew on in TAR11 during the African leg there.

I know that these airlines do not have the best of safety records. But is there like a list of airlines or transport companies that the Race producers forbid them from flying on?

[Vitoko]

The Race does not allow teams to fly on certain airlines, am I right?

I was just reading up on an airplane crash in Mozambique that happened last week. The airline was LAM. It sounds familiar as I believe this was the airline teams flew on in TAR11 during the African leg there.

I know that these airlines do not have the best of safety records. But is there like a list of airlines or transport companies that the Race producers forbid them from flying on?

I read somewhere, probably on Ryan from S21 review of one of the early episodes of S23, that when teams need to travel somewhere production gives them a list of airlines they can use, I believe this to be true but I'm not so sure about it...

[Air]

The Race does not allow teams to fly on certain airlines, am I right?

I was just reading up on an airplane crash in Mozambique that happened last week. The airline was LAM. It sounds familiar as I believe this was the airline teams flew on in TAR11 during the African leg there.

I know that these airlines do not have the best of safety records. But is there like a list of airlines or transport companies that the Race producers forbid them from flying on?

I always guessed it was IATA or ICAO approved airlines? 

[theschnauzers]

The producers will restrict teams for safety, security, or other production related reasons. (In the early seasons, especially immediately after 9/11, Athens and Frankfurt had a poor security reputation, for example.) Other restrictions may be due to visa or other requirements specific to a certain country.

As far as I've read over the years, there is not a master list as such, it has to be adjusted for changes reflecting the safety, security, or other production related reasons I mentioned before.

[SamualDude]

What would happen if a winner leaked that they actually won before the season even began to air or just finished filming? What would happen?

[SuperTux]

What would happen if a winner leaked that they actually won before the season even began to air or just finished filming? What would happen?

I think I read it somewhere that if winners leak the news they'd be punished with a fine of 5 million dollars.

A similar case did happen in the first season of TAR Australia where someone leaked who the winners were before the finale aired. Seven channel was pissed off, but since the leaker was not a contestant, we didn't see any following lawsuit or fine.

[theschnauzers]

To be more precise, if the leaker of such information signed a non-disclosure agreement, the network and the production can enforce that contract in court. The contract has what is called a liquidated damages provision that fixes the amount of damages for any breach of that agreement. It's been understood that the amount is either $5 million or $10 million, at least in the early seasons, an amount to cover the cost of producing the season.
It might be higher now.
The only time I am aware of such contracts actually were taken to court was for an early season of Survivor.
As to leaks, it was known that bets were places by some people who claimed to know the results of a couple of the early seasons of TAR, but that was resolved when the betting rooms in Las Vegas agreed not to take bets on the outcome of competition shows that had been filmed before broadcast.

[Platrium]

What happens if a team receives a 24-hour penalty on a NEL?

[stekay]

What happens if a team receives a 24-hour penalty on a NEL?

Probably would make it an elimination and the next leg a NEL? No way they could catch up.