I do recall an instance of a team failing to pay a taxi driver properly -- it was Chip and Kim, in Abu Dhabi (or, Oman? Anyway, opulent hotel + desert), and the taxi driver took them all the way out to the next clue in the middle of nowhere, and clearly had no idea that all the team had was $20. Chip resolved this with bounding enthusiasm and hugs, but the taxi driver was pretty clearly nonplussed when the team headed off. And didn't speak good enough English to make his objection properly understood.

I hate the begging. It smacks of intentional humiliation, and it never seems possible for the team in question to just do without -- taxis are always needed immediately.

Now, trying to travel the world with no baggage, that's funny, and an interesting predicament; but you can make do without baggage for a day or two.

TAR:

AMAZING!

I think that Uchenna broke Phil with that hug.

I was going to say that I'd hope that U&J would have taken off running for the finish if they'd seen R&A coming around the corner, but I didn't know about that "You MUST pay your cabbie" rule.

I'd like to think there's both a cabbie and an airline pilot who get a big tip now.

I have an etiquette question, especially for the (recent) moms around. Last night, a classmate told me she was three months pregnant, and I immediately looked at her mid-section. Was that unbearably rude? I couldn't help myself! But I could try to do better next time.

It really would have been much more fair to have given them the option to hitchhike. But oh well.

I have an etiquette question, especially for the (recent) moms around. Last night, a classmate told me she was three months pregnant, and I immediately looked at her mid-section. Was that unbearably rude? I couldn't help myself! But I could try to do better next time.

I think that's just instinct. Tummy oogling never bothered me and I don't think it's considered rude.

Thanks, Cashmere. I immediately played it off, making a joke on myself out of it, but wondered later.

Last night, a classmate told me she was three months pregnant, and I immediately looked at her mid-section.

That's not the first place most guys would look.

Oh god, I did the same thing not two weeks ago, Jesse. Partly because the woman in question is so teeny-I think she might reach my shoulder-and wears sleek clothes , I couldn't believe I hadn't noticed.

It was noticeable. Really noticeable. And yet....

She's already looking very pregnant and isn't due until October. Her husband is almost 6'6", so I'm guessing it isn't going to be a teenysized baby.

That's not the first place most guys would look.

Men who've been through the pregnancy thing with a partner are usually looking to see if the boobie fairy has visited.

sarameg, is this her first baby? Second babies tend to show sooner. And with teeny women, they tend to show more, because they have not place to hide it. I don't think I looked pregnant until 7 months.

It was noticeable. Really noticeable. And yet....

Oh, I'd never notice either. Honestly, I just don't inspect people's bodies that much. The classmate was actually looking a little pudgy in the middle, but just like she ate a lot of fast food during finals or something.

Oh! And she's a great example of the fun non-ethnically-appropriate name thing. She hyphenated her last name, so she has one short latino name (her own) and one long Finnish name (her husband's).