Being bolshie deserves poo penalty

Jaime goes to Jaipur. It could have been such an incredible adventure. Instead, joyless Jaime - of The Amazing Race team Jaime and Cara, who are a couple of former American football cheerleaders - made it a misery. She was rude and condescending.

In doing so she dragged the show down to new lows and gave travellers of the world a bad name. Ah yes, in a world where the Obama presidency has helped restore the reputation of Americans around the globe you can always rely on some of The Amazing Race contestants to bring it down.

On Sunday night the intrepid teams ended up in Jaipur, the capital of Rajasthan, India, and, for most of them, it was an eye-popping celebration of the chaotic and crazy local culture. They visted the Amber Fort to tend to the Maharaja's herd of camels, and dressed up and danced for rupees with some local street performers.

I've been to Jaipur and hauled my bum up to the Amber Fort (not using the elephants after hearing one had gone mad and killed a tourist a few months earlier), roamed the rambling markets, and ate every samosa I could get my hands on. The city is not on the scale of Mumbai or Delhi but the homeless kids, stray animals, and rubbish piles are rife. That's India for you - fascinating and frustrating, all in one.

The most memorable experience was taking a scary rickshaw ride with a couple of young hooligans who fleeced us for far more money than it was worth and took us the long way round. But you smile, grin, and bear it.

Jaime and her doormat mate Cara - who's likeable and cute the way she makes up words, but needs to speak up - were not smiling or enjoying it. At one stage they were sobbing as they drove through the outer slums of Jaipur being downright condescending about the poor little kids and the piles of rubbish. It's just terrible that they have to live like that, isn't it?

However, it didn't take long for ruthless, bolshie Jaime - qualities which should see her and Cara go far in the race - to perk up and start barking orders at their taxi driver and Jaipur's locals. "Do you speak English?" she snapped.

Probably, although not that you'd know because you never gave him a chance to answer. "You annoy me," she continued, before telling him to "move".

And the incessant honking of car horns was driving her "up the wall". I know they are in a race but there is no excuse for that sort of rudeness. But wait, there's more. She even accused the taxi driver of stealing their bags.

Yes, there's a high possibility of it happening in India, but he hadn't. Admittedly, he had gone awol for a while, leaving them stranded for 30 minutes, but it was quite satisfying to see them squirm.

I'm a fan of the show and, like many things in life, there are always a few who spoil it for the rest.

But here's the thing, The Amazing Race should introduce penalty points for disrespect and obnoxious behaviour. And multi-Emmy award-winning host Phil Keoghan, a good keen Kiwi traveller himself, should be a bit tougher on the rude racers, too.

Just as a sportsperson is fined or reprimanded for bringing the game into disrepute, the likes of Jaime should be given a speed bump for giving her fellow contestants, travellers and proud countrymen and women a bad name.

I'm sure carting elephant dung up to the Amber Fort might teach her a few manners and some respect.

And as an example of how we Kiwis might conduct ourselves in India, stay tuned for Matthew and Mark's Rocky Road to Bollywood. Oh good.