Yikes on bikes
Bikes are great for a busy city! They can help reduce traffic and pollution, and they’re a wonderful way to get around while also staying in shape – as long as there are safe, organized traffic systems in place.
Unfortunately, that’s not always the case.
This city seems to have taken a bit of a hostile approach to directing cyclists. Any unsuspecting biker coming down this lane at full speed is going to have a nasty surprise waiting for them at the end of their ride. Let’s just hope that helmets are a legal requirement around here!
Time for a new clock
Macgyver would be ashamed of this…um, “creative” attempt to repair a broken wall clock. Sure, it works, but sticking another clock on top of the broken one seems like fixing the symptom and not the actual problem.
What are they going to do when the second clock inevitably breaks? Will they stick a slightly smaller clock on top of the other two? Where will it end?! At this rate, there will eventually be a long stack of increasingly smaller clocks stretching across the entire hallway and no one will ever know what time it is.
How is this even possible?
Looking at this bathroom raises a lot of questions. Why is the soap dispenser stuck to the mirror and not the tile? What if you want to use the mirror in the middle? What if the people using the outer sinks need soap?
Perhaps it’s an attempt to get people to focus less on their appearance and more on their hygiene habits. Or, it could be positioned that way so that any soap drips fall into the sink rather than on the floor, making a slimy mess. The most likely reason, though, is that someone saw the plans, shrugged, and said, “It’s above my pay grade to question this.”
Not a fan of this setup
Which came first, the pillar or the fan? Either way, surely someone should have noticed that there would be an issue here. Anyone with a very basic understanding of how ceiling fans work could’ve figured out that something looks wrong.
Who was in charge of this baffling decision? This whole setup is pretty ineffective for moving the air around, considering the fan blades would keep whacking into the pillar as soon as it’s turned on. The real question, though, is “how did this stay installed long enough for someone to take a photo of it and post it online?”
Give cyclists space…somewhere else
This road sign has the very best of intentions. Cyclists are using the roads, too. Motorists have a responsibility to help prevent collisions by giving others (whether on foot or wheels) adequate space. This sign is there to help everyone remember to be respectful and safe. There’s just one problem.
Ironically, the well-meaning marquee is doing the exact opposite of what it’s reminding drivers to do. It takes up so much space in the lane that bicyclists are actually forced into the road, so they can avoid hitting the sign. So effective!
Good luck getting out
It’s easy to see what went wrong here – someone didn’t play with enough building blocks as a child and grew up to be an engineer. Each section of the tunnel clearly has a piece of the ladder that should line up perfectly with the others.
Once everything had been cemented into place, however, it became an obstacle challenge worthy of American Ninja Warrior. Just imagine climbing up out of this dark, musty tube after a hard day’s work, only to find that you need pro-level parkour skills just to get back to the top. The lazy among us might just decide to stay down there.
Emergency ‘exit’
Emergency exits are kind of like insurance. They’re there for when you absolutely need them, but you hope you never have to use them. Nevertheless, they provide a sense of security, because you know they’ll be there if and when the worst happens.
That sense of security is quickly shattered when you see something like this. To make matters worse, the residents of this building happened to discover this particularly ineffective escape route during a fire drill! This is either the work of a seriously irresponsible contractor, or a major glitch in the matrix.
Don’t you dare have an emergency here
The thing about emergencies is, they aren’t usually planned. This handy sign, while certainly informative, fails to take into account the fact that people can’t generally pick and choose when and where hazardous situations happen. It’s like saying, “Please do not stub your toe.”
Sure, you can try your best to avoid it, but life…finds a way. Unfortunately for most, if an emergency does end up being of the unplanned variety, that business will have to be taken to another call box. At least they’re very courteous with their message, as nonsensical as it may be. Good thing everybody has cell phones these days!
No one’s getting through here
Someone really tried to do something new and innovative here. “Why can’t a security gate be aesthetically pleasing as well as functional?” the designers probably asked themselves. They had a bold new blueprint in mind, set to revolutionize the entire concept of doors as we know them.
Unfortunately, the idea wasn’t as functional as they thought. The modern metal slats, originally intended to add a little pizzazz to the traditional door design, essentially turned the whole thing into a ladder. It looks cool, but It’s only slightly less accessible than having no door at all. *sad trombone noise*
Looking good
What is it about reflective surfaces that seem to give construction crews so many issues? This hotel bathroom technically comes complete with all the necessities: toilet, sink, shower, tiny bottles of soap, and this…questionable mirror.
Good luck trying to apply makeup or even figure out what your hair looks like in this thing. It looks like they tried to fix the old mirror by slapping a new one on top of it – a tried and true approach. It works great, as long as you don’t care about looking like a weirdo in your bathroom selfies.
Room with a view
One has to wonder what was going through the minds of the construction team that installed this “perfectly” placed HVAC duct. Was it really harder to move the whole thing a few feet to the right or left, rather than plowing right through the existing balcony?
Whether it was a case of tight deadlines or a depleted budget, or perhaps even a frustrated worker whose boss told him to “just get it done today,” this end result leaves a lot to be desired. Next time someone wants to look out the window, they’ll be greeted with quite possibly the most boring view of all time. But, hey, at least they’ll have air conditioning.
Which way?
Road markings are designed to be direct, clear, and easy to see. That’s why stop signs are bright red, and why speed limit signs have a reflective coating. Drivers need to know at a moment’s notice what they are and aren’t able to do on the road.
Knowing that fact makes this botched paint job all the more confusing. Should they turn left or right onto the one way road? This seems like a car accident waiting to happen with this many mixed signals happening . Is turning left encouraged or prohibited? We may never know.
Darn it, Doug
Poor Doug seems like he’s having a rough time. He just can’t figure out which sign he’s supposed to change, and his boss has been on his case for weeks because of the last “incident.” Oh, Doug. You’re trying your best, but it’s just not cutting it.
Thankfully, there’s a quick and easy way to remind him of what needs to be done. It’s a genius solution and whoever came up with it should be commended for their ingenuity. Doug definitely won’t forget to change the sign again. On the other hand, something tells us Doug may be on the hunt for a new job soon.
Now that’s a public restroom
Walking down a hallway and seeing this curious commode would be quite the surprise. You might then ask yourself who in their right mind would design a bathroom like this, with the toilet perfectly positioned in front of the door’s only window.
The answer is, this restroom caters to exhibitionist secretly lurking within us all. It invites us to explore a side of ourselves we never knew existed. If you’ve ever been curious what it feels like to do your private business while on full display to any random passerby, here’s your golden opportunity. Don’t be shy, just give it a go!
Get to know your neighbor
Real human connection has become rarer and rarer in our advanced digital age. People prefer to chat online rather than face to face, and some say that our society has suffered due to that lack of intimacy. How can we do better?
Here is one solution: Take advantage of time that would otherwise be wasted in lonely silence with the group toilet! Get to know friends and coworkers in ways like never before. Plus, you’ll never again have that awkward moment of asking the person in the stall next to you for TP when you run out. Just ask them right to their face!
Slightly off-center
This is a case of having all the elements needed, just not in the right order. For example, you can have all the ingredients needed to make a cake, but unless you mix them all together before you try to bake it, you’re going to have a bad time.
Safety first!
For every construction fail, there is always someone behind it who ultimately chose to make it happen. We may have just caught that guy in the act. Just look at him, probably hard at work making another baffling contraption.
Maybe he’s a genius and this is the way all tradespeople will do it in the future. There might be something we don’t know that actually makes this the best option for this job, and this man is just a genius trendsetter. Another option is that he’s never actually used a ladder before.
Fire ‘escape’
This building has a fire escape on its top floor, and it’s pretty much perfect. No, really! It’s solidly built, easily accessible, and leads right out of the building in case of a fire or other emergency. It’s made of strong metal to stand the test of time and can carry several people at once. There’s only one small problem…
It may or may not actually be connected to any other stairs. Sure, you might make it outside without an issue, but good luck getting down 10 stories without a reeeeally long ladder. The only way this escape would be functional is if this building happens to be a parachuting school (if that’s even a thing).
Best seats in the house
We’ve all heard of saving money by buying “nosebleed seats” at sports games. You end up sitting way up high in the stands, so far away that you may not even be able to see the game without binoculars, but at least you can say you were there! Plus, there’s always the jumbotron.
Not everyone can spring for a private box, but we should all be careful when buying from discount websites or the sketchy scalpers out in front of the venue. Hopefully this poor guy got a really, really good deal on his ticket, because not even a high powered telescope will help him see the game through that pillar.
Watch out for that…
City planners have a really tough occupation. Their work is the invisible glue that holds our society together on a daily basis. People go to school for years to learn the skills they need to know in order to ensure that public structures are safe, functional, and well designed.
This telephone pole is none of the above. We’re not sure who approved this project, but we are pretty confident that a solid concrete pole shouldn’t be erected in the middle of a road. In fact, literally anywhere else would be a better location. At least they painted it yellow, so you can see it more easily before crashing. Thanks, guys!
Stairway to…?
Either there’s something magical going on here, or this is the world’s most unnecessary staircase. It looks just like any other staircase you might see in a public place, except for the fact that it leads directly into what appears to be a ceiling rather than a second floor.
As far as we know, purely decorative staircases aren’t a standard architectural feature. One has to wonder if there was ever an upper floor here, or if they plan for a possible expansion down the road and are now stuck with this useless eyesore. One way or another, unless this staircase happens to lead to Platform 9 ¾, there’s just no point to it.
Patching things up
Concrete is an incredibly versatile material that can be used in all sorts of applications. It can be made into super strong walls, poured into molds to make customized shapes, and its cool, industrial look makes it perfect for a modern interior. There’s almost no wrong way to use it!
Except this. This is the wrong way to use concrete. We’ll admit the hole has been filled in, but whoever was behind this epic fail seems to have missed a crucial step in the preparation process. You know the “mix it with water” part? Maybe they’re just waiting for a rainy day and hoping Mother Nature finishes the job for them.
Fixed it!
They say you can fix anything in this world with either WD-40 or duct tape. If it doesn’t move and should, use the spray; if it moves and shouldn’t, use the tape. Whoever “fixed” this telephone pole clearly subscribes to that belief and has a lot of faith in the power of the magical adhesive.
With that said, it looks like they may have found the limits of what duct tape can actually do. It’s holding, but just barely. If an extra windy day comes along, that pole is going down and the tiny rope tethered the other pole isn’t going to help. You know what might work, though? Juuuust a little more duct tape.
Stair-why
For once on this list, we have nothing negative to say about the quality of this stairway. It’s well constructed, the railings are supportive and straight, and the steps are normally sized and easily walkable. Yes, this is a fine staircase; an excellent example of craftsmanship and engineering in action.
What’s that, you say? There’s literally no reason at all for it to exist? It’s a totally random staircase right in the middle of an open field that leads to nowhere? All right, that may be a valid point – but it’s still a pretty great staircase.
Looks good to me, boss!
Whoever painted these road lines needs a field sobriety test, stat. They somehow managed to complete the job without lining up a single mark correctly. It looks more like an EKG readout than a lane divider, and somebody, at some point, looked at it and said, “Good enough.”
We get it. It’s a difficult job and someone has to do it, but this paint job is going to create some major confusion for future motorists. It’s going to look like Mr. Toad’s wild ride as soon as cars start driving down that road, and whiplash cases are going to go through the roof. This is why the robots are eventually going to take all our jobs, people.
Reduce, reuse, recycle
Going green is a big deal these days. We, as a society, are coming to terms with the fact that Earth has limited resources, and that in order to protect our collective home ,we must act quickly and decisively to change the trajectory of our planet’s future.
Some brave soul is truly going the extra mile to protect our environment by implementing “zero waste” policies and conserving our limited resources. This imaginative person is doing their part and has come up with a simply genius application for used aluminum cans that’s both sustainable and practical. No need to thank him, just call him Captain Planet.
Caution, this column is fixed
If you ever see something like this while walking down the street, make sure to keep far away. That entire column, and maybe even the building, is being held up with hopes, dreams, caution tape, and not much else. This sloppy assemblage of plastic and planks is a construction worker’s worst nightmare.
It definitely looks like the whole thing could come tumbling down if somebody breathes on it too hard. On a positive note, caution tape is probably the best kind of tape to use in this scenario, because it serves a dual purpose: Barely holding this column together, as well as warning passersby to avoid this death trap waiting to happen. Two birds, meet one stone.
Top notch security
Well, we can’t say that door isn’t locked. Whoever rigged up this contraption is clearly concerned with security over appearances. Rather than go for the boring approach by actually using a lock that’s intended to go on a door, they got “creative” and used a big beefy chain.
That’s gotta be pretty secure, right? No one’s getting through there – unless they manage to somehow break through the already weakened outer wall. Whatever happens, let’s just hope they don’t lose their key, because they’d need some serious bolt cutters (or sledgehammer) to get back inside.
That first step is a doozy
Anyone trying to step outside for a breath of fresh air is going to get even more air than they expected. This balcony, while still technically functional, is regrettably placed so far down below the landing that you could end up taking a nasty tumble if you weren’t paying attention.
Moreover, how are you supposed to get back up after you go down there? Assuming you haven’t broken both your legs from falling out the door, are you supposed to climb back up and flop through the door like a seal? Shouldn’t there at least be some steps, maybe a handrail? We have so many questions.
A brand new microwave!
For those of us with landlords, the relief that comes when you actually manage to get an item replaced or repaired is a feeling that has no equivalent. After weeks, or sometimes months, of griping and begging, someone finally appears to fix the issue you’ve been living with.
Whether it’s a missing knob or a broken appliance, one can’t help but get excited knowing that things will finally be functional again. That makes the disappointment that ensues when something like this happens even more unbearable. How are you supposed to make chicken nuggets in this?!
The power of teamwork
These three guys know that any job is easier with the help of friends. Finding themselves in desperate need of some cool air in their high-rise apartment, they devised the plan you see here. It’s kind of amazing in its simplicity — no fancy lifts or safety equipment needed!
All you need is a can-do attitude and a ridiculous level of unconditional trust in your buddies. Having said that, let’s just hope that the guy on the end isn’t secretly harboring any resentment against the others. One small step backward and this situation could go very poorly.
If you say so…
Painting fences is really hard work, just ask Tom Sawyer! When faced with a tedious task like this, the best solution is to find someone else and convince them to do it for you. However, if you find yourself lacking gullible friends, there is another way.
All you’ll need is a can of spray paint and an utter lack of concern for a job well done. 5 minutes later, BOOM. Brown fence. No one will be able to say you didn’t do what you were asked, and now you’ve got the whole afternoon free to binge your favorite TV show. Genius.
If at first, you don’t succeed, who cares?
Have you heard the old expression, “Measure twice, cut once?” It’s a handy reminder to make sure that your calculations are correct before, say, drilling a giant hole in your wall. This person must not be familiar with the adage.
Rather, they seem to subscribe to the “Punch random holes until you find one that just happens to fit” school of thought. They accomplished the task in the end, but we can’t help but think that a little forethought might have made a big difference in the final result.
Perplexing handrails
Whatever you do, don’t try to walk up the center of this staircase. You’ll have two sturdy handrails, sure, but you’re definitely going to have some issues once you reach the upper steps. It’s basically an M.C. Escher painting come to life.
On top of everything, they’ve really missed an opportunity to use the center area for some nice potted plants, or perhaps an instructional sign about how to use this ridiculous monstrosity. Something like “Seriously, just use the elevator” ought to do the trick.
Overly confident DIY guy
Something tells us this is “that person” who insists he can do the job cheaper and better than an actual pro, but actually has no idea what he’s doing. This guy is committing so many construction sins, it’s hard to even know where to start.
He’s missing some crucial safety equipment like a hard hat and proper shoes, but it gets so much worse. You know how ladders have that sticker on the top rung that says “NOT A STEP?” That’s what he’s stepping on. Add in the fact that he’s sawing into the beam that’s supporting this whole shoddy operation and you’ve got yourself the ultimate construction fail waiting to happen.
