In the words of Miley Cyrus (and many people who’ve gone before her), "no one is perfect." We all make mistakes, but one of the small blessings to arise from these embarrassing blunders is that they do, at least, make for entertaining stories. Sometimes, the mistakes people make are so obvious to passersby. The question is, should you step in and warn them that something is about to go terribly wrong?
Some situations look ripe for disaster, but people don’t always appreciate it when you “interfere,” even if you’re only trying to help. Sometimes, though, the situation is so bad that you have no choice but to tell the person. This was the case in most of the pictures you’re about to see. Though some of them aren’t all that serious, many of the photographs below will convince you to take action if you encounter similar situations in the wild.
The Self-Evident Bootleg
This version of a well-known product is an off-brand attempt to replicate the original product. To say that it falls short would be an understatement. Do you know what the word "bootleg" means? Well, it appears that these are bootlegged boots!
They almost have the correct spelling, but the brand should be “UGG,” not “UGH.” Funnily enough, the misspelling perfectly captures the feeling this woman will have when she realizes she’s wearing fake UGG boots. Would you tell her?
The Unusual Barbeque
There’s nothing like cooking up a bunch of hamburgers on a hot day. The weather can be an issue if it’s too cold, wet, or windy on the day, but this woman came up with a solution. The only problem is, her solution is questionable, to say the least.
A big note of caution: Do not try to barbecue like this indoors. Unless, of course, you want to risk setting your house on fire. We hope the carbon monoxide sensor in this home was of high quality. This was not a good idea at all, but at least we can all learn from her mistake.
Transporting Ladders
Are you familiar with the term "think before you act"? It’s a good piece of advice to remember before carrying out any plans, especially if your plans involve driving and ladders. There are safe and unsafe ways to transport ladders. The person below chose the hazardous route.
It should go without saying that we don’t recommend the “put a ladder over your head while driving” approach. This scenario could go horribly wrong in several different ways. If this driver makes a mistake, it could be game over. We hope the photographer stepped in to help him out.
A Bit Too Close for Comfort
On a hot day, people like to go for a swim. Not everyone is lucky enough to live near the ocean or a pool, though, so what can they do? If you have a backyard, you can set up a sprinkler and run through it. Or, use a dunk tank.
If you’re going to do that, make sure to have a special spot cleared out for it. The first thing you want to do is keep it away from electric wires. Water and electricity don’t mix well. We hope this guy didn’t get dunked.
Spot the Difference
Have you ever picked up an item you didn’t want and then put it back? Sometimes you might go back to the original spot, but other times you’ll just stick it somewhere close by. When store employees decide to put it back in its rightful place, they might get surprised by what they find.
Whoever went to restock the Cheese Onion Lays was probably confused when they found something else laying about -- a cat! We're not sure if the cat ate all of the Lays or just found an empty spot for a quick nap. Come to think of it, why is the cat there in the first place? Was it shopping?
A High Wire Disaster
When you’re fixing dangerous things like electric street cables, it’s important to put safety first. This can mean wearing the right gear, understanding how to handle electric wires, having all the right tools, and wearing a hard hat. The worker below has all of these, but there’s one crucial element that’s missing.
As you might have guessed, that element is a stable ladder. A ladder that isn’t going to fall over at any moment. The shakiness of the one above causes us to tremble in our seats. Either he’s a seasoned pro who knows what’s going on, or he’s a complete newbie. We hope the former.
Natural Disasters in the Waiting
Driving might be convenient, but it comes chock full of danger. Alongside all the human-made hazards (unsafe drivers, potholed roads, etc.) and animal dangers (deer crossings), there are a whole host of environmental dangers that come out of nowhere. Just take a look below.
That’s an accident waiting to happen! It looks like the sky is about to rain as well, which could cause further erosion. At some point, probably in the not too distant future, that top-heavy cliff is going to crash right over. We can only hope that no one’s on the road when it does.
What Happened to Him?
Although it’s nice to be left to our own devices, sometimes a stranger’s help can bring our attention to something deadly important. Something like the fact that the dog we went for a walk with isn’t walking -- it’s swimming! Luckily dogs are known to be pretty strong swimmers.
We just hope that the man’s attention wanders back to his dog, so he can notice what happened. But who knows, maybe the dog chose to jump into the sea to cool off a bit after a long walk in the sun.
Replica That Isn't Quite Right
At the very least, most knockoff brands attempt to replicate the original. The goal is to make their items look as similar to the famous or expensive ones as possible without falling into legal trouble. However, as you shall see below, not all of these organizations are successful.
Is anyone interested in figuring out how this vacuum works? If you do, please let us know because we’re genuinely stumped. Also, if you give it a try, we’d like to know how effective it is. Although looks aren’t everything, they are something -- something this knockoff brand can work to improve.
Make a Crazy Guess
Passcodes are a great way to keep a building or bank account safe. The amount of number combinations that can be created using numbers 0 through 9 is staggering. Most of the time, no one would be able to randomly hit upon it through simple trial and error. However, it always helps to have a hint or two.
Maybe a less obvious hint. When it’s spelled out like that -- with a blacked-out 3, 4, and 9 plus the number 3944 on top -- it takes out all the fun. Hopefully, they don’t have any highly classified material behind that locked door. Yikes!
Struggling to Hold On
Now many of the posts above were by people who were distracted or temporarily unaware of the dangers about to befall them. This next post below, however, is different. The driver had to be aware of the dangers inherent in driving a truck that’s about to fall apart.
If this driver brought it in for inspection, here’s what we might say. “It seems like your roof is missing, the back is about to fall off, and the side is stitched together with a few pieces of wood.” Hopefully, the truck is only going a short distance to the nearest junkyard.
Fake It Until You Make It
Sometimes you just want to participate in the fun, but you don’t have all the right equipment. Water gear in case you fall off? Check. Helmet for protecting your head? Check. Paddle for steering the boat through rapids? Uh... whoops!
At least the other rafters have got him covered. Who knows, maybe the company didn’t have enough paddles at the start of the trip, or perhaps he lost it in the fierce rapids. Either way, he’s being a good sport about it. Don’t forget, fake it until you make it!
Honesty Is the Best Strategy
Companies that make fake goods employ lots of different strategies to persuade customers that their products are real. This can include mimicking the color and shape of the original or tweaking a famous logo just a little bit. Oftentimes, they try to hide their tactics.
Not the company above. They kept it out in the open -- boldly proclaiming to be “The North Fake” rather than “The North Face.” Well, at least they’re honest and a bit clever in their design. Many impulse shoppers might not even notice that there is a “k” instead of a “c.”
Strong Gravitational Pressure
Maho Beach is an idyllic little beach on the Caribbean island of St. Martin. Alongside clear water and endless sunshine, there’s another reason this beach is popular with tourists – the airplanes. Since the runway is so close to the beach, a lot of low-flying aircraft can be seen.
Tourists are so enamored by the unique position of this beach with its low-flying airplanes that there are flight schedules on the beach itself. That way, you can keep up on departures and arrivals. Although risky, this beachgoer managed to get a handstand right below the plane.
Puzzling traffic signs
Traffic signs are a great way to let drivers know what the rules of the road are. They tell you when it’s time to stop, when you’re going the wrong way, or when a certain turn is forbidden. Most of the time, they make sense. As you’ll see below, “most of the time” doesn’t mean “all of the time.”
This collection of signs has us scratching our heads. What exactly is a driver to do here? Take a left? Nope. Right? Nope. Go straight? Not allowed. Back up? Negative. It looks like flying is the only option, or perhaps parking your car and going for a walk.
The OK Cleaner
Advertising is notorious for making grand claims that some product is the best thing ever and will totally change your life. Sometimes that’s true, other times not so much. The product below took a different route. A more humble route.
The marketing team had no illusions about their product. It wasn’t the greatest cleaner, and it wasn’t the worst. It was squarely in the middle – an okay cleaner. It’ll get the job done, but don’t expect anything fancy. For nastier spills, you might want to try another brand.
Take a Step Back
Ladders are incredibly helpful tools that allow us to reach those out-of-reach places and fix what’s going on above. However, not everyone has mastered the basics of ladder safety. As we saw from the post above, Ladder Safety 101 is to make sure it’s secure. The person below passed.
However, this person failed at the second part of ladder safety -- making sure you are stable. Whoever it is is far too close to the edge. Those heels are almost falling off. Time to (carefully) take a step back.
The (Not So Secret) Selfie
Nowadays, in classrooms around the world, it’s against the rules to use your smartphone in class. They’re too distracting. The temptation to play games, use apps, or scroll through social media is too difficult to overcome. However, laptops are allowed because they can help you take notes.
Or take selfies! Instead of pulling out the smartphone and risking a reprimand, this student turned on the laptop camera to take a quick selfie. For what reason? We’re unsure. Whatever it is, this student managed to evade the teacher’s attention, but not the student behind.
Working in the Pool
Electronics and water are not the best of friends -- anyone who has spilled water on a laptop or phone can tell you that. However, some companies have put in measures to make their products more waterproof. Not completely waterproof, but a bit more.
Needless to say, we don’t recommend plunging your laptop into the water to test how waterproof it is. Outside of the fact that it might destroy the machine, it might also give you a shock. Best to do your work by the poolside rather than in the pool.
Sick or Pregnant?
People skip class for all kinds of reasons. Sometimes we’re tired, busy, sick, or… pregnant? When this classmate was asked if she would be in class tomorrow, she replied with a picture; a picture that confused her classmate.
It seems that she came down with a high fever, but her classmate took it to mean something else: pregnancy. Either she’s sick or pregnant. Both situations might warrant taking a day off from class to sleep it off or process new emotions.
Save Oil, Ride Buses
Drawing up signs for a protest is a common way to express feelings. Many people feel unhappy about how much we rely on fossil fuels like oil. Everything from transportation to buildings is dependent on the stuff. Some people want to fight against that.
However, if you choose to do that, it’s important to get the facts straight. Although there are some electric buses, most public buses fuel up on oil to drive around the city. Maybe it’s less oil overall because more people can fit on one bus, but it’s still oil.
A Very Expensive Mistake
Riding an ATV is a fun way to explore dirt roads and deserted beaches. That terrain is perfect for them. One thing that isn’t perfect for them is regular roads. Often they’re too slow, so ATV owners have to transport them to and from the dirt roads and beaches.
Usually, it’s done in the back of a pickup truck by tying it down and raising the tailgate to keep it in place. The driver above tied it down. They didn’t raise the hatch. We hope they’re not on the highway, or else that could be a very costly (and dangerous) mistake.
Off-Brand Candies
We've seen plenty of counterfeit clothes and appliances, but what about off-brand sweets and snacks? Although they might not taste as good, they’re usually less costly. These “chocolate copycats” are clearly trying to pull in lovers of M&M’s.
We wonder how well it worked. Just like “The North Fake” jacket above, the producers of this clever candy managed to admit that their sweets aren’t the real deal. Although they’re the same shape, they’re missing the characteristic “m” design. We wonder if any customers were fooled.
That's Not What We Mean by Green
Parking signs can tell us a lot. Mostly where to park and who can park where. We have special spots for those with mobility issues or those who just need to drop someone off. The special spot below is a unique one that we don’t see every day. It confused at least one person.
“Green vehicles” isn’t meant to be taken literally. Rather, it’s for eco-friendly vehicles like electric cars or hybrid cars. The pickup truck above doesn’t seem to fit that bill, but, to be fair, it is green. Very green. Perhaps with some engine changes, it’ll be able to park there next time.
Moving Day
Moving day can be a big pain -- especially if you don’t have the right kind of car. Ideally, a friend with a pickup truck to help with the big items, but that’s not always the case. Sometimes you’ve got to make do with what you have.
It seems like the movers above made the best of a bad situation. They chucked the sofa on top of the car and had someone sit on top to weigh it down a bit. It makes us wonder how far they have to travel. We wouldn’t recommend going on the highway with something like that. Yikes!
Shifting Gears
People get tattoos for all different kinds of reasons. Some like to commemorate their favorite people, places, or things. It looks like the person below is a fan of cars and wanted a tattoo to celebrate that.
If you’re not familiar with manual cars, the above tattoo is supposed to show the gear shifter. This brings you from reverse into 1st gear, 2nd gear, and so on. Unfortunately, the design above is done wrong. The top row should read 1, 3, 5, and the bottom row 2, 4, 6.
Face Protection
It’s critical to have the correct safety equipment whenever you’re working with dangerous tools. That can mean a safe space, thick gloves, and some kind of face protection. If you don’t have goggles, then you have to improvise a bit.
For the guy above, improvisation took the form of a plastic bag over his face. Sure it might have protected him from some of the sparks flying off the metal, but what if one of those sparks caught fire? Time for a proper mask.
Habits of Consumption
Bendy straws have been around for quite a long time. For many of us, we started using them as kids to avoid spilling our milk or juice. As adults, we use them as well, although less frequently. The bendy part of the bendy straw is meant to be at the top.
This woman clearly didn’t get the memo. Either that or she figured out a genius new way to use the bendy straw. If it works well for her, then let her continue drinking that way -- what harm is it going to do?
When the Lines Don’t Align
There’s something about symmetry that a lot of people find calming and beautiful. Think about butterfly wings or starfish or the Taj Mahal. The left side and the right side match. When they don’t match, and we assume they’re supposed to, it can be very frustrating.
The student who posted the picture above knows what we’re talking about. The girl’s shirt is a simple mix of black and white lines, but the lines don’t meet in the middle. We imagine the student who took this picture wanting to realign them so they can move on to paying attention in class.
What the Forklift
There are suitable ways to go about doing things in life. If you want to go surfing, you'll almost certainly need a surfboard. If you want to change a tire, you'll need a jack. The image below is an example of an unsuitable car jack.
Forklifts are useful machines for moving around boxes, not for lifting cars. There are so many ways this might turn out poorly, resulting in damage to both the car and the mechanic below. Rather than a forklift, we recommend shelling out the cash for a regular car jack.
Between a Rock and a Rock
Climbing up mountains can be an incredibly satisfying activity. On top of all the exercise you’re getting, you get to be out in nature and climb all over rocks. What’s not to love? Once you’ve found something unique, you can also snap a quick photo to share with friends and family.
Maybe not this photo, though! Our palms get sweaty just staring at this picture with its floating rock squished between two other rocks. What happens if it falls? We hope the climber snapped a quick photo and then jumped back to safety. As they say, better safe than sorry.
A Moving Disaster
Sometimes furniture is just too big for narrow hallways and staircases. The only way to move it from one floor to the next is to pass it down over the balcony. It isn’t pretty, and it doesn’t always work. It looks like this image was taken only seconds before a potential disaster.
With three people up top barely able to wrangle the couch and only two (unenthusiastic) people below, it doesn’t look good. It looks like the couch will get damaged, the floor will get damaged, or the people will get damaged – time to call professional movers.on.
That Didn’t Work Out as Planned
Rabbit-ears are a classic photobomb move enjoyed by kids and adults alike. All you have to do is throw up a peace sign and place it behind someone’s head as you all say “cheese.” The final photo will annoy them a bit while you giggle in the corner.
The girl on the right meant to do that, but the lighting had other ideas. Instead of the rabbit-ears going on the girl next to her, they ended up projected onto the shadow behind her! Did the photographer say anything?
Falling Over
Big flatbed trucks are an indispensable part of roadwork. They can move anything from freshly cut trees to long wires to metal pipes -- all in a safe and secure way. Well, safe and secure most of the time. As you can see below, that doesn’t always work out.
Although the wooden crates and long beams are secured with rope, they aren’t organized very efficiently. It looks like the wooden beams are on the brink of falling over. We just hope their destination is right around the corner and no one gets hurt.
The Google Slides Sandals
In a world where brand names are a big deal, off-brand items are popular because they look like the originals, but they’re a lot more affordable. Most clothing knockoffs, like “The North Fake” above, take the name of a well-known brand and tweak it a little. The sandals below took a different approach.
They took the name of a well-known internet company and tweaked it a bit! Welcome to Google Slides sandals. Huh? We aren’t sure what the software company has to do with sandals, but to each their own.
The Unreasonable Sign
This next post is a bit like the Puzzling Signs above. In other words, confusing. Traffic signs are usually meant to clarify what you need to do, but the sign below does just the opposite. Take a look for yourself.
A contradiction is what we call this situation. We think it humorous that whoever put this up went to the trouble of making the sign, mounting it in place, and hanging it up without realizing there was an issue. What are you supposed to take away from this sign? If you can figure out the answer, please let us know!
Convenience Store for Bootleggers
Brand recognition is an important part of successful companies. We all know the distinctive logos of our favorite fast-food restaurants, clothing lines, and convenience stores. That’s how we know where to go shopping.
The “7” in that “7 Days” store looks suspiciously like another convenience store with a 7 in its name – one that has thousands of stores all over the world. Although the one above looks like a small country store, it still leaves us wondering if this knockoff design led to an expensive lawsuit.
The Unopened Umbrella
Before the widespread use of umbrellas, people just got soaked in the rain. The umbrella, therefore, was a game-changing invention that allowed us to stay dry. Assuming we use it correctly.
It seems like the guy above hasn’t entirely mastered the art of umbrella opening. Yes, he’s got it over his head (good first step), but he forgot about the part where you open the umbrella. To be fair, he didn’t put his jacket on either, so maybe he doesn’t mind getting a little wet in the rain.
A Dangerous Step Ladder
As we’ve seen from previous posts, people can use ladders pretty dangerously. This next post is more about someone who should be using a ladder but isn’t. Yikes! We just hope those wine bottles don’t unexpectedly break.
That’s quite a risky climb to undertake. We hope that whatever this person is reaching for is worth it. If the bottles break, that could mean that he damages his feet and smashes over the other bottles on the shelf. We recommend a step ladder next time.
Accepting the challenge
Have you seen any popular films showing people striving to complete foolish challenges? If so, you’re aware that some go smoothly and some don’t end too well. The setup to this one doesn’t look too promising.
Every video we've ever seen with someone attempting to pull this off ends badly. It is the famed pants challenge. At such a high starting height, it’s unlikely that he’ll defy the odds and zip up his pants. Best to do it the old-fashioned way.
Don’t Make Any Sudden Moves
People fall asleep in the oddest of places. When that happens, other people like to play tricks on them or make elaborate statues around them. The man below took the second option and began stacking plastic cups atop each other.
Apparently, the guy in blue was so exhausted that he slept through the whole thing. Now, this pyramid of plastic cups is pretty impressive, but it’s also pretty unstable. As the caption says, “what happens when he wakes up?” We wouldn’t want to clean up that mess.
Spelling Mistakes
The off-brand shoe below appears to be the result of a Google Translate mistake. Either that or it’s a very particular (and unique) kind of style. The first choice seems a bit more likely as the color is supposed to be “off-white” but that’s not what the shoe says.
As you can see, the shoe says “oof-white.” Even if it’s a spelling mistake, the design itself is still a bit odd. Would you wear red shoes with massive letters that spell out “red”? Some would, some wouldn’t. We just hope the shoe is comfortable and affordable.
Ride with Caution
There isn't much else to say about this. That's not really how you ride a motorcycle unless you’re shooting a Hollywood movie with an action-packed chase scene. Although this driver is wearing a helmet (which is great), we just hope the bike isn’t going too fast.
We're at a loss as to how to interpret this image. How does the bike continue to go without falling over? What happens if the driver has to brake all of a sudden? All valid questions. Hopefully, the driver hopped back on before anything bad happened.
Right and Left
If you’re a perfectionist, then the picture below might annoy you a bit. When companies make headphones, they take time to craft one for the right ear and one for the left ear. Customers, however, don’t always take the time to notice that.
If you look closely at the picture above, you’ll notice that this person has the earphones on backward. The person who snapped the photo and shared it online said the mismatch annoyed his inner perfectionist for the entire ride. Can you relate?
The Slightly Misspelled Sign
This plaque at the vet's office has the potential to drive anyone mad. Can you see the mistake? Look closely at the letters "W" and "M"? The letter "W" is an upside-down "M" and the letter “M” is an upside-down “W.”
Although spelling mistakes don’t necessarily mean that the veterinarian is bad, it does mean that someone in the office isn’t paying attention to little details. Or, who knows, perhaps one of the pets swapped it out and had a chuckle. We really hope so.
Another Classic Television Scene
If you’re a fan of the TV show It's Always Sunny in Philadelphia, then the scene below will look very familiar. Looks like someone, somehow, got stuck inside the swirly slide. That doesn’t look too comfortable.
Although it was funny on the show, it looks a bit more serious in real life. At least the trapped man has others to try and help him get out. It makes us wonder what the plan was meant to be. Squeeze through the empty spaces or pull apart the metal bars?
Technology Has the Answers
The calculator, a mainstay in math classes all over the world, is a great piece of technology that allows you to do complex math problems at the click of a button. At least it does when the buttons work.
When calculators don’t work, they end up spitting out words instead of numbers. The witty student above chose to write down those words as if they were the numbered answers! According to the calculator, the answers aren’t wrong. According to the rules of math, they are.
Disregarded Safety Regulations
These days, it is surprising that there are still people who don’t care about their safety after reading this list. This neglect can lead to some dangerous situations. It happens a lot more often than we’d like to admit. What can we say in particular about this one?
Heavy machinery like forklifts should not be treated lightly. We have no idea what this guy is attempting to prove or why he requires a forklift. He should have at least put on a safety harness to be a bit more careful.
The Money is Shrunk, Honey
Cash can get pretty dirty. There’s the fact that the banknotes themselves rarely get washed, and there’s the fact that many people leave their hands unwashed. Mix the two, and you can understand why some people are uncomfortable handling cash.
The woman above is clearly one of those people. She thought that it would be good to try and clean the dirt of Canadian dollars before using them. Unfortunately, she also thought the microwave was the best way to do that. Best to check with Google first.