These 50 Pics Show How Dystopic Our Society Already Is, And Maybe They’ll Inspire You To Change Something
What comes to mind when you think of a dystopian universe? is it Dali-esque surrealist landscapes or is it a more realistic world like 'The Handmaidens Tale' or '1984.' Well, according to the late Brtish academic and cultural theorist Mark Fisher, we are already living in a present-day dystopian society and folks - it is very boring.
The term 'boring dystopia' was coined by Fisher in 2015 and refers to the subliminal coercion that abounds in a capitalist society. So subtle that unless you're looking, you might not realize these problems with society are actually already happening. Charlie Booker's Black Mirror is the closest fantasy depiction of this theory, with his episodes questioning how far is too far when it comes to our evolving technology and how close we are to the dystopian future.
However, for real-life examples of this theory, and social issues coming together with, it look no further than the sub-Reddit titled 'A Boring Dystopia,' which is dedicated to sharing images that are disturbingly unassuming. From the poster that reads "Sleep deprivation is your drug of choice. You might be a doer," or a bus passing by with bold black letters stating, "You don't need therapy you just need a new car," the following photos may make you question every society problem in a different light.
Scroll down below to see the Orwellian thread of signs on problems with the world!
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Peak Bureaucracy (Happened In Toronto)
To be fair, those stairs are really badly made and could seriously hurt someone. No support under the sides and the rail supports rest on those unsupported sides.
I don't know in Canada, but in France, you can't build anything on a public place . If any accident happen because it's non conform, the city would get in trouble and poursue the builder. So that would end up in the destruction of the stairs here too. What makes the situation ubuesque is that 65K $ cost. Who would charge this? what city would accept to pay for this? it sound like someone in the city council is going to have a swimming pool build for free as guift by the enterprise who made the estimate....
Im sorry tf, I live in toronto and read about this, they tore it down, because it was unsafe and many elders were getting injured on them they also said it would cost $650 not $65,000
Those stairs were clearly built by someone who has no knowledge of engineering or building. Not only that, but even if they were constructed appropriately from dimensional lumber, that sort of residential-grade construction is simply not appropriate for such heavily-used commercial/public areas.
You realise that you can't build anything in a public area (local government property) without proper permission and local authorities are obliged by law to remove any illegally built structure. Furthermore, structures like the stairs need to comply to specific codes so that no user will sue the local authorities (technically, local council is responsible for all structures built in public spaces). Of course, even most harsh compliance rules won't make crank up the cost in the 65.000 area. Sure, city officials can heavily inflate prices for nefarious purposes, but this is what local elections are for. In any city inhabited by aware citizens such council member won't be in office for long.
most likely he did it without permission. there are safety codes to follow, if they can't get it approved (which costs money) they have to remove the structure in case it's unsafe. Not to say they're not extortionate with time and money but in this case It's probably not just "oh noes they tore it down to f**k with everyone", it's probably in breach of a whole ton of c**p
To build a small playscape in a public park or public school well over 2/3 of the cost is for city permits, city licences, and city studies.
Load More Replies...I'm from Toronto. The DIY stairs weren't safe (uneven, wobbly), so they were torn down. A proper, safe, set of stairs was later installed.
Impossible to grind a skateboard down that rail. Unacceptable for a public park!
Most people here are missing the point. 65K is a stupid waste of tax payers money. Not to mention the thousands it cost to facilitate that decision.
I imagine someone at the top got a nice bonus, as well.
Load More Replies...Those stairs look dangerous as hell. There are no risers, the steps are not uniform hieght, not supported from the ends. These are horrible if Seniors are to be using them. If the city left them, the first old person who fell would sue for a hell of a lot more then $65k. Although, that is way to much to pay for actual decent steps.
in the first picture the stairs don't look entirely completed as there is still a yellow non-crossing tape across the top. not that i would vouch for their safety. but what else is city bureaucracy for than price gouging taxpayers, over paying for city contractors & money skimming to enrich themselves?!
I got better. Hungarian two tailed dog party raised a bus shelter in campaign which had to be removed after they lost the election. Now people have to wait for the bus in the rain. They also filled potholes in the village which was against the local rules so they have to restore them. Funny ha? (forgot to mention the village belongs to EUs latest minidictator) (you can support them to make more shelters here: http://koszpenz.ketfarkukutya.com/?product=4-vagy-tobb-buszmegallo)
It's not about regulations or rules. Someone one upped the "authority". Even if they could have been built better. They still could have been built cheaper. Nobody on bored panda is stupid enough to believe that this is right.......the work could have been done right and much much cheaper than the original estimate Government work is always way overpriced due to kickbacks and the buddy system and even stairs not up to codes is better than a muddy hill
Wood can rot. Who knows if man will maintain it. Not up to Torontos code.
was this a liability issue? they might be legally less responsible for a dirt row than an "improperly build" staircase. Wooden staircases that are outdoors do degrade over time, I wonder if the original $65k quote was for concrete or something with more longevity.
Toronto? Canada? Tares down Why? I thought Canada was a fair country?
How dare that man deprive hard-working government officials of their graft!
Yeah they don't look safe at all. City probably didnt want to get sued
From someone who builds stairs, I would tear them down too. Safety hazard. I could build them right for that amount and have. Jeez! What were they thinking? $65,000 even more stupid to pay.
This might as well could be a story from Hungary. We have a kind of a joke party, who made rain cowers for bus stops and fixed roads, just so the current government (better call dictator) could tear them down
He, This sotry might as well came from Hungary. We have a kind of a joke party who built many rain cover for bus stops and fixed roads, and the curretn goverment (or better call dictator) tear them down
i haven't even gotten to the others and this must be the most f****d up
Duh!!! How can they make some money for a delicious dinner if not by building stairs that cost $65,000?
One big step for the Seniors One big tear down by the city who could care less.
I laugh if someone gets hurt Sue's the city. Lol pure justice. They don't want you doing a good job.
I want to downvote this because it makes me so damn mad, but I want to upvote because of stupidity in government doesn't just happen in the US!
is exactly what bureaucracy was designed to do halting any & all sensible, low-cost viable, stable, alternative, etc.designs &/or ideas as reasonable solutions. thus forcing us all to pay the most extreme highest costs possible city & state gov. approved contracts.
Thank-you you took the words right out of my mouth , is that cause they can really get away with charging that much . You guys really suck big time I thought you might be better than that guess not ;=[[[[[
The city thanked the man in an official letter. They told him they had to tear down because of safety concerns. But did rebuild them for around 1'500 which is significantly less.
The city thanked the man with an official letter. They were torn down because of code violations. And rebuilt for i think around 1'500 which is significantly less.
To be honest, they do look rather rickety to me. Not sure I'd use them, and I'm not a senior yet.
Were they anchored properly, according to building code? On the surface, it looks outrageous. Maybe this is slightly sensationalized.
I agree that $65k seems way over the top! But sadly this staircase is a safety disaster-in-waiting, despite the good intentions of the person who built it. I can see half a dozen serious faults just from this one photo.
Same at least make steps that work, why would sameone leave the back just rock.
This is so sad that they thought it right to tear them down. He built it for them and the city didn't get their just dues? The city should be ashamed of their selves.
That's council's for you... If WE think it up, and do it, it's OK, if someone else? Nope!!! Completely unacceptable. It's mostly down to if they are to get sued or not, should anything happen.
That's a common thing in Hungary. If city does something it's insanely expensive (politicians and friends steal the most of the price) but if an other party does it for fraction of a price they say it's illegal and remove it. Bus stops, benches, ramps...
When City officials only care about their own.... stairs builders :-(
I'd just about bet the city said these stairs are not up to our code, better to chance the seniors falling on this steep hill than these perfectly usable stairs.
Google it. It is real. Replaced with concrete steps and metal handrails either side.
Load More Replies...The numbers are wrong on this. The cost to the council was going to be more that 65K, the bloke installed some stairs, then the council ripped them down and put in a cheaper set of stairs that cost a third of the original price
They should've paid the man 1000 bucks and apologized for being d***s.
Happened in a suburb in Joburg, South Africa too. Man build bridge across a stream allowing people to walk dogs and workers to cross to get to work instead of adding kilometers to their journey. United a community. One crappy neighbor complained and city interfered saying it needed to be properly designed and built at huge cost of course then tore it down. This, in a country where everyone flouts city by-laws, and we need people to stand together to get anything done..... completely selfish and destructive.
But... But I like South Africa. Please don't crush my little dream. :(
Load More Replies...Wow that's awfully fu.,.............king nice of the city to do that😫😢 what is the world coming to when we can't help the elders?
I think one more person should repeat that the stairs are not safe.. hahahaha! $65,000is a lot, though. Wish there was a link to support the facts.
WTF what the hell was the point here damn they should've just F**** left it
I needed a new railing for the 3 stairs going into my house. Built one for about $75 in materials. My town code inspector found out and cited me for not getting a permit first for the THREE stairs. I was forced to tear it down, apply for permit, pay citation, rebuild it, and have it inspected. Total cost was about $1,000.
Well, they clearly stated it would cost 65k, so it's just common sense that they will tear it down another 117 times
$65,000? Really? Do they union carpenters make $1500 per hour or something? Oh, right - it's Canada. Someone's got to pay for the socialized medicine. Never mind, move on.
Yep.. this was the first time I was kind of disappointed of this country :(
Load More Replies...Boring Dystopia
I Guess We Just Have To Get Used To This
Well, this is sad. But it's a description of "Better safe than sorry"
Drink Soda To Help Fight Diabetes
You Must Be Noteworthy To Take A Selfie At This Spot
Look At All That Freedom
Reminds me Henry Ford "A customer can have a car painted any color he wants as long as it’s black”
The Only Way To Live
Healthcare Described In One Picture
Based on the ATM symbol ("bankomat" on yellow background with Raiffeisen logo) and the uniform of the paramedics it is from Croatia. The photo dates back to September 2016, and the Photographer's name is Sandra Krunic. The original title of this photo said something about American healthcare, which doesn't fit.
You Get 3 Minutes
Boring Dystopia
"How Can We Decorate Our Lobby To Look Refined While Still Being Utterly Devoid Of Character?"
And people who decided this didn't think that this would make a perfect joke?
"Anti-Homeless" Bench
Quick Reminder That We've Been At War For 17 Years. Sure, People Are Sent To Fight And Die Every Day, But It's Just Old News, Right?
Kurt Cobain Was Not Diagnosed With A Mental Illness And Leave A Suicide Note For It To Be Turned Into A Fashion Trend
American Airlines Announces Pay Raises For Pilots And Flight Attendants, And Investors Balk
Investors want to get all the money, while putting in none of the work. It's the workers' labor that creates value, which brings in the money. It makes sense they should be paid appropriately.
Mass Shootings Are Now So Frequent That President Trump Just Copies-And-Pastes His Condolences
Education For Your Kids? Not Important. Buy Our Expensive Car Instead
Trump's Official Survey Doesn't Include Any Negative Response Options
Teaching Kids To Read Via Logos
Boring Dystopia
Totally Normal And Fine
S**t Like This Just Happens Constantly Now
Liquidation Sale
not as bad as 'things to do before you die' why not 'things to do while you're still alive' much more positive.
Plastic, As God Made It
Didn't George Carlin say that the only reason Earth hasn't killed us is that it can't make plastic and needs us to do it?
Gun Show This Weekend
It's been documented that after a mass/school shooting, gun sales actually go up. How sick is that?
Teachers Gifted Supplies For Their Classrooms ...on A Talk Show
Late Stage Capitalism
Shouldn't the simple fact that you're out of blood, solve ALL your problems ? Including housing ? Just a tought
Be Happy
Yeah, if you don't smile, an exec will immediately bolt from his office and grin at the door for you :D
Life Is Beautiful
Jaywalkers Under Surveillance In Shenzhen Soon To Be Punished Via Text Messages
how is this surprising? did you really think they were developing this kind of technology just for your social photo tagging to be easier? come on.
Google Helps Its Sponsors Before Its Users
They Love It!
I Withdrew Some Cash And The Receipt Has The Most Dystopian Bloody Thing On It
I'm Sure The Sermen Drew Some Comparison With Following "False Prophets"
I don't think this challenge honor the Christ... Poor Him, it must be tiredsome to be loved by idiots.
Watch Live
Boring Dystopia
It’s Really Hard Watching Other People Live Out Your Dreams
You Don't Need Therapy
The Fortune In These Fortune Cookies
Bleeding You Dry
Giving your blood is a good thing, having no choice but selling your blood sucks
Aligned With The Holiday Spirit
And? This can be a police parking lot, military base, impound lot, a mint etc.
You've Heard Of Elf On The Shelf, Now Get Ready For
How America Ends
The Important News
It's an update. Bus probably fell from the cliff, crashed on a cemetery, and they are keeping the viewers up to date on how many victims they keep finding under the wreck. Chips look tasty though :D
Golden Fistbump
This Escorting Website Features A Live-Updated Student Debt Clock
Happiness Within Reach
Back To School Shopping
Facebook Served Me An Ad Inside Of A Private Chat
Their Main Concern Isn't Population Changes, It's Diaper Sales
Note: this post originally had 73 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.
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Load More Replies...Ok, I've seen a lot of comments on this post about how "America is the worst country". You think we LIKE having mass shootings every two minutes? You think we like having a president who puts immigrant kids in concentration camps? You think we like leading the charts in obesity? No. We don't especially like any of that. So please stop acting like the entirety of America is shooting each other in the head. Because we aren't. Only a few are.
If you don't like the state of things in the USA, get off your a*s and make sure that you are registered to vote. If not, go register! Do your homework on candidates, and cast an informed ballot in November. If you don't vote, you don't count.
Load More Replies...What I've learned in life, is that, the Earth is doomed. Whether humanity nukes itself or global warming kills us by 2100 with excess carbon dioxide, I've learned to just accept the time I have. Yes, I recycle and don't use plastic bags, I'm not a savage. But I've learned to appreciate and love life, before the world dies. And fight it anyway... you never know. Sorry for being negative.
This is the first post where I HAD to read through all the comments just to get the rest of the story.
These are just awful. I guess an up vote means they are awful-er than the others. But I wanted to down vote them. So sad.
I bookmarked this under Republicans. If you don't agree, please reconsider what Republican values, and their political platform really supports. Forgive me for stating the obvious, (to most readers I hope), but virtually everything they do is in support of big business, nothing more nothing less.
Bored Panda's showing their political bias a lot with this one......alienating half of your clientele should never be on the agenda, if you want to keep in business.
900 % of this post is nothing but political b******t- as i said repeatedly - eat s**t and die
I hear and read americans complains about their country, but I've been there once 10 years ago. It's a wonderful country. It have some problems but if i look at the big picture, USA is a huge amazing place where everything is possible. Americans that complain about this country, please come to live in my country for a while and then tell me what do you think about USA.
People complained when Obama was president, was that a fashion?
Load More Replies...This comment is hidden. Click here to view.
Load More Replies...Ok, I've seen a lot of comments on this post about how "America is the worst country". You think we LIKE having mass shootings every two minutes? You think we like having a president who puts immigrant kids in concentration camps? You think we like leading the charts in obesity? No. We don't especially like any of that. So please stop acting like the entirety of America is shooting each other in the head. Because we aren't. Only a few are.
If you don't like the state of things in the USA, get off your a*s and make sure that you are registered to vote. If not, go register! Do your homework on candidates, and cast an informed ballot in November. If you don't vote, you don't count.
Load More Replies...What I've learned in life, is that, the Earth is doomed. Whether humanity nukes itself or global warming kills us by 2100 with excess carbon dioxide, I've learned to just accept the time I have. Yes, I recycle and don't use plastic bags, I'm not a savage. But I've learned to appreciate and love life, before the world dies. And fight it anyway... you never know. Sorry for being negative.
This is the first post where I HAD to read through all the comments just to get the rest of the story.
These are just awful. I guess an up vote means they are awful-er than the others. But I wanted to down vote them. So sad.
I bookmarked this under Republicans. If you don't agree, please reconsider what Republican values, and their political platform really supports. Forgive me for stating the obvious, (to most readers I hope), but virtually everything they do is in support of big business, nothing more nothing less.
Bored Panda's showing their political bias a lot with this one......alienating half of your clientele should never be on the agenda, if you want to keep in business.
900 % of this post is nothing but political b******t- as i said repeatedly - eat s**t and die
I hear and read americans complains about their country, but I've been there once 10 years ago. It's a wonderful country. It have some problems but if i look at the big picture, USA is a huge amazing place where everything is possible. Americans that complain about this country, please come to live in my country for a while and then tell me what do you think about USA.
People complained when Obama was president, was that a fashion?
Load More Replies...