“That Looked Expensive”: People Share 35 Fails And Accidents That Cost A Small Fortune (New Pics)
From a crunching sound when we drop our phones on accident, to the screeching of tires and a crash, there are sounds that induce a physiological feeling of dread. But when it dissipates, and if it's not our items that are damaged, our curiosity often gets the better of us and we want to see just what sort of destruction happened.
The “That Looked Expensive” online group gathers examples from all over the world where failures, misfortune, and accidents befell costly-looking items. So regardless of whether you are cringing or experiencing a deep degree of schadenfreude, be sure to upvote your favorites and comment your own stories below.
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A London Pub That Was Demolished And Recreated
Here We See A Wild Transport Vessel Showing Off His Tail To Attract A Female Vessel
Maybe You're Having A Bad Day, But I'm Pretty Sure You're Not Having A "Tell Your Boss You Set Off The Fire Suppression System At The Minnesota National Guard Hangar And Foamed All 10 Aircraft." Kinda Bad Day...
Seeing someone else's misfortune can be a mixed bag. Yes, we are sympathetic creatures as humans, blessed (or cursed) with the ability to empathize with others. But deep down, sometimes another struggle is just funny. After all, America's Funniest Home Videos wouldn’t be running since 1989 if we didn’t enjoy seeing another’s accidents. The Germans, as always, have a word for this, schadenfreude, or the feeling of joy (freude) at seeing someone fail/be harmed (schaden).
Unfortunately, scientists are here to ruin the fun. People with low self-esteem are more likely to experience schadenfreude, as they feel it brings others down to their level. Similarly, people with high degrees of narcissism, Machiavellianism, and psychopathy are more likely to feel it as well, as they tend to “struggle” with feeling empathy towards others. This is not to say that looking at these fails makes you a bad person, rather, that the impulse might just not be that benign at heart.
The Poor Little Thing Just Wanted A Belly Rub
April 28, 1988: The Roof Of An Aloha Airlines Jet Ripped Off In Mid-Air At 24,000 Feet, But The Plane Still Managed To Land Safely. One Stewardess Was Sucked Out Of The Plane. Her Body Was Never Found
Her death was the direct result of the airline failing to adhere to strict maintenance procedures and technical service bulletins from Boeing regarding inspections for corrosion and fatigue. The airframe was also beyond its flight-cycle design life, and should have been subject to even more rigorous inspection than usual.
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That's why you should wear your seat belts at all times in a plane!
She was taking care of everyone else, that's why she wasn't buckled during the moment of decompression.
Load More Replies... I can't believe they landed this 737... the pilots are heroes. I feel awful for the stewardess and her family... but this was still masterful flying in the face of despair.
I read a quote somewhere - maybe even here - that airline pilots are vastly overpaid for the vast majority of the time, and on occasions like this, vastly underpaid. I'm always amazed at what pilots can do under the most dire of circumstances, and how they can improvise to manoeuvre a plane in ways that are very non-standard.
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I remember this one. Surreal! I bet the pilot was really careful with the stick at landing.
just a little bit… a couple of biscuits made them feel better /j
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that is terrifying new fear unlocked sending love to the stewardess and her family
They have put higher standards on looking for metal fatigue on high stress, short hop flights bc of this... I know that's only some consolation, and I feel bad for the stewardess' family too; it's a miracle that anyone survived... great pilots.
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lest we forget SW flight 1380, where a lady died after being partially sucked out of a window after it was shattered by engine debris. the 5 year anniversary was less than 2 weeks ago... NTSB_updat...408c60.jpg 
her name was Clarabelle Lansing, also called CB .. I hope she didn't suffer. :(
The force of the wind is made evident by the lack of clothing on those in the window seats. It is a miracle that any of them survived.
When an aircraft decompresses, the captain will initiate an emergency descent to 10000ft where the air is breathable.
Load More Replies... While amazing, I don't like this being included. This was the death of a human being.
How does THIS happen ? I would like to know so I can be assured that it could never happen again. How sad and scary
That plane sure showed some backbone. By the way she was blown not sucked out f the plane.
This is a good reason to always wear your seatbelt even when the sign is off
I flew on this plane from Kauai to Oahu a couple of months before the accident. The reason I know is because all Aloha planes at the time were named for famous Hawaiian people & places. At the time boarding in Lihue was outside, not by jetway. You climbed up the stairs and boarded the plane. I was delayed at the top of the front stairs, and happened to notice that the plane was called Queen Liliuokalani. I thought this is cute- that's the name of the street that leads to my friends house in Kilauea. I was stopped just entering the doorway, and I looked around and said to myself "man, this plane is beat up." The plastic molding around the doorway was yellowed and cracked, and there was a big dent in the outside of the plane near the door! My flight was fine, but imagine my surprise when a couple of months later I saw a picture of the plane on the cover of a glossy news magazine, with the roof ripped off, and the name Queen Liliuokalani still clearly visible...
For years after you would find older 737‘s with heavy riveted strengthening on that part of the fuselage.
Correct. Safely, as in ONLY one person died. As tragic as her death was, this very easily could have been every last person on the plane.
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I went to high school with the man who was the pilot and captain on this plane. His name is Robert Schornsteimer. He is the man in the white shirt looking over his shoulder just in front of the passengers standing in the wreckage. I lost touch with him after college days and had no idea what he was doing until this accident happened and I saw his name in news stories. He was a good natured guy as a teenager and someone who was good at fixing things that were broken.
I flew on this plane from Kauai to Oahu a couple of months before the accident. The reason I know is because all Aloha planes at the time were named for famous Hawaiian people & places. At the time boarding in Lihue was outside, not by jetway. You climbed up the stairs and boarded the plane. I was delayed at the top of the front stairs, and happened to notice that the plane was called Queen Liliuokalani. I thought this is cute- that's the name of the street that leads to my friends house in Kilauea. I was stopped just entering the doorway, and I looked around and said to myself "man, this plane is beat up." The plastic molding around the doorway was yellowed and cracked, and there was a big dent in the outside of the plane near the door! My flight was fine, but imagine my surprise when a couple of months later I saw a picture of the plane on the cover of a glossy news magazine, with the roof ripped off, and the name Queen Liliuokalani still clearly visible.
That plane sure showed some backbone. By the way she was blown out of the plane not sucked.
Low On Magenta. Again
One doesn’t have to look far to find other, ample examples of content based on “fails.” As far back as 2008, internet pages were building and finding content revolving around misfortune, accidents, slips of the tongue, and other mistakes. While sometimes the content does seem cruel, examples like “That Looked Expensive” have mass appeal because the victims tend to be wealthy. A crashed sports car sucks, but if one can afford it, it might not feel as bad.
I Humbly Request This Picture To Be Used As The Subreddit Image. The Montparnasse Derailment - 1895
The M Stands For Magnetic
Just A Little Kiss
There is also a degree of curiosity in seeing expensive things break. Most of us are not around supercars, yachts, and construction equipment, so seeing what it looks like broken down or on fire has a sort of novel appeal. This is an impulse older than internet memes. For example, US soldiers in World War Two sometimes expressed a fascination with destruction. They would enjoy exploring the burnt-our wrecks of vehicles and bombed cities.
Sorry I Won't Make It In To Work Today Boss, My Train Missed My Station
Audis Can't Pole Vault
Neighbor Having Dead Tree Cut Down... Contractor Made A Little Mistake
In the modern day and age, this manifests as our curiosity whenever there is a traffic accident. It’s almost cliche to say things like “I couldn’t look away,” when we recall driving or walking past a car crash, but it does reflect a deep-seated inquisitiveness we have toward destruction. Many people will slow down, partially due to safety concerns, as one crash might be an indicator of risk factors in the area.
Oven Fell On A Red Hot Ferrari
Yes Sir, I Can Confirm That Your Package Is Currently En-Route On A Container Ship
Well, Not One But Two
Our brains are somewhat helpful in this regard. Relationally, a car crash, for example, or any other less common disaster is a bad thing. But our minds are clever enough to know that there might be important data, so they will want us to look. Our brains are more engaged when there is a negative emotion present, allowing us to quickly analyze the situation and learn whatever lessons there are to be learned. It seems that “smart people learn from others' mistakes,” is a core feature of our psyche.
Paint Spill In A Maserati
Honey, I'm Home!
Lamborghini Wrecked In Crash Just 20 Minutes After Purchase
Our consciousness is also somewhat assisted by the knowledge that there are solutions. We live in a materially rich world, cars can be fixed or replaced, and buildings repaired. Many people have insurance. This knowledge helps us rationalize these disasters and turn them into a bit of entertainment. Yes, it probably wouldn’t feel great to walk outside after a storm, see your own ruined property and think “That looks expensive,” but even bad luck has its own sort of charm.
The Gaziantep Castle In Turkey Collapsed After The Recent Earthquake
I'm Sorry Sir, But That Spot Is Normally Reserved For The Boss's Corvette Stingray
Someone Forgot To Drip The Faucet
Okay Joe we've got nearly 2 hours before the game. If we just work together . . .
In fact, if a person can laugh at themselves, and by extension, their own misfortune, that is a sign of better emotional well-being. Plus, if you can afford something that is expensive to fix, you might already be in a better position than most. So finding humor in downright bad luck is a good way for the brain to rationalize what is happening and release a little joy in an otherwise unfortunate situation. So, if you want to explore others’ misfortune a bit more, Bored Panda has got you covered, check out our pieces here, here, and here.
73-Year Old Woman Confuses Accelerator With The Brakes In Australia
In 2005, A U.S. Navy Submarine Ran Into A Mountain And Made It Back On Its Own
3/14/23 Miller Hill Mall (Duluth, Mn) Roof Collapse Due To Snow
This Is What's Left Of The Building I Used To Live In Until Last Friday. Lille, France
Singapore Airlines Sq368 On Fire After Emergency Landing
Instant Infinity Pool
There's a lot of this on the west coast of the US, it's just vanity draining into the ocean.
I'm On The Roof!
Roro Ferry Plows Into Anchored Cargo Vessel. Officer On Duty "Swears" He Wasn't Asleep At The Wheel
Aftermath Of A Trash Truck Falling Onto Train Tracks And Getting Sideswiped By An Ice High Speed Train At Lambrecht, Germany (17th Of August 2010)
Just Got A Brand New Grove At Work! Annnnnnndd It’s Gone. Can’t Believe This Guy Has A License!
Someone Left A Grill On In The Parking Lot At The Dolphins-Patriots Game
Vet On Fire. Seen In Dallas Today 8/17/2022
That's A Big Explosion
How Fast Do You Have To Go For That To Happen
Note: this post originally had 88 images. It’s been shortened to the top 35 images based on user votes.
I work in insurance, and I have such a love hate relationship with pics like these... On one hand I love the schadenfreude, on the other hand I just hope everyone's properly covered (or even if some of this stuff can even be insured against)
For somethings you can’t get insurance. You have to trust your abilities
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Very long story short, the alarm company for the very, very, very large communications company I worked for really messed up back around 2000. By the end of the week we contracted with another alarm company for the operations of our division, something like 50+ stores and operations centers. Then the rest of the wireless division across the country. Then the wireline operations. How many millions a year did that cost per year?
I work in insurance, and I have such a love hate relationship with pics like these... On one hand I love the schadenfreude, on the other hand I just hope everyone's properly covered (or even if some of this stuff can even be insured against)
For somethings you can’t get insurance. You have to trust your abilities
Load More Replies... Very long story short, the alarm company for the very, very, very large communications company I worked for really messed up back around 2000. By the end of the week we contracted with another alarm company for the operations of our division, something like 50+ stores and operations centers. Then the rest of the wireless division across the country. Then the wireline operations. How many millions a year did that cost per year?
