I think it’s only fair to agree on one simple thing. If an indoor space, or an outdoor one, for that matter, has a stairway, however long or short, it should serve its function. First, it should bring us up and down at least one level and second, it should be safe. That’s the bare minimum, right?
But it turns out, some stair designers out there have had their minds spun by invisible hamsters on a wheel. Right below, it becomes very clear why. You see, if the stairs cost you a potentially immeasurable amount of broken legs, you’d be better off without them.
Bored Panda has compiled the most absurd cases of stair designs gone very wrong that make a ladder look like a premium lift in comparison. My popcorn is ready, how about you?
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The Perfect Building To Have Stairs In Front Of
Not A Paradox, Just A Normal Russian Architecture
Steps That You Can't See
Some poor bad eye sighted person or pretty much anyone is literally going to bash their leg on that or worse
Although the absurd stair designs may look quite funny from the comfort of a computer, in reality, they cause some very serious risks to people who use them. National Safety Council statistics rank stairway injuries second only to motor vehicle accidents among leading causes of accidents. Moreover, World Health Organization states that falls are the second leading cause of accidental or unintentional injury deaths worldwide.
According to the representative of the Law Offices of Andrew D. Myers, a civil litigation attorney who focuses on personal injury, bankruptcy, business law and other civil matters, children and adults over 65 are especially at high risk.
“Each year, one in three elderly adults suffers a serious stairway fall. Such injuries can increase the chances of an earlier death and reduce the ability to live independently. The elderly face a higher likelihood of falling because they often experience muscle weakness and potential dizziness from taking a variety of medications. This risk rises as they age.”
They Built This School Like One Month Ago
No Broken Legs I Know Of
Access For Wheelchairs On These Stairs
They state that common injuries caused by stairway falls include internal bleeding, fractured bones, brain injuries, soft-tissue injuries, and dislocations. Moreover, Safety Council statistics indicate falls are among the most common causes of traumatic brain injury, so in no way can the possibility of falling down the stairs be looked at lightly.
To prevent such injuries, premises liability law requires property owners to reasonably maintain stairways. According to the Law Offices of Andrew D. Myers, “The law also holds property owners responsible where injuries occur as a result of dangerous or hazardous conditions. If proven that injuries directly resulted from a property owner’s negligence, then the injured person may be able to collect compensation for pain and suffering, lost income, and reimbursement for medical bills related to the accident.”
These Are Stairs In My Town. Just How?
These Stairs In My In-Laws' Summerhouse. We Have Parties Here So Going Down These Stairs Drunk Is A Challenge
I Think My Stairs Fit Here
Got An Unsatisfying Feeling When Walking Downstairs And The Last Step Was Not There
And that's where you step forward gracefully expecting a stair and end up looking like an especially awkward giraffe as you try to recover.
That's How I Broke My Leg
Imagine Being Drunk
The “Extra” Two Inches Of Concrete At The Top Of My Stairs. We Call It “The Tripper”
I Saw This At My School
This Is Russia
I Present To You Jeans Stairs Or Jairs
You Have To Go Up The Stairs, And Then Down The Stairs To Get To The Door
All The Privacy You Need
Found This Beauty At My Local College
This Staircase
Escalator/Stairs Combo
I Can See Why Someone Wanted To Fix This
Stairway To Heaven
Stairs From The Top
Stairway To Heaven
This Fuzzy Staircase
When I Tripped On The Stairs I Cut My Arm On These Things, And Continued To Fall Down The Stairs (I'm The 5th Victim This Week)
Don't Think The Owner Of This Hotel Thought This Through
Let's take the stairs. Urgh...on second thought, how about we wait for the lift?
Just A Staircase In St. Petersburg
The Longer You Stair, The Worse It Gets
Wheelchair Ramp To A Staircase In A Mall In Haugesund, Norway
Why Don't You Just Use All The Stairs?
Where I live, building codes call for railings if the elevation change is one metre or more, so that might be the case here.
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Whatvyou end up with when nice architecture doesn't comply with building code
Pretty sure rails have been added for the blind. There may be a law requiring rails to be set a certain distance apart to assist them.
That yellow bump strip before the stairs is to “tell” a blind person there are stairs ahead. There are different kinds of bump strips at different locations, ie. at the end of the curb.
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This actually makes sense. In the original design there was no railing for an elderly or disabled person to assist themselves moving up or down.
Do you need to completely close off the opening ? Where common sense would say, Hey let’s put two additional handrails down the center. And yes. They could have put handrails at each end
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It’s so no one can skateboard I assume.I see more & more of this, sadly
Saves wear and tear, you move the verticals every few years.You get 4 x the wear out of the steps, less maintenance. Local government, win win ;o)
This would have been a social place for residents - who would have sat on the stairs etc. Then some dweeb in local government thought.....
this is to stop people hanging out on the stairs and to stop the city from getting sued for people falling on the stairs.
So that cars don't think it's a road and drive down it. Otherwise it would be easily wide enough to drive down, and is coming directly off of a road. Probably had an accident or a complaint in the past that required the addition of rails?
Isn't it obvious? Young punks abused them. Going up those stairs all w***y-nilly, then going back down and then going back up again. They have no respect for the rules. They ruin everything for everyone.
A Staircase At My Uni
These Stairs Carpeted With A Pattern That Makes It Hard To See The Edge
And Sometimes People Use The Left Part
These Stairs At Our Hotel
You Gotta Pay Attention On These Stairs In A Cinema
If it wasn't for the wall to the left in the picture I wouldn't know that those are steps
Painted In A Hotel Stairwell Leading To Fitness Center
When Your Gym Tries Hard To Motivate You But Fails To Make Any Sense
This Bathroom With Too Many Stairs
These Stairs At My Friend's House
Is that the blood of the murder dungeons previous victim on the stairs?
New Staircase At My School
Wasting A Third Of The Staircase
Building codes change and if this is in a public space rails probably added to comply
Great Paint Job, Especially That Last “Step”
When Personal Injury Lawers Moonlight As Interior A Designer
Note: this post originally had 137 images. It’s been shortened to the top 45 images based on user votes.
Am I the only one who had a headache after looking at all those illusion(ish) pictures? TwT
I didn't know this were this many dumb-ass staircases in the whole world :O
Instead of Killer Klowns From Outer Space, it seems these are Killer Stairs From Inner Space. Did no one review these plans and patterns before installation. I hope there are a lot of injury claims against each and every flight of stairs! Where's an ambulance chaser when you need one?
Over a thousand people die each year from stair related incidents. This whole post shows exactly why.
And this is why the yellow strips on the edges are widespread in Australia
We've all heard people complaining of Americans being way too eager to sue one another. Some of these pictures seem to serve as a reminder that there's an up side to that.
Quite a few of these look like lawsuits in the making. I would make my way down by feel more than by sight - very carefully! I'd hate to navigate some of these when sober, let alone after a few pints!
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At Washington State University there is this sidewalk with stairs on it. Many of the building are non-ADA complaint as well, showing they really do not care if you are handicapped. Also the building that houses the student union, which includes a cafeteria and the book store has a few handicapped spots. If there is a weekday televised game, EPSN will come and take these spots for their television vans. 2013fall-a...d32245.jpg 
Am I the only one who had a headache after looking at all those illusion(ish) pictures? TwT
I didn't know this were this many dumb-ass staircases in the whole world :O
Instead of Killer Klowns From Outer Space, it seems these are Killer Stairs From Inner Space. Did no one review these plans and patterns before installation. I hope there are a lot of injury claims against each and every flight of stairs! Where's an ambulance chaser when you need one?
Over a thousand people die each year from stair related incidents. This whole post shows exactly why.
And this is why the yellow strips on the edges are widespread in Australia
We've all heard people complaining of Americans being way too eager to sue one another. Some of these pictures seem to serve as a reminder that there's an up side to that.
Quite a few of these look like lawsuits in the making. I would make my way down by feel more than by sight - very carefully! I'd hate to navigate some of these when sober, let alone after a few pints!
Load More Replies... At Washington State University there is this sidewalk with stairs on it. Many of the building are non-ADA complaint as well, showing they really do not care if you are handicapped. Also the building that houses the student union, which includes a cafeteria and the book store has a few handicapped spots. If there is a weekday televised game, EPSN will come and take these spots for their television vans. 2013fall-a...d32245.jpg
