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Have you ever tripped while going up or down stairs and thought, “Ugh, that wasn’t my fault! That was the fault of whoever horribly designed these stairs!” Probably not right? At least when I fall going up or down stairs, I know the only explanation is my clumsiness. That’s because designing stairs requires a high level of precision and ability, but there are somehow people out there brave enough to design stairs when they clearly have no idea what they're doing. We’ve gathered some of the internet’s worst stair design fails down below for you to marvel at (and count your blessings if you live on the first floor of your building). Be sure to upvote all of your favorite stairwell atrocities, and then if you're looking for even more epic stair fails, check out Bored Panda's last publications on the same topic here and here.
This post may include affiliate links.
#1
"Why This Place So Empty?"
Soro Doeth 3 years ago
To the person that posted this photo:I m sure you just found it on the internet and it wasnt intentional but you should do a little research before giving bad publicity to a well respected foundation.there are ramps to both sides.
Misterscooter 3 years ago (edited)
Yes. Great ramps that wind through lots of plants and overlook a fountain.
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Miriam L 3 years ago
My issue is not with the stairs, as there are ramps out of frame, but the fact that the handrails don't line up with the columns and so a ton of "usable" staircase space is actually going to lead you into a squeeze between the column and the handrail
Peign Gaming 3 years ago
Bet if you looked at the building overhead you would see plenty of space between the rail and columns.
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General Anaesthesia 3 years ago
I think there's a wheelchair ramp off to the side. https://imgur.com/JYx0lMe
Ah, stairs. They might be your favorite feature of your home, if you grew up in a one-story house and made it your life-long mission to move into a taller home. Or they could be the bane of your existence if you live in an apartment on the 7th floor of an ancient elevator-less building. Whether you love them, hate them, or have never given them a second thought, we hope you find these examples of horribly built stairs entertaining.
It probably is not common for stairs to be built in such a horrific fashion, leading to nowhere or having dangerously small places to step, but there is no question that they can be hazardous. In fact, stairs can be dangerous on their own, without even being ridiculous enough to end up on this list. According to a study from the National Electronic Injury Surveillance System, an average of 1,076,558 patients were treated for stair-related injuries each year in the United States between 1990 and 2012. The study also found that falling down the stairs seems to be a common issue for everyone, regardless of their age group.
RELATED:
#2
To Make The City More Inclusive
Lsai Aeon 3 years ago
I live in a wheelchair, this is normal. More places need to hire disabled people to help with planning of their buildings and city infrastructure
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thEBOrdeSTpaNDA 3 years ago
¿cómo le vamos a explicar esto a los extraterrestres? = how are we going to explain this to aliens?
B. J. Moore 2 years ago
What moronic idiot did this!?!? They should be fired and run out of town!
#3
May I Present To You: The Weird Stairs At My House (I Never Actually Realized How Weird This Are Since I Lived With Them All My Life)
Gul Dukat 3 years ago
That's quite clever. The staircase is too narrow for two people so one can stand in the penalty box and let the other pass.
Miriam L 3 years ago
I learnt from another commenter here that stairs with steps at the top and bottom (stepping up from the end of the staircase to the rooms, no landing) were common in London at one point to save space. But this is extreme. Crossing the "hallway"... I'm not sure I've got the agility for that.
Kandi Heiple 3 years ago
Looks like a great place for a cat to lay and try to knock you down the stairs
If stairs are a part of your daily life, whether you need to use them to get into your home or to get around the city, I don’t want to make you paranoid about the dangers associated with them. Like anything else in life, they are perfectly safe the vast majority of times. But before you consider installing an abstract art piece of a staircase into your home, consider the risks. According to a 2017 study from The American Journal of Emergency Medicine, not only are there over a million stair-related injuries each year, there are also about 12,000 stair-related deaths annually. Don’t assume that it’s only elderly people with bad hips tumbling down the stairs either; though they may be at a higher risk, we’re all capable of slipping up (or down!).
#4
This Stairway Has A Surprise Step
Gul Dukat 3 years ago (edited)
Nice! You can choose from torn ACL (going upstairs) or broken toe (going downstairs)
Anne McKinney 3 years ago (edited)
OMG--that is just asking for someone to be Ivannaed (too early?). I'll see myself out.
Xan Maranya 3 years ago
It makes me wonder if the floor is often flooded with water and the up step is to keep it contained.
Vortex Lazer 3 years ago (edited)
I nearly fell over sitting on my chair while looking at this.
#5
My University Has A Stair Case To Classroom 9 And 3/4
Peign Gaming 3 years ago
Whose the bigger idiot? Harry or the guy person who spelled idiot "i-d-o-i-t"
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Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
In the past I bet this went either right through or right up, but the building got cut up into smaller rooms, or the floors were separated so two different people or businesses could occupy them privately, and this set of stairs got cut off too.
Herkfixer 3 years ago
Doesn't look temporary, they never added trim at the base.
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#6
This Staircase
Shyla Clay 3 years ago
Well, a skeleton would look rather nekkid without bones. ☠️
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Ozzie Ogawa 3 years ago
Even with reinforcement and whatever they put there later, i will never ever put my feet on the glass. There was an accident at a mall where a visitor badly wounded because the glass he stepped on was broken, i saw picture of lots of blood and that gave me trauma to this day.
Bruce Ferrier 2 years ago (edited)
If you're thicc and you trip good luck cleaning up all those shards and getting up
I vividly remember sprinting up my home’s wooden staircase in socks after getting home from middle school, and tumbling all the way down. I wish I could say that this only happened once… Thankfully, I never sustained any serious injuries, but my tailbone was certainly bruised. There are a variety of injuries that can come from falling down a staircase, as Amstep Products explains on their blog, but the most common are sprains and strains, fractures and head and neck injuries. In more rare cases, taking a tumble can leave people with spinal cord damage, deep lacerations, injury to the brain, injuries to the back or neck, broken bones, internal bleeding, and lower extremity injuries. It is noted that the severity of the injury does depend on various factors, including the type of staircase involved and how the individual fell. Falling forward makes it easier to catch yourself, but your arms and face are at a higher risk. On the contrary, falling backwards can lead to hitting your head with more force.
#7
These Super Visible Stairs
#8
If Boss Says To Build Stairs, I Build Stairs
#9
Somewhere In Australia, Maybe
Jay Perrysmellz 3 years ago
weeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeeee its wheelchair safe aswell
Hermien Greeff 3 years ago
Cause the stairs were installed upside down. Australia upside down joke.
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Now, I’m not saying we all be paranoid and begin strapping on a helmet every time we walk up or down a staircase, but there are ways to make our stairwells safer. For example, if the stairs don’t have much traction, there are products like anti-slip tread that can be installed. Having a handrail is also never a bad idea. Don’t run up the stairs in socks like I did every day as a child, and don’t be distracted when going up or down. Seriously, you can check that text message after you get to the bottom. And watch your kids carefully if they are playing the game of “how many stairs can I jump up at one time”. Okay, maybe then it’s appropriate to enforce the helmet-on-the-stairs rule.
#10
Infamous House In My Hometown. Yes, Those Are Stairs In Front Of The Garage
Debbie Barnes 3 years ago
Why would you have stairs leading to a garage? Doesn't it make the garage redundant?...
Skull in Sky 3 years ago
In some countries, you have regulations that 1/ require you to have a garage w garage door and 2/ make you pay high tax for rooms. People do solve it by getting "garages" they convert into living rooms immediately.
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#11
Walked Up This, Then Had To Turn Around Because Of These Useless Railings
Arthur Waite 3 years ago
There's one of these in my home-town; midnight gardeners came and put big plant-pots with dozens of ferns, flowering bushes and such - made it a tourist attraction rather than a problem.
#12
This Is So Going To Make People Break Their Bones
Donkey boi 3 years ago
It doesn't bother me half as much as the stripes not aligning on the left!
James G. Currie 3 years ago
It can not be said enough...if you are going to use a runner, you do NOT have to carpet the entire stairwell!
I know what you must be thinking: when did stairs come about in the first place? Okay, maybe that’s not what you were thinking, but it would be interesting to know! Apparently, people have been constructing buildings with stairs for thousands of years, as Darcy Joinery Ltd. explains on their blog that stairs are one of the oldest structures on the planet. The original stairs were likely logs or flat rocks stacked on top of each other to accomplish the same purpose as modern stairs, but they quickly became much more advanced as civilization progressed. Ancient stairs have been found in excavated settlements, like the Mojenjo Daro in Pakistan, where they are assumed to have been built over 4,000 years ago. But apparently, stairs even existed in the Neolithic period, when the ancient Tower of Jericho was constructed, featuring a staircase of twenty-two steps.
#13
This “Disabled Friendly” Ramp
Lsai Aeon 3 years ago
I've got an extra wheelchair if you want to try it, though you don't get to keep it after your ride
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Deborah B 3 years ago
That is not a ramp. I use a wheelchair, and that is a deathtrap. The wheelchair is going to tip over.
#14
Architectural Masterpiece
blobby_grrl 3 years ago
at 6am in the morning getting out of your room would be a death sentence...
Hades (but good) 3 years ago
i can just imagine running up the stairs and my brother opens the door and I get hit in the face
superlashes 3 years ago
The fact the door also opens outwards into the abyss instead of inwards. How are you meant to open it from the stair side?
Stefaan De Clerck 3 years ago
May be those who did the inspection were on drugs too?
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Mary 3 years ago
I don’t think Jesus lives there…but if he did he could just float.
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this violent end (she/her) 3 years ago
someone walking up the stairs when jeremy opens his bedroom door *SMACK*
Stefaan De Clerck 3 years ago
Some houses are build without architect ... or designed by one who was on drugs.
#15
Got Funky While Building My First Staircase
James G. Currie 3 years ago (edited)
Not necessarily...proper railings, and they should be fine. The style is called ship stairs. As long as the rise is not excessive, and they are used properly, they are quite safe...although I dislike the turn.
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Nathaniel 3 years ago
I know it is space saving, I also know I would forget which leg to lead with. Especially at 3am in the morning desperate for a slash.
Pat Tamarin 3 years ago
They're called "staggered stairs" and made for small, steep, areas. But I've never seen one going around a corner. Start with your right foot and you'll be okay.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
First staircase, and last, I really hope. You obviously don’t understand how staircases work, so you got artistic instead.
As civilization progressed and staircases became more advanced, the spiral staircase was born. Originally with a focus on practicality, the narrow spiral staircase became popular during medieval times to make climbing defensive towers and church steeples easier. As the staircases winded clock-wise, they put right-handed attackers at a disadvantage, as they would be forced to use their left hands if they drew their swords. These staircases also prevented soldiers from entering in masses, as only one person could be on each stair at a time. In fact, these staircases were sometimes intentionally built with uneven steps to trip enemies. I assumed the individuals who designed the stairs featured on this list had no idea what they were doing, but maybe they were geniuses. I never considered that their designs could be strategies to keep enemies out!
#16
This Fancy Staircase Leads Directly Into A Wall
Gul Dukat 3 years ago
It's a safety wall. It prevents you from falling down the next staircase.
Kabuki Kitsune 3 years ago
Happens from time to time when a building is remodeled, and an old section is partitioned off.
majandess 3 years ago
I seriously wonder if they'll find something in the future like that Burger King in the Delaware mall.
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Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago (edited)
Maybe the wall wasn’t there when the building was built, and for a while after, until sometime in the past someone got the bright idea to cut the building up into smaller units, and put up the wall to the room the staircase used to lead to, like a lobby or ballroom.
Avalon Homestead 3 years ago
If you look really close you can see an outline to either a door or elevator.
#17
Just When You Thought You Were Reaching 1 Kcal
Derek Moore 3 years ago
This is awesome. The numbers of the amount of calories you burned by taking the steps and the wording is detailing The beneficial aspects of taking the stairs: " Improve the strength of your leg muscles" "Raise your good cholesterol" "Strengthen your bones". I think it's clever and cute.
#18
What Was The Point Of This Again
Cat Palmer 3 years ago
Or for a cat who wants to sit on the stairs without being in the way. (JK - there are no cats that would want to do that.)
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Christian Fuller 3 years ago
That top step needs an Obi-Wan Kenobi action figure. "It's over, Anakin! I have the high ground!"
Elsker 3 years ago
also, while we're at it, what's the point of that tumblehazard of a rug on the stairs?
B 🇺🇦🇨🇦 3 years ago (edited)
Also, while we’re at it, is that a lil doggy booty lower right? I demand to see the rest of the dog.
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DrGirlfriend 3 years ago
Oooooohhhhh my plants would love this nook. Other than that maybe scare a sibling from time to time hiding out and just pop out screaming nonsense
Today, there are an extremely wide variety of stairs around the world, from elegant spiral staircases in the center of mansions to grimy fire exit stairwells in apartment buildings. If you’re a stair enthusiast looking to climb the longest staircase in the world, you can find it on Mount Niesen in the Swiss Alps. A two-mile long staircase with 11,674 steps, the Niesen Treppenlauf holds the world record by a mile. Literally. As a safety precaution, these stairs are typically only used for maintenance and closed off to the public, but once a year, 500 people are given the opportunity to attempt the treacherous climb. In fact, the fastest anyone has ever completed the journey, which is equivalent to walking to the top of the Empire State Building seven times, was in one hour and two minutes. I can only imagine how their quads were feeling after that hour.
#19
Finnish Architecture
Gul Dukat 3 years ago
“Good morning, and in case I don't see ya, good afternoon, good evening, and goodnight!”
Mummi 3 years ago
Some explanation needed. No mystery, no madness, no architectural experiment. Just something very ordinary for the fire safety in a movie theater from 1930s: the nitrate films were extremely flammable and to avoid to burn the whole theater, the projection booths had to be completely isolated and have a separate entrance from outside. This particular staircase is in Helsinki, the Bio-Rex theater in Lasipalatsi-building. And yes, I've been there and even projected movies from there. 😏
Me 3 years ago
When I saw it was Finnish, I knew it was probably something reasonable.
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MiriPanda 3 years ago
I don't mind that staircase, but what about tha ladder thing to the left going nowhere 🤔
Legoinsinööri 3 years ago
Ground level is 2-3 meters below the bottom step, but in a public place the ladder is left short so people don't climb there without purpose.
Load More Replies... Kabuki Kitsune 3 years ago
This actually is quite common in warehouses or industrial facilities. There's a 'fire wall' between them inside the structure, and no entry through it. So you go out and around.
#20
Stairs In The Basement Of A Princeton University Dorm
James G. Currie 3 years ago
Original stairwell on left. Replacement on right. Cheaper to let what is left of the original in place. lol
Kristine Ellis 3 years ago
I have had bad dreams involving stairs like this. Didn't think anyone would ever actually BUILD them!
Hutch 3 years ago
OMG! I do too. I have dreams of trying to get to dorm rooms upstairs all the time and having to go through stairs like this trying to figure out how to get from one side to the other, etc.
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Donald Holder 3 years ago
This is the new hazing ritual. You'll be accepted only if you can find the dorm monitors room on the 3rd floor before 7pm.
Chanya Roye 3 years ago
It makes sense to me. The left staircase is leading to a hall that goes right. The right staircase connects to the next flight on the left. How else would you optimize the space that well?
#21
Why Use A Ladder Just Take The Stairs
B 🇺🇦🇨🇦 3 years ago (edited)
A big long stretch of wiggly flimsy concrete with no supports whatsoever? I laugh in the face of danger 😎 edit: I know y’all are saying “but the sticks!” but I still feel I have to stand by my original statement of “no supports whatsoever” hahaha
Cel Ru 3 years ago
Imagine? Allow me to demonstrate.... *falls 3 steps up, gets concrete overcoat*
Load More Replies...Another world-famous staircase is not known for its great height or beautiful scenery, but rather for the tragedies associated with it. The Staircase is a 2004 documentary featuring the harrowing story of how novelist Michael Peterson’s wife mysteriously died. He claimed she had fallen down the stairs in their home, but the autopsy proved there was more to the story. The medical examiner determined that Peterson’s wife had been beaten with a weapon, making the author a suspect and leading to the launch of a full investigation.
#22
Thank You So Much For Making This Handicap Ramp, I Am So Glad This Building Is Wheelchair Accessible
PickleRick 3 years ago (edited)
If you look closely, there's an image of a ghost that died using it.
Kristine Ellis 3 years ago
What are you complaining about - there is always the grassy knoll, right there!
Remi (He/Him) 3 years ago
the grassy knoll is reserved for the JFK sniper 😂
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Lisa Murray 3 years ago
Does anyone else see the creepy figure bending over the walkway?? Yikes, I got goosebumps...
Tarcandor 3 years ago
Do you mean the lighter coloured blob, caused by a reflection in the car's window ?
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#23
Found This On My College Campus. The Walkway/Stairs Above Are Still Open Too
Josie Bisbano 3 years ago
The supports are for curing the concrete resurfacing underneath the stairs. The stairs themselves are structurally supported already.
Ozymandias73 3 years ago
Administrator to the OSHA rep: And look over there at those pigeons! Aren't they lovely! Keep looking as we go past these perfectly sound stairs so you see them in every angle.
Chris Kane 3 years ago
It's been cordoned off, the supports are temporary until a proper repair takes place and no one will be allowed to walk on it. Just damaged stairs, not anything interesting.
#24
A Friend Of Mine, In The Picture, Designed And Built These Stairs. Beautiful, But Frightening When You're Going Down The Stairs
Mistiekim 3 years ago
I need railings! Without railings they are planks stuck in a wall!
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Remi (He/Him) 3 years ago
When crawling on all fours like a toddler is actually your best option
The investigation of Michael Peterson, which is detailed in The Staircase, found that prior to the death of his wife, one of his dear friends in Germany had died in a staircase in a suspiciously similar way. In the end, Peterson was charged with manslaughter and held responsible for the death of his wife, but it’s frightening to think that someone could almost get away with murder, possibly more than once, by simply blaming a staircase. If you are interested in hearing how the full story unfolded, The Staircase is available for streaming on Netflix.
#25
This Staircase I Have To Go Up And Down At Work Everyday. No, That's Not Forced Perspective. It Really Is That Steep
Dynein 3 years ago
And it's even better than a regular ladder because it has many handholds. Just climb down backwards as you would do with a ladder and you'll find it super easy. The only problem here is OP's misidentification.
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Robert Trebor 3 years ago
Ladders on Navy ships are steep like that. Young people have no problem adapting. When I went on the USS New Jersey (museum ship) at age 68, I turned and went down backwards. Not as stable as I useta be.
Alexandru Bucur 3 years ago
Yeah, I went down many a companionway ladder facing forwards and at a fair clip, especially while carrying something in my arms - once you get used to it, it becomes second nature, like ducking when going through a watertight bulkhead door...
Load More Replies... B 🇺🇦🇨🇦 3 years ago
I recommend wearing socks with those kinda boots 😅 and if you are - not ankle socks! Real socks!
Brandie Litchfield 3 years ago
I thought it was the design on the socks, not tattoos
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#26
A Lovely Chicago Apartment Bathroom
B 🇺🇦🇨🇦 3 years ago (edited)
$4900 a month, elegant Victorian bath with real stained wood cabinetry, grand staircase leads into bath, *feel like a Mermaid Princess!!* Electricity/water/internet/parking/HOA/tax/ugly fee not included. Must replace that whack a*s wallpaper at own expense upon moving in.
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
The wallpaper isn’t the issue. The stairs leading up to the tub and the drawers under the tub are the issues. How deep is the tub? Are any of the drawers useable? How slippery does that flooring get?
Load More Replies... Shyla Clay 3 years ago
People who are too lazy to go to their bedrooms to get fresh clothes to wear?
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#27
Stairs To More Stairs
Laura Betz 3 years ago
The bottom 3 steps are the same ones I have for my dog to get on the bed 😱
Donald Holder 3 years ago
It's a stairway to learning poll dancing. The sink is to wipe off the blood for those not yet efficient.
Xan Maranya 3 years ago
"I know the measurements are way off but look how cheap they are! We'll make it work."
We hope you're enjoying this list of stairs that look like they were inspired by children's drawings. As useless as many of them are, at least they can provide us with a bit of entertainment. Be sure to upvote all of your favorite stupid staircases, and let us know in the comments if you have ever experienced a noteworthy stair design failure. And don't forget, proceed with caution on any staircase, but especially a poorly designed one!
#28
I Have No Idea What Floor I'm On
Telmo Belo 3 years ago
I believe those are saying the stairs are connecting floors 3 to 5 and 5 to 6. Therefore, OP is on level 5. No clue what happened to 4
Nadine Debard 3 years ago
My guess is it's somewhere in Asia (China?) where 4 is bad luck
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Vicki Doggurl 3 years ago
If it’s in Asia, which is likely bc there is no 4, a lot of Asian languages are read right to left.
Captain Turkette 3 years ago (edited)
The 4 and other floor numbers are on the other sign. Maybe those are beginning numbers for units on those floors or section numbers. Idk weird
#29
I’ve Tripped In The Kitchen But Never On My Way To The Kitchen
Khavrinen 3 years ago
The Church of Cuisine. "Today's sermon is from the Book of Maillard: 140-165C..."
Load More Replies... B 🇺🇦🇨🇦 3 years ago
It looks like one of those department store display kitchens in real life. (A wild IKEA kitchen has appeared!)
B 🇺🇦🇨🇦 3 years ago
Homeowner used “do something cool and modern with the ceiling!” It was ineffective….
Load More Replies... Dynein 3 years ago (edited)
With the bricks and wooden beams, the house might be older than plumbing... (though it does look very good condition if that's the case). Since you want sewage to always go *down* rather than up, the only other option might have been ripping out parts of the floors and walls to put in the plumbing... oooorrr, they could do what they ended up doing, which is to put the sink with the rest of the kitchen (and possibly a toilet behind the door on the right?) onto a small podium.
Loren Pechtel 3 years ago
I was thinking conversion rather than ancient, but I agree with you, there's a solid layer down there they didn't want to rip up and so they elevated the plumbing to get drainage.
Load More Replies... Jay Perrysmellz 3 years ago
why is the oven switch on the right wall :little timmy mummys in the kitchen can u turn on the oven while ur down there
#30
Just In Case You Fall In The Wall
Kathryn Baylis 3 years ago
Or want an interesting experience trying to use the bike rack. If it’s real thin, maybe it could squeeze between the wall and the rack…
Jan Eivroc 3 years ago
So many things are going on this image and everything about it is just downright wrong...
#31
This Is The View Going Down A Set Of Stairs At My Workplace
#32
Nearly Broke My Ankle At The Bottom Of These Steps
#33
The More I Look At This House, The Worse It Gets
MonkeyInTheMiddle 3 years ago
I'm pretty sure I developed OCD from this, and if I already have it, it just increased by a whole lot
Cel Ru 3 years ago
Nah, as someone with OCD (in ALL glorious forms lol) this hasn't done that to you, you're fine! You have a healthy appreciation for order possibly that just got redefined. (Unless this haunts you for days/weeks/months/years... then go get tested...!) lol doorway had me screaming, I will speak about the shiny surface and possibly show my therapist this photo. Agh!
Load More Replies... Cat Palmer 3 years ago
Looks like a Sims house by someone who's not good at building houses in the Sims.
#34
Inconsistent Rise And Run Of Stairs
Gary Sansom 3 years ago
I'm guessing this err 'builder' never passed his City & Guilds certification.... /-;
#35
First Step Of Stairs Is Cut To Allow Doors To Open
#36
If You Like Wall Climbing, These Stairs Are For You
Lara Verne 3 years ago
These stair are very useful, especially when you need to move furniture upstairs,
#37
An Apartment In London That Has No Front Door. Just A Set Of Stairs Leading Up To A Window
MiriPanda 3 years ago
And, having lived in London for many years, this is probably the entirety of the appartement...
James G. Currie 3 years ago
Technically legal. But I'd still complain because an average height person can not enter whilst standing.
#38
These Stairs In London
DuchessDegu 3 years ago
Ha! Queens Walk in London Bridge tube station! It's a b***h when it's wet and you're wearing smooth sole shoes
B 🇺🇦🇨🇦 3 years ago
I can actually see these just fine but I can definitely see how vision impaired people would not! This is why accessible design will always be an incredibly important field - maybe add a contrasting colour cap on the end of each stair along with some tactile paving, as well as an elevator or ramp for wheelchair users!
#39
It Is Like This In Minecraft When You Miscalculate And You Are Left With This. Expect This Is At My Friend's House. You Have To Duck Down Half Way Up The Stairs
Trond Øien 3 years ago
There's a line in the ceiling parallell to the railing which seems to indicate that someone closed off part of the stairwell at some point and didn't quite think it through. smh.
Emmydearest 3 years ago
And going down the stairs you bend backward like the girl from the exorcist
Glitterati 3 years ago
This triggers my claustrophobia so badly. I have nightmares of squeezing through holes like this to get to where I need to go. Yuck.
#40
I Didn't Understand Why I Keep Stumbling When Going Up, Then I Took A Closer Look At The Stairs
Kristine Ellis 3 years ago
Plus, they only sealed the tops? and didn't catch the drips? Amateur botch job.
#41
Striped Carpet On Hotel Stairs. Hard To Use Even After Two Weeks And Completely Sober
#42
Very Safe Stairs
Gul Dukat 3 years ago
In Switzerland: https://www.mbandf.com/en/parallel-world/stunning-steps-to-nowhere
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Trond Øien 3 years ago
I saw this posted somewhere else and someone pointed out that it was an art installation of some sort.
Load More Replies... Jan Eivroc 3 years ago
'Charles, you've messed up again. Repent and walk on the stairs of pain!'
#43
These Stairs Look Sharp
James G. Currie 3 years ago
Because the builder hates you for some reason no one else can know? Not quite the stupidest thing I've ever seen...but close.
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#44
Fish Scale Stairs At My Grandma's
Dynein 3 years ago
At that angle, it's way easier to climb a stairway like this than a regular one. With a regular design, each step could only be half as wide, almost like a ladder's - imagine how often you'd stumble on *that*! Especially climbing down, when you can barely fit your heel on the step and can only hope you'll manage to bend your knee without tumbling down... The fishscale design exists because it's the lesser evil of the two.
Anna Solan 3 years ago
I have heard that before, but never actually tried stairs like this. Curious now.
Load More Replies... Brandie Litchfield 3 years ago
You can see the "normal" steps underneath the fish scale steps. As narrow as the original staircase was, these steps look far safer!!
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#45
Because Having Two Staircases In The Bathroom Is Better Than One. Toilet Is Behind The Wall On The Left
Kristine Ellis 3 years ago
Judging by what we have already seen, this is probably listed a "wheelchair friendly".
Jason Leaf 3 years ago
This is what happens when the Tetris Generation grows up to be architects.
#46
Stairs Retrofitted Into Old House Are A Death Trap
#47
Staircase To Nowhere
James G. Currie 3 years ago
'Tis put there for the director o' the Stairway Choir, don'tcha know...
#48
The Disabled Parking At My School
B 🇺🇦🇨🇦 3 years ago (edited)
We seriously need to do something about these embarrassing public inaccessibility problems in first world countries 🙄 shame on this school and this designer. Would take literally 10 seconds of consideration to realize this is an issue for some people but noooo, it got approved and fully built and is being maintained….and now shamed on the internet. Stop forgetting that people with disabilities are here living this life too and deserve every extra consideration able-bodied people are spoiled with. (They kind of deserve more for having to put up with c**p like this daily. Can you imagine not being able to go into a public building because their entrance is only accessible to a portion of the population? Y’all would riot if it was you.)
James G. Currie 3 years ago
No it's not...the average wheelchair is only 30 cm across! (Yeah, the builder is an idiot...)
#49
My Sister's Staircase
#50
The Stairs In An Airbnb I Stayed In Where Every Step Is A Different Height, Width And Depth
#51
Came Across This Gem. So Apparently Homes Are Now Being Sold With Built-In Stairmasters 4300’s. You Can Even Charge Your Phone While You Break A Sweat
Upstaged75 3 years ago
LOL, the naughty steps! Perfect for time outs. You can even do more than one kid at a time.
Load More Replies... #52
Enjoy Your Trip Up, Down, Or Over These Steps
#53
Stair Blocks My Cabinet
#54
This Useless Staircase I Found In The Wild
Persephone 3 years ago (edited)
There was something there originally... storm or root cellar maybe? Ice storage? This is less offensive than most things on the list.
#55
Big Steps In A Toilet Cubicle In A Mall. Safe To Say I Fell As I Was Walking To The Door After Turning To Flush
#56
Weird Stairs
#57
Not Sure If This Is Better
James G. Currie 3 years ago
Remove he taller, and leave the lower...after you rip about 10cm off the bottom!
#58
Wheelchair Service Reception, Up A Flight Of Stairs
Kaiserfranzgirl 3 years ago
The sign does not refer to the door up the steps, that is just a fire door, not an entrance
#59
My Mom's House Has A Complete Dip In The Floor (I Can't Tell You How Many Times I've Tripped)
#60
The Deeper I Go, The Dumber The Architecture Becomes
Kristine Ellis 3 years ago
The door HAS to be there because if it were any lower, it would not be anywhere near useable height. Hence the extra stairs are necessary. There IS a cockeyed logic to it.
#61
Three Staircases
Persephone 3 years ago
It's even marked!! (These are pretty cool tho, and I bet there's a pergola or skylight above)..
Load More Replies... Kristine Ellis 3 years ago
Another one of my bad dreams. Note the feet. Is this the one where ...?Nah, you don't want to know where those staircases go.
Jan Eivroc 3 years ago
If you can just jump from above then what are the three staircases for?
#62
Set Of Stairs In A House I Was In Today
MonkeyInTheMiddle 3 years ago
You could have a race who could frog jump to the top of up the steps first!
#63
The Stairs At The Bottom Of This Doorway, What Happened Here
Kristine Ellis 3 years ago
The boss got the measurements wrong and the worker did malicious compliance.
#64
University Stairway Leads Halfway Into Hand Rail
Giles McArdell 3 years ago
Bad design but without that extra bit I think wheelchair users might miss the turn and go straight down the stairs.
Wilko Lunenburg 3 years ago
That's something a good guy with an angle grinder can fix in a few minutes.
#65
Mario Stairs
#66
What A Stair
#67
The Stairs In My School Lead To Nothing
#68
My Friend's Stairway To His Bedroom
Vinay Pai 3 years ago
..... some stand up and other use the chairs, Chocolate Stairs.... (please continue....)
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#69
Just When You Thought It Couldn’t Get Worse. Let Me Introduce You To These Lovely Stairs In Tallinn, Estonia
#70
Crazy Or Just Plain Bad?
#71
Fire Exit Stair-Does This Belong Here?
Persephone 3 years ago
Tbh, it looks sturdier than a lot of fire escapes I've seen and used....
#72
Death Stairs Or Something
#73
Thanks For The Stairs (On Both Sides Of The Bridge)
Kylie Mountain 3 years ago (edited)
The flat side is supposed to allow bikes and possibly wheelchair users to cross the bridge, except they have steps leading up to the ramp.
Load More Replies... #74
Stairs At Work Got An Upgrade
#75
I Have Never Been So Nervous Walking Down The Stairs. Ireland
#76
Deathtrap Of The Day
Kristine Ellis 3 years ago
At least there are hand rails, though they do rather disconcertingly look like disabled canes.
#77
Weirdest Stairs To Climb
#78
What On God's Green Earth Is This Abomination ?
Nunya Business 3 years ago
If people think this is attractive they're wrong. It's just stupid.
Kylie Mountain 3 years ago
I think in some cases it's used as a way to fit a staircase into a very small area without giant unusable step heights. Still a bad idea.
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Sareaesque 3 years ago
they fit into a shorter space than traditional stairs would
Load More Replies... #79
How Do We Get The Couch Up?
#80
More Stairs To Make You Dizzy
GoodWolf 3 years ago
It's for the drop bear that jumps on you as soon as you open the door
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#81
These Stairs At The Hospital Require Extra Focus
#82
Hmmm Ahh Yes
Brandie Buckle 3 years ago
They are for pushchairs and prams. The person walks down the steps while the wheels go on the ramps. We had them on my walk to school years ago.
Llewella 3 years ago
These kind of ramps are usually ment so you can push your bike up the stairs
Stephen Smith 3 years ago
Is that a steep wheel chair ramp, and the person pushing you up can use the stairs.
#83
Something’s Not Quite Right
#84
This Escalator Fails To Go All The Way
PandaGoPanda 3 years ago
They might be .. from the photo credit this one's in Taipei, but there's a very similar setup in a department store in Tokyo. Slightly better maintained though.
Load More Replies... #85
This Semi-Diagonal Staircases
#86
Not Sure If I Was In An Optical Illusion Exhibition Or In The Bathroom Of A Pub Built In 1242
PandaGoPanda 3 years ago
Yep, the Bear Inn in Oxford, England. Not the oldest pub in England though. The oldest one is built into caves hollowed out of a cliff.
#87
This Wheelchair Ramp In A Local Pharmacy
SeaLouse_Comics 3 years ago
Probably some country that recently made it law for all business to be handicapped accessible, but might not make sense in an older building, so they did this to "comply".
#88
This Bike Ramp
MonkeyInTheMiddle 3 years ago (edited)
You could [try to] do a wheelie and somehow pivot the bike around until you're on top of the stairs or the wall. That's what I'm guessing you could do...
Alexandru Bucur 3 years ago (edited)
Ah, this is in the center of Skopje, Macedonia, but that is not supposed to be a ramp, it's just a stair-less bit because you'd be walking into a planter. You can tell that because this is merely a landing, the stairs continue lower but the ramp doesn't. Sure, they could have made it better, but... *shrug* Here's proof from google street view: https://www.google.com/maps/@41.9966887,21.4322397,3a,75.2y,156.69h,90.08t/data=!3m8!1e1!3m6!1sAF1QipPRTJLb7JkCRs8j_TLhpuK3lqZEV8VwUrarsb5p!2e10!3e11!6shttps:%2F%2Flh5.googleusercontent.com%2Fp%2FAF1QipPRTJLb7JkCRs8j_TLhpuK3lqZEV8VwUrarsb5p%3Dw203-h100-k-no-pi-0-ya49.486225-ro-0-fo100!7i10240!8i5120
#89
I Was Looking To Buy A House, When I Suddenly Found This Abomination
Cel Ru 3 years ago
Haha, nah I think it's a conversation piece in case other buyers fall to an untimely death!
Load More Replies... Brandie Litchfield 3 years ago
I love how a drawer pull is used for a railing on the left side
#90
This Hotel Room's Entrance
#91
The Staircase At The Milwaukee Public Museum
#92
This Half-Eaten Post On My Staircase
#93
This Staircase To A Building
#94
This Strap Will Hold This Stair Up Alright
#95
These Stairs
#96
This Staircase That Goes Nowhere
Catherine Graffham 3 years ago
You can still get up them…. If you’re super skinny…. Maybe it’s a staircase for flat Stanley?
#97
This Staircase That Doesn't Properly Touch The Ground
Frank 3 years ago
That's normal (I have one in my house too). Can be to avoid moisture getting from the cellar floor into a wooden staircase, in this case probably because they could not get permission to put a solid support under the staircase, so it's safer to make a sure fixture to the upper floor and keep it floating.
Alexander Neil 3 years ago
Actually it's a new anti earthquake technology. The entire structure floats a bit above the Earth.
#98
Steep Stairs To The Attic Of My Family's House
#99
They Wedged The Wobbly Top Stair In Place
#100
These Stairs In My Hotel Room
#101
These Stairs Leading To The Registan In Samarkand, Uzbekistan
#102
Whoever Designed These Stairs Needs To Be Fired Immediately
#103
This "Spiral Stairwell" In My Cousin's House
Hello Dolly 3 years ago
I stayed in upstairs room like that once in a house in Peru. I don’t know how to describe it. It was almost like a separate room on top of a roof.
#104
Stairs Passing Through The Corner Of A Room
#105
The Top Set Of Stairs (Ladderwell) Blocks Half Of The Bottom Set Of Stairs
#106
These Steps Were So Steep I Had To Walk Down Them Like It Was A Ladder (A Rental Cabin Somewhere In Gatlinburg, Tennessee)
KDS 3 years ago
Oh my goodness I think I stayed in that cabin or one similar to it because I remembered the steep stairs. I got dizzy on these stairs because I was terrified of heights,I had fallen off a slide when I was younger and busted my lip.
Upstaged75 3 years ago
The place we stay at the beach has a rooftop deck with an amazing view. But the stairs to get up there are terrifying. Like this but metal and they spiral around 4 times as you progressively get higher. The worst part is coming back down - if you slip you can literally fall off the side of the house. Although the view is (almost) worth it during sunset over the Gulf of Mexico. :)
Load More Replies... #107
This Is To Help People Get Down The Stairs Safely
Hermien Greeff 3 years ago
Those tracks are for pushing a bicycle up the stairs. Makes sense due to the double bike lane at the bottom.
Kusotare 3 years ago
This is not a design fail. It's somebody's misunderstanding of a design win. If you've reached the bottom of the staircase on your bike, you align your wheels in one of the tracks and push your bike up the staircase while you climb the stairs. The tracks make it easier to control the bike, and you don't have to carry it up the stairs.
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What do you think ?
YetAnotherSarah 3 years ago
Three categories: retrofits to divide the abundant space differently, affecting the design; retrofits for ADA compliance, affecting the design; a-holes grossly ignoring building code. Only one of these is a bad thing.
What's In Your Head? 3 years ago
I had to stop halfway through because these pictures made me physically uneasy. o___O Too many fever dreams here.
Barbara Kayton 3 years ago
These are the most frighteningly dangerous stairs and non-accessible/murderous ramps. Anything remotely like these should be fined thousands of dollars, ripped out and built safely. All steps should have proper rails, I've hears way too many horror stories that ended with a person being severely crippled.
YetAnotherSarah 3 years ago
Three categories: retrofits to divide the abundant space differently, affecting the design; retrofits for ADA compliance, affecting the design; a-holes grossly ignoring building code. Only one of these is a bad thing.
What's In Your Head? 3 years ago
I had to stop halfway through because these pictures made me physically uneasy. o___O Too many fever dreams here.
Barbara Kayton 3 years ago
These are the most frighteningly dangerous stairs and non-accessible/murderous ramps. Anything remotely like these should be fined thousands of dollars, ripped out and built safely. All steps should have proper rails, I've hears way too many horror stories that ended with a person being severely crippled.
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