This Is Why We Can’t Have Nice Things: 50 Outrageous And Epic Fails

By Romy M

Sometimes, in life, some really messed up things happen. Making mistakes is usually part of our everyday lives, but some people seem to have the worst luck ever. We don’t worry about finding our car on fire, our house being split in half, or ruining a precious painting, yet some people should really have been concerned about such things happening.

When non-fatal tragedy strikes, we have two options: we could cry over these unfortunate events or we can share them with the world and laugh about them. These fails may help you forget about that fridge door that you left open, the bag that you left at home, or just generally validate your silliest mistakes. That being said, let’s take a look at some of the world’s most hilariously, mind-boggling blunders and disasters.

Honey, There’s a Train in our House

Correct us if we’re wrong, but the objective of a train is usually to stay on the track, right? Well, this train didn’t seem to get the memo. We can only hope that no one was injured when this happened.

Image courtesy of Bobjork/CC BY-SA 3.0/Wikimedia Commons

It turns out that the reason that the Swedish train derailed in the first place was a clumsy cleaning lady. She accidentally started the improperly parked train, sending it right into someone’s house. Now we’re wondering, how does one remove a train from a house?

Just Keep Swimming 

When you buy a car, you should really listen to the part where they tell you what kind of terrain it can handle. Chances are it’s not also a submarine. If you don’t heed their warning, you might end up swan diving into a lake and having to pay a very expensive bill.

Image courtesy of bjorn4r/Reddit

We can’t help but wonder what’s going on in Sweden. A train crashing into a house and now this? Finding a car in a lake must be a casual day for a Swede if their reaction is “perfect for outside and inside washing” (translated from picture). 

It’s Just a Scratch

It looks like this car crash has left the owner with only half a car. It must have been one hell of a crash to leave the car looking like that. Let’s hope they at least get the insurance payout. 

Image courtesy of badebdon/Reddit

We’re astounded by the fact that the two men are still sitting in the car looking relatively unharmed. They’re probably busy talking about what crazy story they’ll have to tell later. Or maybe they’re chatting about the weather. We’ll never know. 

Anyone know the number for the fire department?

Imagine wanting to go home from a long day of work; you’re tired and ready to relax. You walk to your office’s parking lot and, lo and behold, your car is on fire. That’s a miserable way to end your day. 

Image courtesy of thegoldenladle/Reddit

Although this fire was devastating, we can thank the photographer who braved the car barbeque to provide us with this mesmerizing photo. If it wasn’t for their valiant effort, we would’ve never known how lucky we are that this hasn’t happened to us.

When You Come From A Broken Home 

When they say you get half in the divorce, this isn’t what they meant. We know that messy breakups can feel like you’re being torn apart; it seems as if someone managed to manifest their desire to tear it all up.

Image courtesy of B-L-O-C-K-S/Reddit 

This halved house vaguely reminds us of those shows where they chop things in half to show what they’re made out of. We don’t know about you, but we’re waiting for the job to be completed so we can see what’s inside!

This Car is on Fireee

Talk about being unlucky. Having your car explode on a highway is never the way you expect your day to go — especially one as expensive as this Ferrari 456. That’s over $100,000 down the drain, or should we say gone up in flames. 

Image courtesy of jsabo/Reddit

It’s difficult to decipher whether the car accident was caused by some technical malfunction or if the driver just wanted a new model. Either way, this scene is a hot mess. Kudos to the person who was calm enough to capture this moment.

Holy Ship

A ship hit the ground in an Amsterdam waterway while reversing. We’re honestly shocked at how something like this could happen. Shouldn’t ships have rear-facing cameras nowadays? Let’s try not to think how much it would cost to repair a massive ship like this.

Image courtesy of D3S3RT/Reddit

We’re also surprised about how this enormous ship has probably crossed the most treacherous oceans, but it broke as soon as it arrived in a manmade waterway. At least it’s better timing than the Titanic crashing in the middle of the ocean. We won’t make that mistake again.

Grape Juice Volcano

Free grape juice for everyone! Silos like these are often used to store liquids. To keep things under control, there are sensors everywhere. It just so happens that sometimes the sensor fails to signal when the tank is too full. This leads the liquid to spew out of the vent of the tank. 

Image sourced by Rredite/Reddit

Our favorite part of this picture is the dog looking so concerned. We think it may be plotting how to get the juice. This hilarious thought almost distracts us from the number of ants storming the tank as we speak.

Do I Unload Here?

We think this truck driver might’ve reversed just a tad too far. Although its rear end is in the water, we’re grateful that the situation wasn’t worse with the entire truck in the water or a collision with a boat. 

Image courtesy of Grimmmz970/Reddit

It appears that this incident occurred in Bristol, United Kingdom and the truck was there for a film crew: the truck housed the actors’ costumes. We suspect the costumes are for Aquaman and they needed to be stored in the water for authenticity.

Timber!

Wind turbines are massive structures that generate electricity through wind. To work, they need to be sturdy and stable. We are perplexed as to how this one has fallen over. It’s quite ironic that the very thing that powers it may have been responsible for its hazardous downfall. 

Image courtesy of Ziu_Waz/Reddit

We suspect the turbine fell over due to the shallow base used to ground it — it clearly wasn’t deep enough. Although we’d love to discuss the science behind it, we just have to mention how tiny those people look next to it.

Banksy, Is That You?

A newly hired security guard drew eyes on a precious £740,000 painting. The painting was on display at an abstract art exhibition in Russia when the security guard became bored and doodled a pair of eyes with a ballpoint pen. 

Image courtesy of Professional_Cat_298/Reddit

Most people would know not to draw on anything they find at a museum, much less a very expensive painting. However, we have to argue that the value should go up. Those eyes give the painting a lot more personality and, honestly, make it a little less creepy.

Game Over

This picture serves as a perfect example of why you should double-check if things are bolted in correctly. Hopefully, jumbotrons are installed more carefully today than the ones in 1996. We don’t want to see any more instances of jumbotrons nearly squishing people.

Image courtesy of therealsandysan/Reddit

In case you were wondering what happened, the jumbotron struck the ice after being lowered for maintenance. Fortunately, no one was injured, and the Boston Bruins finished practice about an hour and a half before it fell to the ground.

Cooling off

This fail reminds us of when you’re not a mechanic, and you take the temperature warning light a little too seriously. We know it gets hot in Florida, but we didn’t realize it was this bad. RVs are waterproof, right?

Image courtesy of BJ77345/Reddit

This accident seems as if it was entirely avoidable. We have so many questions. There’s no road around there so where was the RV parked in the first place? Was anyone in there? These questions will haunt us for the rest of our days.

Wrong Place, Wrong Time

We didn’t expect trees to target Tesla cars seeing as though they are supposed to be helping save the environment. Perhaps the tree knows something that we don’t. Or maybe it just has something against Elon Musk and his company.

Image courtesy of jernej_mocnik/Reddit

Someone’s probably wishing that they parked their car in a different spot. It would’ve saved them over $60,000, or at least the amount it’s going to cost to repair it. The only thing making us feel better is the tree looking about as dead as the car.

Monday Morning Traffic

In 2017, at the Macau Grand Prix, a whopping 16 cars collided with one another. It could be described as one of the most shocking pile-ups in racing history. Only 4 out of 20 cars managed to escape the carnage.

Image courtesy of iltifaat-yousuf/Reddit

After taking a look at the narrow road, we are not surprised that the cars crashed into one another. It’s especially fitting that the first car’s number is 911 because it looks like they needed some emergency assistance in that massive mash-up.

Delayed Delivery

Oh no! A truck carrying several Tesla cars flipped on a highway. This accident must have caused some serious traffic. There’s nothing that ruins a Friday evening after work more than being stuck behind an accident like this one: what a nightmare.

Image courtesy of KaianSoKewl/Reddit

We’ve said it before, and we’ll say it again: someone has something against Tesla or Elon Musk because these Tesla accidents can’t be a coincidence. We’re betting that the tree had something to do with this. He’s probably plotting his next attack as you’re reading this.

Sit…Roll over…

Going on a cruise is a dream for many people. This dream turned into a nightmare for the passengers aboard the Costa Concordia back in 2012 when the ship capsized after hitting a rock formation. The captain is said to be responsible for this disaster.

Image courtesy of dvoevnore/Shutterstock

The Costa Concordia is so massive that it is hard to believe that it capsized so easily. It’s interesting to note that the boat is not sinking in this picture, but rather leaning as it’s stuck on the sea floor.

Tree House

It’s common for children to beg their parents for a tree house, but they probably won’t be too excited when they find this tree in their house. Parents might start to think again when they say “no” to their children if this is the outcome. 

Image courtesy of MirKule/Reddit

Toppling trees are actually less common than you’d think. They may fall for various reasons such as storms, strong winds, or hurricanes. However, a tree is unlikely to fall unless it’s managed badly or has some kind of disease. If this isn’t a sign to check your trees, we don’t know what is.

There’s Houses in the River

In 2021, Altenburg, Germany, flooded as a result of excessive rain and the overflowing of a nearby river. The town essentially became a river that destroyed hundreds of people’s homes. Some were so badly damaged that they had to be demolished. 

Image courtesy of Max_1995/Reddit

This disaster is one of the most catastrophic failures in this article. About 150 people in Germany alone died due to the floods and heavy rainfall. Our hearts go out to all of the residents and families who were impacted.

That Was My Spot First

There’s nothing more frustrating than when you’re searching for a parking spot and someone steals it. We all dream of scenarios where we’ll get the parking spot thief back but we don’t think anyone should go to this extent to get revenge. 

Image courtesy of KeyAdministration900/Reddit

We are not really sure how something like this could happen. The car on top looks as if it’s defying gravity. It’s also shocking how the car on the right doesn’t seem to be damaged at all given the circumstances.

Upside Down Steeple Syndrome

When you first look at this church, it’s easy to miss what’s wrong with it. But, once you take a closer look, you may be able to notice that the steeple is upside down and has even gone through the roof of the church. 

Image courtesy of WeavySt0onder/Reddit

In 1990, one of the worst storms in almost 30 years hit Nieuwpoort in Belgium. A tornado swept through and ripped St. Joriskerk’s steeple right off. Miraculously, the steeple landed back inside the church. The church service must’ve been canceled for at least a couple of weeks.

Wrong turn

When the weather is hot, we often think about diving into a nice cold pool to help us cool off. Although, we’ve never thought it was a good idea to submerge our vehicles alongside us. Someone out to tell the truck driver that tipped into a frozen lake.

Image courtesy of EvilMindedSquirrel/Reddit

The most probable reason the truck fell in is that the path was used as an ice road. But it melted on a warmer day, leaving the truck to fall through the ice to its peril. Unfortunately (for the driver) it’s no longer a road, but a moat instead.

Lightning Strike Damage

If you have ever wondered why they close airport ramps during a storm, this is it. It’s no secret that lightning is incredibly dangerous but there are several ways that it can be life-threatening to airplane staff and passengers once they leave the sheltered halls of an airport.

Image courtesy of e140driver/Reddit

The damage to the runway at the Dallas Fort Worth International Airport was due to a lightning strike. A pothole like this one can cause an airplane to lose control. Next time you’re feeling impatient, remember this photo; you really don’t want to land when there’s a thunderstorm.

Taking a Dip

Driving a car is not an easy task for some people (clearly). It takes a few months for some to learn and others a year. However, we don’t think this person ever truly learned. Let’s hope the car washes ashore… somehow. 

Image courtesy of sausage tunnel/Reddit

A lesson that we can all learn from this is to park your car safely, preferably not on a beach, and to leave your parking break on. We also advise you to leave your lights off so that your battery won’t die, though we don’t think that’s this car owner’s most pressing concern. 

Broken Big Ben

Big Ben is one of the most popular tourist attractions in Europe. For some, it is the first place they visit after landing in England. It’s so iconic, which is probably why documentary and movie makers often feature Big Ben when filming England. 

Image courtesy of Godley2/Reddit

For five years, Big Ben was concealed behind scaffolding as a result of restorations. Shortly after it was revealed, scaffolding struck the newly-restored landmark. Onlookers were aghast as they watched the possible ruination of the £80 million makeover. That’s one expensive mistake.

Where’s the Reboot Button?

We don’t know much about IT, but we do know it’s a vital factor in any business. Think about how we all go running to the router when the WIFI is down or how angry we get when the company’s server doesn’t let us in. 

Image courtesy of RayTracingOn/Reddit

This scenario would be a nightmare for any company or IT guy. Whoever managed to tip this server and break it is going to be in a lot of trouble. We suggest putting it in some rice to fix it.

Freezing Rain Back at it Again

Driving can be risky, and careless drivers can get into serious accidents. Some weather conditions can be isolated as the cause of accidents. Take freezing rain, for example. Freezing rain is created when rain hits surfaces that are below-freezing temperatures. 

Image courtesy of FilthyTrucker/Reddit

Freezing rain struck on highway 2 just north of Ponoka, Canada in 2021. Multiple semi-trucks slid and crashed into one another which left volatile material on the road that had to be cleaned up. Sadly, one person passed away as a consequence of the collision.

Only Off By a Couple of Centimetres

Building a house is best left to the experts. There are so many things that could go wrong: the plans could be wrong, the foundation could be built incorrectly, or it could simply blow away. It’s the luck of the draw. 

Image courtesy of kbbn1/Reddit

Unfortunately, these experts still didn’t know how to build this house correctly. They didn’t do enough to prevent the Colorado winds from blowing it down. It’s vaguely familiar and reminds us of the story of the three little pigs; the big bad wolf must’ve been in town.

What Goes Up Must Come Down

There are various ways to handle a pricy satellite and this is not one of them. It’s evident that satellites aren’t built for gravity since they break so easily. It’s not as futuristic as we thought if it can’t repair itself.

Image courtesy WoozyDragon4018/Reddit

Someone messed up horrendously when they forgot to check the cart that was used to transport the satellite. There ended up being 24 bolts that were removed from the “turnover cart” which caused the satellite to smash into the ground. That’s another $135 million of taxpayer money wasted on avoidable repairs.

Sleepy Time

Motor vehicles often get repossessed to pay off the debt of their owners. It’s scary to see your favorite possessions taken away, especially when tow truck drivers don’t treat them as lovingly as you do. They may even manage to devalue your vehicle before resale.

Image courtesy of omnipeasant/Reddit

This fail was painful for us to look at. The motorcycle was savagely dragged up the tow truck without a care in the world. This will shock you even more when you find out this Indian Chieftain costs a staggering $27,000.

Unsinkable

The frozen image of containers about to tip over, but never actually going overboard, is making us feel perpetually on edge. Sure, it’s bad if they tip over, but somehow it’s worse that they’re still precariously perched. This picture will be solely responsible for our anxiety-driven dreams tonight.

Image courtesy of New Zealand Defence Force/CC BY 2.0/Wikimedia Commons

The MV Rena got stuck in a shallow part of the sea in October 2011. This catastrophic incident required years of clean-up due to the tonnes of fuel that it was carrying. The ship even split in half after being stranded there for months.

The Floor isn’t Lava

Many of us remember playing on basketball courts like this as children, and it was exceptionally fun. We’ve never seen a basketball court like this, though. Waterpipes burst underneath the court causing it to look like a mix between a basketball court and a water bed. 

Image courtesy of superfleh/Reddit

If we knew this version was an option, we would’ve chosen this over regular basketball any day. Would you want to play on there, too? We think it would be hilarious to put drunk people on there and tell them it’s flat.

Carpool

Yet again, we’re wondering how this could have happened. It seems physically impossible to get your car on the other side of a pool fence and straight into the water, but someone found a way. They’re going to need to call an expert in for this one. 

Image courtesy of bennetticles/Reddit

The state of this house had to be a foreshadowing of this event. The messy background screams chaos. Maybe next time the owners will think to build a smaller pool and tidy up their backyard. We also have to ask: is the car considered a pool float now?

When Your Boat Doesn’t Come With a Manual

The famous nursery rhyme states, “row, row, row your boat GENTLY down the stream” but the Brazilian captain didn’t listen clearly enough. He might’ve believed that the bridge would open up for his tall ship, but he was sorely mistaken. 

Image courtesy of LeftThenLeftAgain/Reddit

The Brazilian ship made contact with the pedestrian bridge after being pulled by the powerful current. It ultimately capsized but, as luck would have it, no one was injured in the collision. This proves that 2021 wasn’t a good year for anyone.

Honey, I’m home!

At this point, we’re not surprised anymore. Car crashes happen all the time, but it’s quite rare for someone to miss a whole house. We guess we should be grateful that the driver was considerate enough to use the front door.

Image courtesy of KookyJosephSmith/Reddit

It’s unclear whether the driver mistook the brake pedal for the gas pedal or forgot how to turn a corner. Either way, their mistake has left a gaping hole in someone’s house. We recommend that all house owners start putting reflective strips on their houses.

Lil Uzi Hurt

Lil Uzi Vert had a pink diamond embedded into his forehead. It was dislodged from his head by a fan at a festival when he stage-dived into the crowd. Luckily, he is still in possession of the $24 million diamond and was not seriously hurt. 

Image courtesy of jugnutpolnash/Instagram

We don’t know which idea was worse: putting a diamond in your head or jumping into a crowd with a diamond in your head. He had to have known someone would steal it. Unrelated, where would someone sell a forehead diamond (asking for a friend)?

Cleared for Take Off

Buses are frequently used at airports to transport passengers to aircrafts and terminals. You have probably encountered them at some point during your travels. This bus did such a good job that it tried to drop off the passengers right inside the airplane. 

Image courtesy of Pvp-pissed-Off0997

If we’re being honest, we weren’t sure what was going on when we first took a look at this photo. We thought that water was pouring out of the truck. Someone is going to be picking up glass from that road for years to come.

Opa!

In some cultures, breaking glass is actually considered lucky. Greek people break it as an act of joy, and Jewish people do it as a representation of commitment. In that case, this truck driver will have a lifetime of luck.

Image courtesy of skeetac/Reddit

If we’re being honest, we weren’t sure what was going on when we first took a look at this photo. We thought that water was pouring out of the truck. Someone is going to be picking up glass from that road for years to come.

Toyota:1 – Ferrari:0

You may be wondering who’s at fault here. Our best guess is that it’s both drivers. The Ferrari was illegally parked in that spot, but the truck didn’t have to reverse onto the lavish car. Although, the Ferrari owner would probably be guilty of the most tears cried.  

Image courtesy of This_sum_one/Reddit

One thing we noticed about the parking lot is that there was one space open. Surely the Ferrari could’ve parked there. Maybe the incident will teach this Ferrari owner to be more considerate the next time he’s looking for a parking spot. 

Sinkhole Suffering

Sinkholes are scary. The thought of the ground collapsing beneath your feet at any moment could keep anyone up at night. Unfortunately, sinkholes can form anywhere and for various reasons. If that doesn’t scare you, how about this: sinkholes can be more than 100 feet deep. 

Image courtesy of r_lighter/Reddit

That means this situation could have been much worse; we are glad these cars only fell down a few feet. On the bright side, the cars make for a cute couple — all cuddled up inside their very own sinkhole.

Real Life Glitch

Imagine driving home from a lovely day at the beach, your boat towed behind you, and no worries as you sing along to your favorite song. However, when you pull into your driveway, you realize your boat is no longer attached to your car. That’s rough. 

Image courtesy of B-L-O-C-K-S/Reddit

We’re surprised that no one helped themselves to this boat. If we were there, we would’ve snatched it up before its owners knew it was missing. Of course, the only reason we would take it is to save other drivers from traffic *wink, wink*.

It’ll Buff Out

If you’re planning on buying a sports car, the Ferrari Enzo is the way to go. Only 400 were made between 2002 and 2004, and they are shockingly expensive. It only cost £450,000 when it launched, but it has since skyrocketed to £2.5 million. Talk about breaking the bank. 

Image courtesy of 9eurowekker/Reddit

This dream car was totaled after a dealership mechanic in the Netherlands crashed into a tree stump during a test drive. The funniest part about this is the driver only managed to drive 2km away from the dealership before crashing.

Belly Rubs?

This is a strange sight. We’re used to seeing all kinds of trucks driving around for various reasons, but never before have we seen one that’s upside down, looking like it’s asking for belly rubs. We hope that means it trusts us. 

Image courtesy of B-L-O-C-K-S/Reddit

Weirdly enough, this happens quite a lot. Mining trucks like this are used to transport loads of coal (for example). The drivers have to drive along steep inclining paths that are easy to fall over if they’re not paying enough attention.

Artificial Unintelligence

We often assume that robots are more intelligent than us. Some of us would go so far as to say they will eventually take over the world and destroy humankind. This photo might just prove that that’s not the case. 

Image courtesy of MrWhite86/Reddit

The delivery robot is clearly not as capable as us at detecting wet concrete. Someone’s food is going to take a little longer to deliver. As funny as this is, we feel bad for the little guy. He’s still learning.

Pit Wars

Excavators are expensive pieces of machinery. Its owners must have had a heart attack when they returned to work and noticed their valuable equipment in a pit underwater. That’s what they get for parking them right next to a river. 

Image courtesy of ButtersHound/Reddit

It’s truly frightening how easy it is to destroy machinery worth over $100,000. If we had to guess what happened here, we think the river might have filled the holes with water or the machinery sank due to its weight. At any rate, those are some expensive holes to fill.

Bitcoin Crash

Bitcoin is a cryptocurrency that can be earned through bitcoin mining. It is a popular process whereby people solve complicated mathematical problems to earn bitcoin. This bitcoin mining farm shut down when it flooded, and all of its computers were destroyed. 

Image courtesy of nejkiu1/Reddit

Although this may seem like a great way to earn money, it is terrible for the environment — hundreds of computers need to run at all times. We have to admit that we are sort of glad that it was destroyed. It’s like mother nature fought back.

All Wired Up

If you’re wondering how this happened, you are not alone. After some much-needed digging (get it), we found that this can happen quite easily. It’s common for workers to not be told that they’re digging right into pipes or wires. 

Image courtesy of ajessica/Reddit

This drilling machine operator probably had a bad day after finding out that he hit these wires. What makes matters worse is these could be internet wires. We do not doubt that the town was not very pleased when their favorite shows wouldn’t load.

No Parking Zone

Most people dream about owning a powerful car, so they try their best to buy a Mustang. It’s evident that some Mustang owners can’t contain their excitement and end up crashing into a bus stop. What a waste of a 320-horsepower car. 

Image courtesy of lensnation/Reddit

We hypothesize that the owner wasn’t convinced that the car passed its first crash test, so they decided to give it another go. Fortunately for us, this car will most likely be sent to be sold on auction. Maybe then we’ll be able to afford one.

Were We Hit?

Getting into an airplane crash is almost everyone’s worst nightmare. You have to admit we all want to cry a little bit when we experience bad turbulence. Now imagine being inside this plane when the tail was hit. It’s going to take a little more than a free bag of peanuts to get passengers back on this plane. 

Image courtesy of iam_nobody/Reddit

We’re hoping they don’t fly anywhere before fixing the airplane. Have you ever seen those videos where the Gorilla tape guy slaps some tape onto a leaking container filled with water? We’re sure a few rolls of that will fix the problem.

Inferno

We’re betting the owners of these yachts are worrying about what they’re going to do with their flaming boats and the money they’ve lost. All we can think about is how we wish we had a yacht to worry about. #RichPeopleProblems.

Image courtesy of The_Troll_Gull/Reddit

In case you didn’t notice, there are actually two yachts that are on fire. That’s double the amount of damage. Also, did anyone else see the bystanders filming the boats? Shouldn’t they be helping out? They could at least grab a hose to put the fire out.