48 Deathtraps — Um, I Mean Stupidly Dangerous Designs — That I Can't Believe People Were Actually Paid To Make
Ajani Bazile-Dutes
·5-min read
1.This curling iron where the heated side and non-heated side are nearly identical:
Hair curling iron on a bathroom countertop near a sink
2.This plastic toy that looks like candy and has "candy" written on the bag but is NOT candy:
Package of colorful Stretchee Noodles toy, labeled "Twist & Stretch!" Warning includes a strangulation hazard for children under 3
3.These braille instructions that were placed right near a hot surface:
A hot surface caution sign and a pizza pickup instruction panel explaining entry of a code, door operation, item retrieval, and automatic closure
4.This lamp post that was put right behind a parking spot which could totally block someone in:
Empty parking lot with several parked cars near a small green-roofed building. No people visible
5.This staircase with a print that creates a dangerous optical illusion:
Black and white terrazzo tile floor with a foot in a dark shoe partially visible at the bottom
6.These incredibly confusing traffic signs on an intersection:
Shadow of a person on a road with various painted pedestrian symbols, including walking figures and cyclist outlines
7.This food processor container that, if overflowing, had liquids drain into its internal electronics:
A broken food processor with exposed wiring and detached parts on a towel
8.This fire emergency sign that's nearly impossible to read:
Sign on a wooden door with intricate circular patterns and readable text: "Please do not disturb, I'm busy making a soft and cozy spot for you!"
9.This car with brake lights that are so low people driving behind them often won't see it:
A car with lights very low on the bumper
10.This bedroom window in a hotel that opens so far you could fall out:
Person's leg extended stepping onto a balcony with a clear floor, overlooking lower floors
11.This slide that was placed in front of a pole so kids can slide down and risk a chance of hitting it:
slide leading straight to a metal pole
12.These anti-unhoused, anti-loitering parking blocks that could cause a gruesome accident if someone tripped near them:
Concrete barriers with metal spikes to deter skateboarding or sitting
13.This changing board that's placed right next to where the bathroom door can swing open:
Image of a Koala Kare baby changing station next to a wooden door in a restroom
14.This confusing warning sign:
Circular button on a pole with contradictory instructions "PUSH DON'T PUSH."
15.This nightstand with a huge gap people better miss when placing down a glass of water at night:
Modern geometric bedside table with metallic finish, featuring an open triangular section, next to a bed. Yellow cord plugged into a wall outlet nearby
16.This roof that was designed to create a waterfall over people's apartment entryway anytime it rained:
Water overflows from a roof gutter during heavy rain, spilling down the side of a building
17.This hotel chair that just had bare metal rods for armrests:
Modern chair with sleek metal arms and a smooth seat and backrest, placed against a wooden floor and light wall
18.This faucet that was so close to the sink, people couldn't wash their hands without touching it:
Hand under a motion sensor faucet in a modern restroom, but no water is coming out
19.This garbage truck hood that was designed to only open halfway:
Truck with open hood revealing engine in a garage setting. Nearby tools and equipment visible
20.This bus armrest with a built-in stop button that riders kept accident hitting:
A hand pressing a "stop" button on a public transit vehicle, signaling to request a stop
21.This trippy tile design that could make someone lose their balance:
Sidewalk with an optical illusion of a wavy pattern created by contrasting paving stones
22.This slide that will shoot a child directly into cement:
A nearly empty swimming pool with a blue slide beside it. There are buildings and murals in the background
23.This lighting fixture that burned the grass and could burn other things:
Lamp post in a garden with trimmed hedge and lawn, sunlight casting a shadow
24.This button for 2-year-olds that's so small it's a choking hazard for anyone under three:
Birthday badge with "Happy 2nd Birthday." Side text: "NOT SUITABLE FOR CHILDREN UNDER 3 YEARS OF AGE."
25.These intersecting staircases:
A staircase with a turn, that leads to more stairs but without a safe flat platform
26.These basketball hoops that are placed right behind dips in the ground create the perfect setup for a twisted ankle:
Unusual basketball court with hoops installed horizontally along a parking lot. A white van is parked nearby
27.This tricky lift-and-peel layer on arthritis cream:
A hand holds an opened container of Blu Lizard Australian Sunscreen with a partially peeled foil seal
28.These mug handles that are nearly impossible to keep a steady grip on:
handles of the mugs are letters and not easy to grip
29.These swings that were positioned in front of each other instead of beside each other:
Two old swing seats hanging from chains on a wooden frame in an overgrown backyard with weathered tiles and grass
30.This stainless steel bench on the beach that will scorch anyone's skin on a hot summer day:
Semi-circular outdoor metal bench
31.This curb with a little step that's perfect for slipping on:
A parking lot curb with uneven pavement, possibly hazardous for pedestrians or vehicles
32.This packaging for body wash that anyone would mistake for honey:
Bear-shaped honey bottle repurposed as body wash container on a shelf
33.These duplicate elevator buttons where one set is only supposed to be used for emergency:
Elevator control panel with 15 buttons, including a "Fire Fighting Only" sign, emergency call button, and floor numbers; buttons are arranged in a vertical grid
34.This bedframe that'll surely be the cause of many stubbed toes:
A bed in disrepair with a visibly bent and damaged bed frame leg, captured in a room with wooden flooring
35.This pole that was placed on the street instead of the sidewalk:
Utility pole on a street with trees and a metal fence in the background
36.This safe in a hotel room that's bolted to a removable drawer:
A hotel safe is pulled out of a drawer, revealing the inside of the drawer beneath it. The safe has a digital keypad on top
37.These abstract, confusing bathroom signs:
Bathroom signs featuring minimalist stick figures, one with pants and the other with a skirt, against black circular backgrounds
38.This hidden staircase that's a lawsuit waiting to happen:
Empty concrete stage with four tall columns, metal railings, and surrounding trees in a park at night
39.This urinal that's placed right in the bathroom door's swing range:
A urinal partially obstructed by a stall door in a restroom
40.This boiler shut-off button that was placed right next to the light switch:
A boiler shutoff switch with a large, red emergency stop button
41.This multi-tool where the knife won't completely lock in while the pliers are out:
Person's hand holding a multi-tool with pliers extended
42.This sidewalk a neighbor wanted to upscale that turned out to be a slipping hazard:
stone walkway with cones to caution for slips
43.This randomly elevated parking spot that you better drive over veryyy carefully:
A photo of an empty, curved brick parking space near a street, with a black car parked in the adjacent space
44.This bathtub that basically acts as a pit someone can slip and fall into:
in-ground tub
45.This not-safe-for-kids cleaning product that has child-friendly packaging:
A hand holding a bottle of Viss cleaning product with whimsical cartoon characters and German text promoting communal cleaning
46.This bike lane that suddenly ceases to exist:
Bicycle lane leads to a patch of grass suddenly
47.These virtually pointless stall doors in a public bathroom:
Bathroom stall with a door cut to fit around a high toilet paper dispenser, revealing the lack of privacy
48.And finally, these nearly identical bottles for toilet cleaner and dish liquid:
Bottles of Earth Choice cleaning products, one for toilets and one for dishes, mistakenly placed together
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