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.

#1 “Why This Place So Empty?”

Image credits: N8WM

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.

#2 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)

Image credits: Trashadonna

#3 If Boss Says To Build Stairs, I Build Stairs

Image credits: TallestToker

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 Walked Up This, Then Had To Turn Around Because Of These Useless Railings

Image credits: Training_Plate5805

#5 This Stairway Has A Surprise Step

Image credits: TeresaKitsu

#6 To Make The City More Inclusive

Image credits: ivancastro

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 Somewhere In Australia, Maybe

Image credits: huh_danny

#8 Got Funky While Building My First Staircase

Image credits: autoCADdicted

#9 These Super Visible Stairs

Image credits: Pretend_Air_1108

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 Architectural Masterpiece

Image credits: Tantalumm

#11 Finnish Architecture

Image credits: WR_102

#12 My University Has A Stair Case To Classroom 9 And 3/4

Image credits: captaincocks

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 Fancy Staircase Leads Directly Into A Wall

Image credits: TacticalToots

#14 This Staircase

Image credits: visionaryillusion

#15 What Was The Point Of This Again

Image credits: colorfulsoul_

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 Stairs In The Basement Of A Princeton University Dorm

Image credits: magnoliaadelle

#17 This “Disabled Friendly” Ramp

Image credits: armando2311

#18 I Have No Idea What Floor I’m On

Image credits: chartreuse_chimay

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 Just When You Thought You Were Reaching 1 Kcal

Image credits: commonlinnet

#20 Infamous House In My Hometown. Yes, Those Are Stairs In Front Of The Garage

Image credits: cheetocoveredfingers

#21 This Staircase I Have To Go Up And Down At Work Everyday. No, That’s Not Forced Perspective. It Really Is That Steep

Image credits: RedoftheEvilDead

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 Why Use A Ladder Just Take The Stairs

Image credits: darkox666

#23 Very Safe Stairs

Image credits: seven_critical_blows

#24 A Friend Of Mine, In The Picture, Designed And Built These Stairs. Beautiful, But Frightening When You’re Going Down The Stairs

Image credits: Arrakeen42

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 A Lovely Chicago Apartment Bathroom

Image credits: Omnivigilo

#26 Stairs To More Stairs

Image credits: madethisjustforpewds

#27 Found This On My College Campus. The Walkway/Stairs Above Are Still Open Too

Image credits: SloanTheSloth

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 These Stairs In London

Image credits: Common-Condition-726

#29 This Is So Going To Make People Break Their Bones

Image credits: windowhihi

#30 Inconsistent Rise And Run Of Stairs

Image credits: lI_DarkHorse_Il

#31 Just In Case You Fall In The Wall

Image credits: djanic1246

#32 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

Image credits: benxvarga

#33 I’ve Tripped In The Kitchen But Never On My Way To The Kitchen

Image credits: leeksyota

#34 The More I Look At This House, The Worse It Gets

Image credits: flopsychops

#35 First Step Of Stairs Is Cut To Allow Doors To Open

Image credits: anotherrustypic

#36 My Sister’s Staircase

Image credits: Fit_Echidna3836

#37 Thank You So Much For Making This Handicap Ramp, I Am So Glad This Building Is Wheelchair Accessible

Image credits: Hawk3y305

#38 Striped Carpet On Hotel Stairs. Hard To Use Even After Two Weeks And Completely Sober

Image credits: OilCareful8232

#39 If You Like Wall Climbing, These Stairs Are For You

Image credits: KingOfTheCheesecakes

#40 The Disabled Parking At My School

Image credits: Phoenix-Rider

#41 Stair Blocks My Cabinet

Image credits: That_Pug_Guy

#42 Fish Scale Stairs At My Grandma’s

Image credits: BumperTABBY21

#43 Staircase To Nowhere

Image credits: Snoo_51742

#44 This Is The View Going Down A Set Of Stairs At My Workplace

Image credits: incogsteveo

#45 I Didn’t Understand Why I Keep Stumbling When Going Up, Then I Took A Closer Look At The Stairs

Image credits: FuriouslyChonky

#46 Nearly Broke My Ankle At The Bottom Of These Steps

Image credits: vaskemaskine

#47 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

Image credits: traaytherealtor

#48 Stairs Retrofitted Into Old House Are A Death Trap

Image credits: Wynton99

#49 Hmmm Ahh Yes

Image credits: Tostone74

#50 The Stairs In My School Lead To Nothing

Image credits: o2lsports

#51 Set Of Stairs In A House I Was In Today

Image credits: thefriendlypainter

#52 An Apartment In London That Has No Front Door. Just A Set Of Stairs Leading Up To A Window

Image credits: Lord-Crimble

#53 The Stairs In An Airbnb I Stayed In Where Every Step Is A Different Height, Width And Depth

Image credits: jingojangobingoblerp

#54 My Friend’s Stairway To His Bedroom

Image credits: JickityJackJJ

#55 Because Having Two Staircases In The Bathroom Is Better Than One. Toilet Is Behind The Wall On The Left

Image credits: mrhealthy

#56 What On God’s Green Earth Is This Abomination ?

Image credits: justlooking250

#57 This Useless Staircase I Found In The Wild

Image credits: yaboyroy61

#58 More Stairs To Make You Dizzy

Image credits: k6lcm

#59 What A Stair

Image credits: Optimal-Flight-6179

#60 Three Staircases

Image credits: hawaiiinsomniac

#61 Weirdest Stairs To Climb

Image credits: zillowgonewild

#62 Not Sure If This Is Better

Image credits: perry_daplatypus

#63 These Stairs Look Sharp

Image credits: andrewsteiner88

#64 This Wheelchair Ramp In A Local Pharmacy

Image credits: Juanito-XxX

#65 Wheelchair Service Reception, Up A Flight Of Stairs

Image credits: Ophellous

#66 My Mom’s House Has A Complete Dip In The Floor (I Can’t Tell You How Many Times I’ve Tripped)

Image credits: XxObamaYoMamaxX

#67 The Deeper I Go, The Dumber The Architecture Becomes

Image credits: Rivet_the_Zombie

#68 How Do We Get The Couch Up?

Image credits: Mattdonlan1

#69 Stairs At Work Got An Upgrade

Image credits: Iwantrounderstand

#70 These Stairs At The Hospital Require Extra Focus

Image credits: CuriousSurgeon

#71 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

Image credits: noodle-girl

#72 Enjoy Your Trip Up, Down, Or Over These Steps

Image credits: Slippy_T_Frog

#73 Something’s Not Quite Right

Image credits: mineralbionoueleda

#74 Weird Stairs

Image credits: OminousNamazu

#75 Deathtrap Of The Day

Image credits: ProkofievConcerto2

#76 This Escalator Fails To Go All The Way

Image credits: taipeicity

#77 Death Stairs Or Something

Image credits: wheresmynemesis

#78 The Stairs At The Bottom Of This Doorway, What Happened Here

Image credits: Azure_rose_wolf

#79 University Stairway Leads Halfway Into Hand Rail

Image credits: AcousticJamm

#80 This Semi-Diagonal Staircases

Image credits: cassert24

#81 Thanks For The Stairs (On Both Sides Of The Bridge)

Image credits: keyzar_

#82 Fire Exit Stair-Does This Belong Here?

Image credits: HopPirate

#83 They Wedged The Wobbly Top Stair In Place

Image credits: Ernomouse

#84 Just When You Thought It Couldn’t Get Worse. Let Me Introduce You To These Lovely Stairs In Tallinn, Estonia

Image credits: nitika_nikita

#85 I Have Never Been So Nervous Walking Down The Stairs. Ireland

Image credits: x4candles

#86 Not Sure If I Was In An Optical Illusion Exhibition Or In The Bathroom Of A Pub Built In 1242

Image credits: poronde_mijei

#87 Crazy Or Just Plain Bad?

Image credits: Mountainpilot

#88 The Staircase At The Milwaukee Public Museum

Image credits: pizzaisyummy2

#89 This Bike Ramp

Image credits: UnknownDeveloper

#90 This Hotel Room’s Entrance

Image credits: Green_Uncle

#91 Mario Stairs

Image credits: EpicFishFingers

#92 These Stairs

Image credits: Usuario444

#93 This Staircase That Goes Nowhere

Image credits: Seanathan23

#94 Steep Stairs To The Attic Of My Family’s House

Image credits: Ze_insane_Medic

#95 These Stairs Leading To The Registan In Samarkand, Uzbekistan

Image credits: dr3dnought

#96 This Staircase To A Building

Image credits: Snowy2007

#97 Whoever Designed These Stairs Needs To Be Fired Immediately

Image credits: _laurenbabyy_

#98 This Staircase That Doesn’t Properly Touch The Ground

Image credits: ObeseMorese

#99 These Stairs In My Hotel Room

Image credits: krk0445

#100 I Was Looking To Buy A House, When I Suddenly Found This Abomination

Image credits: TactfulRanger

#101 This Half-Eaten Post On My Staircase

Image credits: BulgersInYourCup42

#102 This Strap Will Hold This Stair Up Alright

Image credits: ballzyk0umpa

#103 Stairs Passing Through The Corner Of A Room

Image credits: INNTW

#104 This “Spiral Stairwell” In My Cousin’s House

Image credits: austine_Boi

#105 These Steps Were So Steep I Had To Walk Down Them Like It Was A Ladder (A Rental Cabin Somewhere In Gatlinburg, Tennessee)

Image credits: 7urmom7

#106 The Top Set Of Stairs (Ladderwell) Blocks Half Of The Bottom Set Of Stairs

Image credits: StoneShip19

#107 This Is To Help People Get Down The Stairs Safely

Image credits: thusk

Source: boredpanda.com