These Awkward Moments Put The “Cringe” In “Cringeworthy”
We've all had our fair share of awkward moments that, hopefully, we can look back and laugh at. Some awkward scenarios are easy to handle lightheartedly, like mistaking a gallon of Elmer's glue for a carton of milk. Others can put a temporary damper on your day, like posing for a photograph only to get drenched by an unexpected wave of water. Then there are the moments that leave you speechless, like forgetting to roll your car window up and finding it full of snow the next morning. Read on to see these and more incredibly awkward moments captured on camera.
Mary Poppins Lost Her Umbrella
The last time we saw an umbrella this high in the sky, Mary Poppins was riding down on it. It must have been one windy day for the entire top of the umbrella to pop off and fly clear across a building.
The umbrella head somehow turned upside down, making it easier for the air to carry it further away. The poor umbrella owner is watching helplessly as the umbrella top floats away. They're even holding out the stick of the umbrella, as though to call it to come back.
Park At Your Own Risk
It's one thing to have a car towed; it's quite another thing to have it caged in. Judging by the mounds of dirt on either side of the car, we'd guess that it's sitting smack dab in the middle of a construction zone.
It looks like the workers were bent on teaching this car owner a lesson by inhibiting their car access. It must have been quite an awkward conversation that ensued when the car owner approached the construction workers who did this.
Never Underestimate Mother Nature
This lady was innocently posing by a body of water that she clearly thought was safe to approach. Since her attention was on the camera, it created the perfect opportunity for someone, or something, to creep up on her.
This giant wave of water may be the best photobomb we've ever seen. In the before image, you can even see droplets of water gradually approaching the oblivious lady. By the time she realized what was happened, she was already consumed in a personal hurricane.
No Jumping Off Swings
If you were one of those kids who loved jumping off swings, odds are you loathed anyone who tried to warn you of the dangers of doing such a thing. Instead, they should have just shown you this photograph as a warning sign.
We're not scientists, but it seems physically impossible for this girl to have managed to be nearly parallel to the ground while hopping off a swing. It's as though she was going for a front flip, and ended up doing a belly-flop instead.
His Evil Twin
Imagine standing at a bus stop only to look over and see yourself in the advertisement to your side. The moment would turn from shocking to awkward and you realize the look-a-like is portraying a criminal being arrested by the police.
We can just imagine a mother with her children doing a double-take as she wonders if the man standing next to her is a criminal, a model who once portrayed a criminal, or a stranger who just discovered his doppelganger.
The Downside To Technology
It this day and age, technological advances that make things more efficient are usually a good thing. In this case, an underground parking spot that rises out of the ground turned out to have a clear downside.
You would think that there would be sensors of some sort that would detect if a car is above to prevent this from happening. That's an awkward learning curve to have to face. We'd trade in a parking spot for a car that isn't totaled any day.
It Sunk Before It Left The Dock
Anyone who has ever dreamed of owning a boat probably didn't envision it sinking before it left the dock. You usually tie a boat to the dock to prevent it from drifting away, not to prevent it from sinking to the ocean floor.
It's hard to imagine how a large and heavy boat could tip to the side like this. The two men standing on the dock seem to be just as perplexed. Imagine if they were working for the boat's owner and trying to figure out how to explain this one to the boss; talk about awkward!
When You Ignore All The Signs
Renting a Uhaul can be nerve-wracking if you aren't used to driving large vehicles. This person was a little too confident when they agreed to drive this automobile, which they clearly weren't very experienced operating.
It's hard not to blame the driver when there are signs posted with an image of the exact same vehicle that warns against driving through the tunnel. We're sure they'll be having an awkward time explaining what happened when they go to return the scratched up Uhaul.
Alligator Got Your Tongue?
Imagine trying to explain to someone why you didn't respond to their text messages all day and the genuine reason is that an alligator ate your phone. They would probably think that you were either lying or going insane.
We would guess that this all began with someone trying to get an up-close photo of the alligator, and then dropping their phone into its area. The alligator may have thought it was food, or it just wanted to check its Facebook page.
Carrots And Peas Just Got Exotic
Some would argue that no salad is truly "exotic." We're fairly sure that just about anyone would agree that peas and carrots are about as un-exotic as it gets. On the exotic scale, they would fall on the opposite of the spectrum with all things typical, cliche, and usual.
The worst part is that the cooks didn't even bother to season the peas and carrots. Perhaps it could be considered an "exotic salad" if there was some zesty sauce on there, but plain-old, watery peas and carrots become awkward when they're given that name.
Sometimes Limos Are Overrated
There's something exciting about riding in a stretch limousine, but any fancy-feelings are sure to be cut short the moment your ride gets stuck on a hill. The limo is so long that its underbelly appears to be touching the pavement!
Someone should have thought to put an extra set of wheels in the middle of this thing. As though being stuck in the road in a limousine weren't awkward enough, they are also directly below the bright yellow sign that says "HILL."
Always Check Your Windows
It isn't uncommon to accidentally leave a car window open every now and then. But if you live in an area that gets a lot of snow, doing so can lead to a very awkward morning.
One moment you're headed off to work, and the next moment you realize that your car has become a snow cave. Neighbors would probably turn their heads to the side in confusion as they watch this desperate car owner shoveling snow out of their car.
Reverse Landing
We're no pilot, but it doesn't take an expert to tell you something's wrong here. You would think that a plane in this position was being worked on, but then it'd be in the hangar and surrounded by workers.
From the looks of it, someone managed to land the plane perfectly upside down, which probably takes more talent and skill than landing it right-side up! Whatever the reason, it's an awkward look to have an upsidedown plane hanging around on your lot.
Don't Drink The Milk!
We could understand a child mistaking glue for milk, but an adult? How did they miss the giant "School Glue" text written on the front? Or at the very least, didn't they wonder why this "milk" wasn't in the refrigerated aisle at the store?
On the other hand, the carton does bare a striking resemblance to the milk gallons it's sitting next to in the fridge. It has almost the same shape, including the handle, and even the same orange cap. We just hope no one tried to pour it in their cereal.
Mood Lighting Gone Wrong
It's bad enough that a poorly placed candle burned a hole straight through an expensive laptop. But the cherry on top is that the candle looks like it's hundreds of years old, and yet it still could take down a piece of modern technology.
The irony of this photograph makes the awkward situation all the more frustrating for the computer owner. They were just trying to work with a little mood lighting, but they should have known not to underestimate fire.
Look Ma, No Wheels!
It looks like this kid was trying to do a cool trick on his bicycle when things went terribly wrong. He somehow managed to get on the bike's spokes and that's when his front tire flew off.
We can only hope that he realized what was happening in time to lean backward or jump off. If not, gravity would bring the front of the bike straight forward to the ground, along with this poor boy's face. That's one awkward fail.
Someone's Getting Fired
Shipping containers bring massive amounts of merchandise overseas, so we can only imagine how much material is about to be sunk in this photograph. Everyone makes mistakes at work, but some jobs are higher risk than others.
This certainly is not the kind of mess up you want to have at work, especially if you're the new employee. It looks like a massive game of Jenga, only instead of laughing afterward everyone just sits in an awkward silence before the boss starts yelling.
The Angel On His Shoulder
This man is just rummaging through his phone completely oblivious to the woman standing in the window behind him. She looks like the angel on his shoulder who's about to whisper his inner consciousness into his ear.
Whatever the man is looking at, we hope it isn't as embarrassing as the woman's facial expression implies. Even the dog looks acutely aware of what's going on, eyes wide as though he's trying to warn the man telepathically.
They Left The Evidence
If you think your Mondays are rough, just imagine being one of the construction workers who's going to come to work and see this after the weekend. They say that kids will be kids, but you would think that the child who did this would have at least wanted their scooter back.
If we put on our detective hats, we'd venture to guess that the kid thought they could jump over the wet cement on their scooter. They made it about halfway, then fell back leaving a crater in the sidewalk.
Blind Rock Climbing
Rock climbing is difficult enough without the added challenge of not being able to see. It looks like this guy turned his head and sent his glasses flying off of his face. Now he gets to conquer the rest of his journey with impaired vision.
As awkward as the moment is, it's his fault for not opting for contacts. At the very least, he could have considered getting a chain to keep the glasses around his neck if they fell.
Betrayed By His Own Clones
At first glance, this photograph is clearly a man falling into the water and being laughed at by watching friends. But if you look a little closer, you'll realize that all of the men happen to be wearing the same attire: blue jeans and a white shirt.
One of the men stands out in his light blue jeans and off white shirt, but he still clearly made an effort. Taking their dress into consideration, it seems like a bachelor party or wedding rehearsal ending with the groomsmen chucking the groom overboard.
Rough Training
It's common knowledge that military training is rough, and it has to be to prepare soldiers for the journey ahead. But when you think of boot camp, you probably don't envision getting blasted in the face by a sprinkler.
Why this sprinkler was the only one to go off in the entire field is a mystery. It's as though it was perfectly planned so that one unlucky boy would get a sudden wakeup call. What's more awkward about the scenario is that no one seems to notice.
This Is Why Curiosity Killed The Cat
There's nothing wrong with having a call to adventure until you come face-to-face with a bear at the end of a tunnel. It isn't clear if the person photographed and the one taking the photo are far down or if they can easily escape.
Even if they could get away fast, that bear could likely race after them. Since this picture made it into the great expanses of the internet, we can assume that both individuals are fine, making this one of the greatest close calls we've ever seen.
Bullseye!
This priceless photo captured the moment before a baseball whacked the poor photographer right in the face. If the little boy batting was focused on the camera, he has great aim to knock the ball right in the direction he was looking.
At the same time, he clearly needs a little help with directing his hit away from innocent bystanders. Should this young boy grow up to become a Major League Baseball player, we're sure the photographer would say it was worth the black eye.
Bad Kitty!
Many cats have a deep passion for knocking things over with their paw. It's as though they get a rush of power every time they send something flying off the shelf, table, or any other elevated surface.
That's why this owner is highly cautious of their cat, who made its way onto a shelf full of breakables. This poor cat is probably tormented by its urge to knock everything over and its commitment to its owner. The lesson here: being a cat person and a nicknack lover does not mix well.
It's The Thought That Counts
Some parents are against tattoos, and some are tickled pink by the idea of their child getting a tattoo in their honor. We would guess that this boy's mother probably fell somewhere in between those two emotions when she saw his new tattoo.
While the message seems to be heartfelt, the spelling errors make him appear ignorant or careless. They say you shouldn't judge a book by its cover, but that tattoo is hard to get past. At least it's on his arm and not his forehead.
Free Falling
Every kid watching this unfold appears to be in a collective state of awe. At this moment, their friend is essentially flying through the air with so much force that he's completely detached from his bicycle.
It looks like a still from a movie. Unfortunately, this isn't a movie, so that landing is going to hurt. On the bright side, he has plenty of witnesses who will know him as the coolest kid around, even if he does break a leg, literally.
Action Ball In Action
Not only was this photograph perfectly timed, but the ball was flawlessly positioned so that we see the "Action Ball" emblem as it flies into this girl's face. You would think that the girl was posing for a professional photograph when someone chugged the rubber ball at her.
Another potential scenario is that she was in the middle of a dodgeball game when someone with a camera stole her attention. Whatever happened, it made for an awkward moment, especially if her glasses were broken in the process.
My Produce!
Reusable plastic bags have gained popularity recently for their durability, but this one clearly misses the mark. This young lady looks utterly distraught as she watches her produce slip through a large hole at the bottom of the bag.
The seal underneath clearly split right open, allowing her oranges, onions, and other items to fall right through. As awkward as the moment is, she certainly is not the first to have watched their freshly bought groceries land on the ground thanks to a weak bag. All the more reason to buy fabric reusable bags!
Seeing Double
Every once in awhile, you may find that you're matching someone else unexpectedly. Perhaps you're wearing the same color clothing or a similar design. But odds are, you haven't seen a complete stranger who has almost identical attire on as you.
What's so strange about this photo is that they aren't just wearing the same shoes and the same shade of jean pants, but they also roll their pants the same way at the ankles. It looks like someone just met their long-lost twin.
