We’ve all been there. Teenagers think they’re geniuses, and that they are invincible. Who doesn’t have a stupid yet amusing story from their teenage years?
1. Moooove It
I spent my childhood in Texas. Somehow, the topic of cow-tipping came up. Most believed that cows are just too hefty to tip over. However, one guy insisted that he and his relatives tip cows all the time. He was so adamant about it that we decided to venture out one night to a nearby pasture to prove him wrong—an awful idea, in retrospect.
We stealthily approached a cow and made an attempt to topple it. It felt like pushing against a brick wall. The cow became irritated and lashed out, hitting me square in the chest. The end result? I found myself in the ER with a couple of broken ribs.
Long story short, we learned that Lucas was spouting nonsense, tipping cows is indeed impossible. Lesson learned.
2. Construction Zone
I'm not certain whether this was a reckless idea or an ingenious one, but we celebrated my eighteenth birthday in a unique way. Using three cars, we prowled around at about 3 am, discreetly helping ourselves to signs and cones from various road construction zones.
We ensured we only took a few items from each location, not enough to raise any alarm. Might seem unconnected initially, but trust me, we had a crafty plan in place. Next, we used our pilfered items to block off a section of a road, making it look like an official roadwork site with all the proper signs and indicators.
It was a full three weeks before people grew suspicious about the absence of any actual work at this apparent construction site and finally alerted the transit authorities. One week later, to our amusement, the faux roadwork scene had completely disappeared.
3. Sneaky
I quietly slipped out right around midnight for some typical teenage adventures and got back home around four in the morning. Carefully and softly, I pulled my keys from my pocket. I picked out the right key, eased it into the front door lock as slowly as molasses, and turned it the opposite way while making sure the remaining keys didn't make any noise.
I triumphantly managed to unlock the door. I removed the key with just as much caution and safely stowed my keys back into my right front pocket. However, as I reached to turn the doorknob...I mistakenly hit the doorbell instead. That was my downfall.
4. Hairless
Once, during my teenage years, I went overboard with drinking and, for whatever reason, decided it would be fun to shave all my body hair. Being a naturally hairy person, this process took the whole night to complete. Afterward, I had the task of explaining my odd decision to everyone until my hair grew back.
Even now, I can't quite understand why I did it, since I've never been a competitive swimmer or anything of that sort.
5. Caught On Tape
I guess I was about 13 at the time, back in the early '80s. My father had a surplus of these reel-to-reel magnetic tapes. Or perhaps they were 8-tracks. Well, one day while I was biding time waiting for some friends to finish their meal, I decided to take one of these tapes to my local soccer field—the one with the nice hill right behind the goalposts.
Now, here's where it gets interesting. I reckoned it would be fun to string the tape from one goalpost to another. Then, I planned to ride my bike down the hill, crossing through the tape as if I was some champion cyclist crossing the finish line (wishful thinking, as I've never won a race in my life). But alas, my grand plan turned out to be an epic fail.
In my excitement, I underestimated the strength of the tape, wrapping too many strands from post to post. When I dashed across on my bike, the tape stretched against my chest instead of snapping as I had imagined. I was left hanging there in mid-air, in an uncanny imitation of Wile E Coyote, as my bike skidded away without me.
The aftermath? Well, I landed tailbone-first on the ground. It was excruciating and embarrassing. All the while, I was hoping against hope that no one had witnessed my failed attempt at victory.
6. Two-By-Four Wheel Drive
Once upon a time in my teenage years, I embarked on a unique experiment.
I'm perched on the roof of my car, legs dangling through the sunroof, two-by-fours secured to my legs, and ropes attached to my steering wheel. Essentially, I was attempting to drive my car like a stagecoach. Seemed like a groundbreaking idea at the time. You can probably guess the outcome.
Despite "working" initially, my car landed in a ditch. However, I wouldn't trade that memory for anything.
7. Torched
In high school, I was assigned to a metalworking class as part of our rotating electives system for freshmen. One requirement before handling any tools was passing a safety test—a step I skipped intentionally. Due to my teachers' lack of attention, I was allowed into the workshop without any hassle.
So there I was, a rookie freshman, standing amidst intimidating equipment I had no idea how to operate. I'd spend my days mimicking others, which often resulted in mishaps or occasional damage to the machinery. Now let me get to the scarier part—welding.
One task involved lighting a blow torch, a process that could potentially cause a catastrophic explosion if done incorrectly. While I often asked someone to do it for me, there were times when I attempted it on my own. The most hair-raising part was when I was chosen for a procedure known as arc welding, which apparently involves high voltage.
The hefty protective gear they handed me was a clear sign of the associated risks. I was somewhat versed in handling a blow torch, but with arc welding, I was completely at sea. Looking back, I'm astounded that I managed to pass the class and never got singled out for my reckless antics.
I shudder to think how close I came to causing serious accidents multiple times, and it's a miracle I was never injured once myself.
8. Seen The Light
Once upon a time, I possessed a camera, and boy, did it have an extremely powerful flash. If you attempted to snap a photo of an individual who was merely a meter and a half away, all you'd get was an overexposed snapshot of the person's white silhouette against the backdrop.
Now, this youngster that I was at 16, full of daredevil spirit, decided to place the flash straight against my eye and click a picture. Just like that, my eye lost vision for around 60 seconds. On top of that, for an extended half an hour, all white things started appearing with an orange tinge.
Looking back, I now realize I wasn't exactly the wisest back then.
9. Leap Of Faith
I once scaled a 30-foot tree and made a daring leap into water whose depth was unknown to me because I couldn't see the bottom.
Turns out, it was six feet deep—just enough to prevent any injuries from my reckless dive. Later on, I became a lifeguard, and now I'm serving as a paramedic. These days, I earn a living assisting people who, like my younger self, sometimes lack good judgment.
Sign up to our newsletter.
History’s most fascinating stories and darkest secrets, delivered to your inbox daily. Making distraction rewarding since 2017.
10. Pre-Game
Two hours before the big senior versus staff basketball match in front of the whole educational facility, I consumed a particularly potent edible. Its effect wasn't as disastrous as I'd feared, though I found myself more woozy than ever before.
There were surreal instances when my view of the world resembled television fuzz. Despite the frightening experience, our team triumphed in the end and I evaded any consequential backlash.
11. The Wrong Brew
Every weekend, we had this peculiar tradition we called "garage hopping". As it approached ten in the evening, we'd cruise through upscale neighborhoods, looking for any house that had forgotten to close their garage. Our mission? Find an outside fridge in any open garage, and if we were lucky, nab some brewskis.
My proudest moment was when I found a whole untouched case. Imagining myself as the life of the party that night, I hoofed it back to our pals at home. But upon unveiling the treasure, they just laughed at me.
As soon as someone mentioned "Sharps 0%"—it hit me. In all my excitement, I hadn't looked close enough at the cans—they were all non-alcoholic. That's when I felt dumb. Not my smartest move.
12. Faking It
When I was a teenager, around 19, I found a summer job where I was in charge of a bunch of camp counselors. There was an event that I really wanted to go to, so I asked for a day off. My boss turned me down, which ticked me off. I wasn't going to let that stop me, so I decided to call in sick instead.
Of course, knowing I needed a note from my doctor, I actually went to get checked the following day. On that day, my regular doctor was absent, and a nurse practitioner attended to me. She gave me a super detailed examination, pressing different parts of my stomach and asking where it hurt.
I played along, pretending to feel pain at certain points to make my sickness believable. At this point, she alarmed me by suggesting that I may have appendicitis and recommended that I head to the ER. This would mean a solid doctor’s note, right? But I truly had no idea what was coming next.
In the ER, my whole family had gathered. I had to down these barium milkshakes, four of them in an hour, to get ready for a scan to see if I needed my appendix removed. On my last milkshake, the ER doctor showed up and decided to call in a surgeon. I was pretty chill because I figured the scan would show everything was okay.
But then the surgeon arrived, just as I finished that last drink. He mentioned it appeared that I was in pain (I was still pretending) and I responded that we were going to take a scan. I was totally expecting the scan would show nothing wrong. But to my surprise, he said he didn't need the scan and that I should undergo surgery immediately.
Fast forward thirteen years, and I'm living without my appendix. I finally confessed this whole saga to my family a few years ago.
13. Kitchen Viking Ceremony
Transitioning into middle school, I decided to discard my collection of elementary school papers and books. So, I tossed them into my kitchen trash can and doused it with lighter fluid. Once the garbage can was ablaze with flames reaching two to three feet high, I tried dousing them with towels.
Unsurprisingly, the towels caught fire as well. My last resort was to use the sink hose to extinguish the fire, leaving behind nothing but a glob of melted plastic. Oh, by the way, I was indoors the whole time. I recklessly risked setting my house on fire in a misguided attempt at a Viking-like ascension ritual.
My parents eventually found out. Needless to say, I got quite the scolding, not once, but twice—first for the fiery fiasco itself, and then for trying to cover it up. After the fire, I discarded the plastic blob. I later tried to explain away the missing trash can as an accident when I was taking out the garbage.
However, my hastily cooked-up cover story fell apart once they noticed the burn marks on the ceiling.
14. All Pain, No Pleasure
My mom owned a unique nail polish remover that was contained in a tiny container. The interesting part was a sponge with a middle hole, and all you had to do was move your finger inside it to erase the nail polish. Then, an unusual idea struck me. I chose to use it for self-pleasure.
I had never experienced such sharp sensations and intense burning sensation ever before. Turns out, it wasn't so great an idea after all.
15. Hotel Hot Tub
We often sneaked into this hotel to take advantage of their hot tub and sauna. One day, I was hanging out at a local bar when a guy next to me recognized me. He said, "Hey, you're one of those fools who keep sneaking into the hotel where I work. It gives me a good laugh, but I might need to involve the authorities at some point".
After that encounter, we cut out our mischief right away.
16. The Pain Game
My buddies and I thought it would be pretty hilarious to flip a bike over, have its rear wheel spinning at top speed, and then challenge each other to stand the pain of rubbing our bare skin against it —a peculiar game, to be certain.
Against all odds, it ended with me securing victory by enduring the unpleasant sensation of a tire burn on my personal areas. Looking back, it's safe to say we weren't the sharpest tools in the shed during that phase of our lives...
17. Field Fire
When I was about 13 or 14, my friend and I decided to enjoy some fun under the scorching 90-degree summer in Washington State. The timing had to be sometime post-4th of July, as we still had a stash of bottle rockets and various other fireworks.
Where we lived, there was this large, expansive, agricultural field next door, with some deserted buildings huddled at its rear edge—a favorite place for us to go exploring. I guess you can start to guess our plan...
We thought it'd be a terrific idea to carry our fireworks to the extremely parched field and set them off. I believed I was being prudent by seeking my dad's permission to bring the fireworks there, which, unsurprisingly, he refused. Yet, being the reckless teens we were, we decided to take them regardless.
I remember vividly how we ignited a few, and one bottle rocket soared high, descended into the field, and exploded. I thought it was harmless, apparently. Fast-forward—30 minutes later, we're back home, engrossed in video games. My mom comes rushing in, announcing there's a fire truck out, extinguishing a fire at the field we just left.
I was immediately overwhelmed by guilt, and promptly owned up to our mischief. Of course, it didn't help that my parents knew we had been there and about my request to my dad about the fireworks. I mean, adding it all up was not going to be hard. I was grounded for some time.
Still, thankfully, we didn't catch the attention of the authorities or the fire department, nor did the fire rage out of control. It seems it was put out just as it was catching, fortunately. But reflecting on it now, it's harrowing to think how quickly that fire could have spread.
18. House Hopping
During my last year of high school, around February, I started spending my nights at my then-girlfriend's place. Every day, after school, I'd hang out at her place and her mom often invited me to join them for dinner. We'd talk, watch movies, and just relax after dinner. Once her mom and sister retired for the night, I'd pretend to head home.
In reality, we'd retreat to her room. Come morning, I managed to sneak back to my house to shower, get dressed, and prepare for my morning orchestra practice. This was our routine until a few weeks before graduation. As it turned out, I wasn't as quiet as a mouse—my mother found out and confiscated my car. But the lack of my own vehicle didn't deter us, as my girlfriend had her own car.
So, the new strategy was her pretending to drop me home, only to go out briefly and then return to her house. But our cover was blown again. One day, her mom casually suggested, "Why not empty a drawer for him to store his clothes? It would save him the early morning trip home". That's how I semi-officially moved into her house for that summer.
19. Animals And Ice Cream
Let me paint a picture: We were at a house gathering close to a zoo. One of our mutual friends claimed to be a small train operator in that zoo and boasted about knowing a secret, yet foolproof, entrance. Naturally, we were skeptical.
As the designated driver, I ended up maneuvering his SUV crammed with around seven not exactly lucid friends towards this obscure side street behind the zoo.
There, he demonstrated a clever trick with a section of the chain link fence which could be loosened and pulled back, revealing an entryway into the zoo's back area meant for garbage disposal.
We hesitantly embarked on a short exploration only to stumble upon an unlocked Dippin' Dots stand. To our delight, we found ourselves scooping up, in essence, looting, huge bags brimming with cool treats.
20. Joy Ride
My buddy and I thought it'd be fun to drive his dad's official car when I was 16 with only my learner's permit. My folks were out at dinner. What's the worst that could happen? I attempted to show off and tried doing intense drifts...and then I ended up crashing into a lamppost, a fence, and a mailbox.
As we began to dash away from the wrecked car, a wave of reason suddenly hit me. We turned back to the damaged vehicle and waited for the law enforcement who'd been alerted by a local resident.
Flickr, Infrogmation of New Orleans
21. A Sack A Day
My pal and I had the idea to persuade some older teens, who were 18, to purchase drinks for us. We ended up with bags of inexpensive wine, known as Goon in Australia. We each had our own bag, and I was sick continuously. I was about 15 years old and had never experienced a buzz before. Yet, that was just the beginning of a horrendous night.
Panicking, my friends chose to leave me behind and save themselves. Naturally. A couple of hours later, in the dark, I was found by some passersby. They called an ambulance and I was taken to the hospital to have my stomach pumped. The ambulance ride cost $600, and I had no means to cover it.
My foster parents collected me from the hospital and made me work to pay off the ambulance fee. It was typical teenage foolishness, but the dumb part was knowing I shouldn’t have had so much, and yet I did just to fit in.
Over and over, my foster parents warned that if I repeated this behavior, they’d take me to a local home for kids too young to live on their own but sort of fallen through the system's cracks. Sure enough, I ended up at that place the following day, and I nearly got left there permanently.
A pregnant 16-year-old, clearly tipsy, was the one to greet us. I likely would have ended up just like her if my foster parents hadn’t decided to show some mercy and allow me to stay. I was so thankful.
22. Hide And Seek
When I was about 15, I visited the house of a boy I used to date. Things started to get a little heated, and that's when we heard the unmistakable sound of footsteps ascending the stairs. We instantly knew it was his mom getting home from work earlier than anticipated.
Funnily enough, he'd been specifically told not to invite me over. Panicking, I dashed to his walk-in closet completely unclothed, using the door as a shield as I hid behind it. His mom checked the closet for my presence. Believe me, I've never been so terrified in my lifetime.
Fortunately, she didn't spot me. After what felt like an unending half an hour of bickering in his room, he persuaded her to accompany him to school under the pretense of "picking up something". Once I was sure they'd left, I waited for an additional ten minutes.
Taking advantage of my newfound freedom, I sprinted out the door and straight into a heavy downpour. While I was dashing through the neighborhood, they returned just in time to catch a glimpse of me. Thinking on my feet, I slipped behind a bush and into an anthill, praying she didn't notice my hurried retreat.
As things turned out, I had to make a mad dash through the storm with ants clinging onto my legs until my friend came to my rescue.
23. Cliff Hanger
I once found myself in my father's Acura Legend, and I chose to test its limits; so, I found myself zipping down a twisty mountain route at 95 mph where the highest posted speed limit was a modest 45 mph. On one side loomed a steep cliff drop. This act was the most reckless thing I've ever done in my life.
My heartbeat was hammering in my chest, my nerves buzzing with fear and excitement. I was intensely focused, but also terrified. What a foolish thing to do. With just a tiny slip-up, I could've easily found myself plunging off that cliff. I thank my lucky stars I'm here to tell the tale. What a foolish, foolish mistake I had made.
24. Out Cold
When I was 14, I was teaching my brother, who was 10 at the time, how to experience a headrush by taking rapid, deep breaths. Suddenly, I found myself waking up face-first in the dirt of our backyard, having passed out. The fall was so bad that I hit the corner of the concrete steps leading to our back door.
The impact resulted in four of my bottom teeth—braces and all—being yanked out from the root, a sliced upper lip, a broken nose, and a concussion. My brother recounted how, instead of instinctively reaching out my hands to soften the fall, I plunged headfirst into the ground.
He saw me stand up, blood pouring from my mouth, my eyes carrying a glazed and distant look. This experience led him to sarcastically think, "Wow, I can't wait to try that!" At 14, boys are known to make dubious decisions, but this particular stunt of mine was exceptionally foolish. Talk about a harsh lesson.
25. Alters
When I was in my early teens, around 14 or 15, I pretended to have multiple personalities. It's really surprising that I managed to keep some friends from that period in my life. Even though no one believed me, nobody ever called me out on it, so it lasted for a while.
Fast forward to now, I'm 21, and anytime this topic comes up, I promptly confess that I made it all up for some extra attention since I wasn't very wise back then...and then quickly shift gears...anyway, how's the weather where you are?
26. Field Races
My pal's family had around 300 acres of land in the town where we grew up. A lot of it was forest, but there were also a few big open fields. My buddies and I would gather our money, usually not more than $200, and drive all over town searching for low-priced, beat-up cars—the kind that would never pass an inspection in a million years, or needed serious repairs.
We would haul these cars back to my friend’s open fields and take them for spins like we were rally racers. We weren't equipped with roll cages, helmets, or any sort of protective gear. Just normal street cars. We especially loved the Chevy Celebrity and Buick Century.
We'd zoom around the fields, reaching speeds you'd usually only see on the highway. If luck was on our side, we might even manage to get several cars out there at once for races and demolition derbies.
27. Bending The Rules
Back in my final year at a small Christian high school, yoga pants had become incredibly popular. The school's administration decided to call the girls into a meeting where they declared a new ban on yoga pants. Naturally, this announcement was met with uproar from the girls who wanted to know why this decision had been made.
The principal explained that the reason was that some boys had complained about getting distracted and not wanting to see girls in such revealing clothes. To be honest, this was the best reason they could come up with. In order to fight against this injustice, I borrowed a pair of my mom's yoga pants to wear to school.
Now, just to clarify, my mom is quite small and the yoga pants left little to the imagination, especially around my groin area. Unsurprisingly, my protest resulted in a three-day suspension.
28. Experimentation
Some of my buddies were curious and liked to try out all kinds of substances while we were teenagers. I, on the other hand, was more of a straight-laced kid, never getting involved with drinking or any of that stuff, even though I was around it.
One night at a friend's place, the idea of chugging down cough syrup came up in conversation. They ran off and came back with a couple of bottles of the medicinal mixer. I threw out a light-hearted suggestion for my friend D to give "afternoon-quil" a shot.
D thought it was a solid plan and combined the evening and morning versions of the syrup...resulting in him barely moving and stuck in the bathtub for the rest of the night. Fortunately, there were no lasting effects on any of my friends from that night. D even went on to become an airline pilot.
29. Interplanetary Visitor
Let me start by admitting I wasn't thinking straight back then. In seventh grade, I attempted to persuade my schoolmates that I was an alien from Venus, on Earth to carry out a particular mission. Furthermore, I tried to convince a friend that we had a mutual friend who was, in fact, a zombie. But I didn't stop there.
I even went as far as insisting that the imaginary companions in my mind should be included and even have a place at our table. As though irresistible, I pressed others into participating in dialogues with them. Seriously, it feels so awkward to think about now, but hi there, call me the king of embarrassment.
30. Scare Tactics
When I was 16, I had a crush on a girl at my high school who was going through her Emo stage. I truly cared for her. One day, she casually brought a box cutter to school. We were chilling at the public bus stop right in front of the school and when I saw the box cutter, I got really worried.
I made a reckless decision and told her I would hurt myself with it just to scare her. She didn't buy it, but boy, was she wrong. I slashed my left wrist, about four inches from my palm. It cut as smoothly as a knife through warm butter. The incident took place on Halloween. Blood was gushing out of my wrist.
I ran for help towards the school office, but it was so late in the evening that it was shut. The other high school kids who saw me thought my bleeding was just a Halloween stunt. Two of them even laughed it off, thinking it was just a prank.
In a twist of fate, a good Samaritan came by and quickly put pressure on my wound while calling an ambulance. The girl was in shock, panicking and kept asking why I had done it. I wanted to scare her, but didn't quite expect this outcome. It was foolish of me, yes, and I was lucky to survive.
Today, she's is happily married with a beautiful family. I, too, have tied the knot. An ironic twist—my wife's birthday falls on Halloween.
31. Tightrope Walkers
When I was nine years old and my sister was 14, we were living about a half mile from the Autobahn, just outside Munich. A huge sound barrier wall was built to shield our neighborhood from the noisy freeway.
One ordinary day, my sister, two buddies of ours, and myself, decided to follow that big old wall until it dwindled down to its end. With a bit of crawling up the slope of dirt, we managed to scramble onto the wall.
We proceeded to walk along the top of this wall which was kind of narrow—probably about eight inches or so (20 cm) in width, and towering a significant 50 feet high (15 m). To pass each other, one of us would dangle from the wall, gripping with our fingertips, while the other hopped over.
Quite the adventure... that is, until our mom caught sight of us when she looked out her bedroom window.
32. House Hunters
So, back in 2003, there was this massive 14,000+ square foot mansion that was being demolished by Lake Michigan. This modern-day castle had seven towering levels and even had a helipad on its roof. It was strategically perched atop a towering bluff/dune, that stood 700-feet high, with scenic views of Lake Michigan.
My buddy and I, being the explorers we were, decided to sneak a peek inside this grand structure. On our maiden visit, we were awe-struck by its grandeur. Minor remnants of the majestic marble columns stood tall, which once served as the foundation for the enormous triple-storey living room.
The mansion boasted two stairwells on each side along with an elevator, which was, of course, out of order. We made a third visit, only to discover that the living room, propped up by grand concrete pillars, was entirely stripped away, leaving the rest of the house looking oddly skinny and tall in comparison.
Monitoring devices were installed in different parts of the crumbling mansion to gauge the development of cracks on the walls. On the rooftop, a small ledge jutted out where a balcony used to be, which was now a dangerous five-storey drop into a stairwell. The ledge had a noticeable droop, and it was evident that it wasn't safe structurally.
So, like any other reckless adventurers, we stepped on it and even bounced on it, laughing as bits of concrete dislodged and fell. The wobbly sensation of the ledge amused us, and we went back home with a bunch of awesome photos that I can't seem to locate now. It was a reckless move on our part as the mansion was clearly unsafe. Yep, a big whoops there.
33. Up A Creek
For the first time ever, I really overdid it with the drinks. I even set off some fireworks in my best friend's car and stumbled down a rural slope in a desperate attempt to get away, ending up in a stream. I thought I'd wet myself and started crying, but it was so hard to tell because of my confused state.
The real situation was that I was sitting in a "cold" stream about four inches deep. My friends thought it was hilarious seeing me sitting there, soaked in the stream. But the craziest part of my night was just beginning.
Next, I found myself causing a ruckus at a Krispy Kreme Factory. To be exact, I was belting out some New Wave tunes at the people working in the loading area, practically begging them for some donuts. I guess they found our performance funny or they just wanted us to stop, because they ended up giving us a few boxes of hot, fresh donuts.
I finally got home late that night, clearly worse for wear. I walked in with mud all over my backside, twigs sticking out of my hair, and a half-eaten box of donuts triumphantly raised over my head. I shouted, "A GIFT FOR THE ELDER GODS," and handed them to my mom, who burst out laughing.
She advised me to drink some water and go to bed. Considering the crazy night I'd had, things could've ended up much worse. Surprisingly, I didn't even get in trouble. My mom was sure I'd wake up with a terrible hangover, which she assumed would serve as punishment enough for my reckless behavior. But the hangover didn't come.
To save myself from any potential grounding, I decided to act as though I did have one.
34. House Party
I was looking after the home of my parents' friend for a week while they were away. When Friday night arrived... it was time for a celebration. I allowed my friend to drive the homeowners' car for some errands. Unfortunately, he ended up rolling the vehicle into a ditch. As if things couldn't get any worse, they did.
I had made attempts to call off the party because of the car mishap but despite my efforts, around 50-60 people decided to turn up anyway. The house ended up in a chaotic state, various personal belongings got lifted, and the hot tub was left wrecked. On top of all this, the car was completely destroyed.
However, the night had its silver lining—I had my first intimate experience, so it wasn't all doom and gloom.
35. Secret Scan
I was over at Office Depot once and, joking around, I scanned my middle finger. Wouldn't you know, as the image of my finger began to print, a salesman walks over and asks if I need help. He didn't find it all that amusing, and even threatened to tell "my parents" about my shenanigans. But here's the hilarity of the situation.
I wasn't out with my parents, I was with a friend of theirs. Now, this friend—they treated me pretty much how the Dursley's treated Harry Potter. I would be left in their care often and found that they did the bare minimum for me while spoiling their own children. So you can imagine the dread I felt. I pleaded earnestly with the salesman not to tell.
36. A Night To Remember
Back in high school, a few friends and I decided to bluff our parents with the age-old trick—tell them we're spending the night at each other's houses, when in reality, we were off to a party. This wasn't just any party, it was jam-packed with jell-o shots, drinks, and about 150 fellow students.
Everything seemed fine until a party-goer got ill in the kitchen and a mate had her wallet nicked. Trouble definitely stirred when the authorities arrived but left, and then the house owner finally asked everyone to leave.
So there we were, stranded in the front yard, less sober than we ought to have been, homeless and clueless about what was next. An unexpected lift from a stranger lead us to a strange neighborhood and the most chilling story imaginable.
We had a swift change of plan and decided to take shelter in a nearby playground. However, the biting cold made us abandon that idea. As the clock struck 3:30 AM, I recalled that our church buildings were always unlocked. About 3 miles later, we were nestled on cozy couches inside the church building, sheltered from the icy wind.
A 6 AM alarm was set to avoid an awkward encounter with parishioners. Fifteen minutes to the alarm, we were jolted awake by a heart-stopping sound. Someone was in the building, the door to our room was open, and they were next door. Tensions were high as we hid, hoping not to be discovered.
It turned out the intruder was a delivery man, dropping off a Krispy Kreme order. By now, more cars started arriving, and that was our cue to leave. We decided to watch the sunrise from a neighborhood fountain, reminiscing about our odyssey.
Around 7 AM, it seemed like the right time to head back home with a cover story. I waited till 8 AM on my doorstep before heading in, feigning innocence while my parents made breakfast. It was as if none of the night's shenanigans had even happened.
37. High Times
One wild Friday night, I had quite an experience at the Pink Floyd Laser Show at the Hayden Planetarium in NYC. I was flying high, and afterwards, I accidentally tumbled onto the subway tracks just as a train was pulling into the station. I was lucky that Chris, my tall, level-headed friend, was there to help.
He managed to jump down, heave me up, and toss me back onto the platform, even as I flailed around a bit before trying to climb up. Then he somehow hoisted himself back up onto the platform. It's quite surprising, seeing how he was likely in as dizzy a state as I was.
38. The To-Do List
In the past, my buddies and I would organize scavenger hunts where the objective was to accomplish tasks rather than discover objects. This concept was inspired by Viva La Bam and we thought it'd be amusing. The inaugural hunt involved only four of us but we thoroughly enjoyed ticking off the tasks from our list.
Gradually, we extended invitations to more friends and ultimately had a group of around 30 participants by the final year of the game. Our task list, which eventually comprised roughly 175 tasks, contained some truly ridiculous challenges.
Among them were consumption feats, including eating an uncooked onion, half a dozen eggs, chugging milk, even munching on a dollar bill. A personal favorite silly task was to engage in an animated disagreement with a traffic sign for at least three minutes, with bonus points if you managed for five minutes.
We included easy tasks too, such as receiving a hug from five strangers or forming a human pyramid, but most of the tasks were admittedly nonsensical.
39. Out Of Gas
In simpler terms, one winter night when the temperature was -30 Celsius, my vehicle ran out of fuel in the middle of nowhere. This was when cell phones weren't popular yet, so I found myself stuck without appropriate winter wear or any emergency supplies.
Fortunately, some passing drivers kindly offered me a ride to the nearest gas station. This experience truly showed me how risky adolescent recklessness can be. Reflecting on it, I can't help but appreciate those good samaritans.
40. Spud Shorts
One morning as I was preparing for middle school, I spotted some potatoes on our kitchen counter and thought they might be good for a fun prank. I decided to take one, though I wasn't exactly sure what I would do with it.
Finally, during my bus ride, the best I came up with was to put it in my shorts and just see what happened. I almost reached my first class when the potato slipped out and rolled down the corridor. This caused a mix of surprised giggles, shocked faces, and all I could say was, "How'd that get in there?”
41. Baked
When I was a naive college freshman, all I really craved was companionship. Before long, I found my tribe, a bunch of individuals I spent most of my time with. We even shared the same classes.
So, one day, while chilling with my buddies before class, a friend of ours whipped out a big bag of "special" brownies from nowhere. To give you a bit of context, I led a pretty isolated life back then—I hadn't so much as tasted a drop of alcohol, let alone used any other substances.
This friend handed me one giant brownie. Not wanting to be the odd one out, I gave in to peer pressure and downed the whole thing. We then made our way to class, a large lecture hall brimming with more than a hundred students. I found a sweet spot and prepared myself for the imminent lecture.
However, about 20 minutes in, the hallucinations kicked in. I recall with utter clarity how it felt like the roof of the building was torn apart and I was soaring through the skies. I know, it sounds crazy. To make matters worse, I was utterly convinced that our lecturer was a devil and was out to get me.
I lost control, started panicking and had to be escorted out of the room. I can't say for certain, but that dreadful experience with edibles might just have scarred me for life...
42. When The Opportunity Strikes…
Once upon a time, my folks managed a humble little mattress shop. I would sneak off and sprawl out on one of the beds tucked away in a secluded corner, and well...exercise my adolescent curiosity. Unfortunately, my parents had strategically placed a corner mirror in the store for security purposes that gave them a direct view of my secluded spot.
Pretty sure many unsuspecting customers got an eye-full of a teenager caught up in his own world through that reflective corner. The day my dad caught sight of it, his anger nearly blew the roof off.
43. On The Run
My buddy and I noticed a helicopter nearby, scanning the area with a searchlight, probably looking for a bady guy on the loose. My friend, in a moment of reckless inspiration, proposed that we should try to attract the spotlight and then dash away, just for the thrill of it.
I joined in the fun, and he stepped out onto the street, swinging his arms to catch their attention. When the spotlight finally landed on him, he started running towards me, and we both sprinted for two city blocks back to our place.
During the whole escapade, they shouted something through a megaphone, but I was too busy being scared out of my wits to really listen. Once I was safely back home, they continued to flash their spotlight on my window, but only for about a minute or so.
It seems they realized we were just having a bit of a goof, since no officers showed up afterwards. I suppose we were fortunate. It was a pretty wild experience though.
44. Balls Of Fire
Back in the day, I had this fun hobby where I'd fill a tennis ball with lighter fluid after drilling a hole into it. Next, we would douse the ball's exterior with more lighter fluid, set it aflame, and send it rolling down our hilly street. The spectacle of the ball bouncing paired with spurts of fire and the smell of burning rubber was downright fascinating.
However, during our last attempt, a squad car happened to be driving up just as our fiery tennis ball was making its merry way down, bouncing off the hood and roof of the patrol car before continuing its journey. Given it was the mid-80s, the officer simply collected our names and our parents' contact numbers, and let us off with a warning.
45. Locked Up
Back in my seventh-grade days, I studied at a small private school. On weekends, my folks often helped around the premises, and I'd tag along, mostly left to my own devices in the nearly empty school. Interestingly, my locker seemed different from the rest—it was shorter but wider.
A peculiar thought had always intrigued me: Could I fit in my own locker? It seemed like the perfect time to unravel this silly mystery, given that no one was around to witness my shenanigans. So, I squeezed myself into the locker. However, the door accidentally shut on me, trapping me inside.
I attempted to unlatch it from within, but it was a failed effort. I was stuck in my own locker for good, or so I thought, until nearly 20 minutes later when my father and a family friend happened to pass by. Hearing my persistent knocks against the locker door, they couldn't help but burst into laughter.
And they laughed... and laughed some more... and the laughter goes on even after 14 years. Not sure if they'll ever stop, to be honest.
46. Exploded
I created a tennis ball launcher from soup cans, held together by a unique kind of sticky tape—it stuck to itself but didn't attach to the cans. I set it off outside my bedroom window on the second floor. With an enormous BOOM, it burst into pieces while still in my hand, with cans scattering everywhere. For future designs, I enhanced the way I connected the parts.
47. Night Terror
Once upon a time, I possessed a pair of nocturnal-vision goggles, the sort you'd find in a toy box labeled Splinter Cell. One night, I arrived home a little merry and penniless, and with an insatiable craving for McDonald's.
I remembered that my dad's credit card was always tucked away in the denim pocket of his pants, typically strewn on the floor next to his bed. Easy peasy, right? So I slipped on my night vision goggles and slithered into his bedroom amidst total darkness. I managed to silently secure the card, but then I heard him stir.
Frozen in place, I slowly straightened up to find him wide-eyed, staring into the pitch-black room. It was then I realized that my convenient master plan was a massive mistake. Suddenly, he sprang up from his bed lunging towards me. Yelling in fear like a scared child, I blurted, "No, Dad, it's me, your son!"
It was at this point I remembered my goggles, in their "night vision mode," came with a red LED circle that illuminated when on. He had spied this red glow creeping up from the foot of his bed and was ready for a showdown.
As he switched on the lights, I slowly retreated. He was too embarrassed to admit that his dopey 18-year-old son had used a kiddies toy to swipe his cash for a fast-food run.
48. Loosen Things Up
So, let me tell you about this one surprise that I set up at my tiny, close-knit school. I might've bought the strongest, over-the-counter laxative that money could buy and might've gone slightly overboard with the quantity. I added them into the school coffee pot...and okay, it was a surprisingly ill-thought-out prank, I'll admit.
Among those who sampled the coffee was my most admired mentor who unfortunately, had a pretty severe reaction and ended up in the hospital. The consequence? A two-week ban from school and a trip to a psychologist to check if I was, in their words, "emotionally prepared to be back in school".
Yeah, it wasn't my finest hour, to say the least.
49. Bleached Blonde
I had a longing to turn my hair blonde. When I heard about "bleaching" your hair, I naturally assumed that it involved using household bleach. With this in mind, I filled up a five-gallon bucket with a couple of gallons of bleach and bravely dunked my head in it.
However, I was only able to bleach the top and back of my head as it became intolerable very quickly, my eyes were stinging and my breathing was labored. So, I began to submerge my head for a few seconds at a time. I kept checking my reflection to see if my hair had turned blonde and when it didn't, I sought the courage to dunk my head again.
My scalp began to burn intensely but I endured it because, well, no pain no gain, right? Eventually though, I had to throw in the towel. The exercise indeed dyed my hair but because my hair is naturally very dark, I was unaware of the arduous journey to go from dark to blonde.
So, the result was a monstrous carrot top hair. The most horrific part, however, was the formation of a massive scab on my scalp. For several months after the bleach, my head would intermittently shed scabs and bleed. It's still a mystery to me how my hair survived this terrifying process, but it has somehow recovered and looks pretty normal now.
So, a word of advice, always trust a professional when it comes to your hair!
50. Secret Admirer
When I was just 17, I had quite the infatuation for my neighbor across the hallway, a man in his twenties. Being aware of my young age, I hid my feelings, only greeting him casually and occasionally engaging in small talk. I always thought he was quite the gentleman.
The idea struck me to leave him an anonymous note, expressing my admiration for him without revealing my identity. So, I went along with it, penned some sweet compliments, signed it as "your secret admirer," and stuck it on his door before I left for school. On my return, I spotted a note on his door, addressed "to my admirer".
Upon reading the note, I felt a chill coursing through me. It read, "I know exactly who you are, the authorities have been contacted". Panicked, I returned the note to his door and hurried back into my apartment. My aunt arrived home from work later and had a chat with him in the hallway. After their talk, she filled me in.
Apparently, he had a troublesome ex from whom he had to seek a restraining order. Unfortunately, my handwriting seemingly eerily resembled this ex's, leading him to believe she had found out his location. Therefore, he had genuinely contacted the authorities, alleging she had breached the restraining order.
Inexplicably, I couldn't summon the courage to confess my role in this. That night, I lay in bed, worrying if the man's ex was unjustly taken in due to my high school silliness. Needless to say, I never left another anonymous note of admiration again.
Sources: Reddit,
