Gee didn't see that coming from a mile away.

[GrimTuesday]

Every now and then, one hears about, reads, or sees something that had an obvious, sometimes humorous outcome that either you (if you were were the one responsible), or the people responsible for the even should have seen coming.

For example, I was laying in bed throwing eight pound dumbbell up in the air, and I missed catching it, and was struck rather hard in the side of the head when it fell.

Another example, which is one having someone else failing to realize what the obvious outcome would be is the 10 cent beer night that was held by the Cleavland Indians in 1974. Not only did that mean more fans that usual would show up (for the cheap beer, not to see the Indians play) and be highly intoxicated, but also the game was against the Texas Rangers, with whom they had some bad blood stemming from a prior game. The whole night ended with a massive riot between drunken Indians fans, the cops, and both teams, who at that point were working together to defend themselves from the beer fueled raging crowd.

They really should have seen that coming.

So what examples can you think of, they can be real stories from your life (involving you or something you saw), historical events that ended poorly in a preventable way, or things from video games and books.

 

[Frission]

The problem is that hindsight is 20/20. We probably do tons of idiotic things daily, which we never really realize because we don't suffer negative consequences for them.

I can't think of any funny stories on the top of my head. The closest I have is the entirety of WWI. The whole affair was a mess of alliances, imperialism and an arms race which many people warned about decades before the war started, yet nations blundered into it.

EDIT: I do actually have a rather stupid story.

One thing I've noticed is that there's something about national parks that give people the illusion that they're in a perfectly safe place. A high number of people are killed each year, by doing things like jumping into a geyser in Yellowstone, or taking a swim in a river. I've even heard that some stupid tourists get mauled because they thought it was a smart idea to go right next to a black bear to take pictures of it.

I can't really feel too superior to people like that, though since I nearly fell of a mountain while hiking under heavy snow. It wasn't a really smart thing to do in retrospect, since I almost joined the list of foolish tourists killed in national parks. I was lucky to be with friends.

 

[Uratoh]

I once invaded Russia and I thought that it would go rather smothly.

You fool! You've fallen for one of the classic blunders!

 

[Legion]

In video games, I often figure out the "twists" long before the protagonists do. In some games, it is fair enough as they don't have the same benefits as we do (like in Bioshock 1), but in others it should be really obvious.

Spoiler: Such as the new Tomb Raider (major spoilers)

Around halfway through the game, it becomes apparent that the storm queen does not have "successors", but takes over the younger bodies of her servants once she grows old, in order to carry on living. This is obvious based upon the journals Lara discovers as well as other moments while exploring tombs and temples.

Lara doesn't figure it out until just before the finale somehow.

 

[WanderingFool]

I once invaded Russia and I thought that it would go rather smoothly.

Did you do it in the winter? Cause if you did, you were asking for it, such a rookie mistake...

Didnt happen to me (Thank God...) but a friend of mine thought it would be cool to try some free-running moves. Its was... till his sneakers slipped while trying to run along a wall and he crashed into the ground on his right arm, breaking it. Didnt stop him from doing it again a year later. Shouldn't have bought him Mirror's edge...

 

[6_Qubed]

The only thing that comes to mind is this one time I was passing a magazine rack, and on the front of one was Clay Aiken with the headline "Clay Aiken: 'I'm gay.'"

To which I thought, "I know."

(I mean no disrespect incidentally, I'm sure he's a lovely man and a wonderful father.)

 

[Zhukov]

For example, I was laying in bed throwing eight pound dumbbell up in the air, and I missed catching it, and was struck rather hard in the side of the head when it fell.

I did something like that once.

Except it was 30 pounds. And it landed on my toes.

Which, I suppose, would be preferable to the head.

 

[Pinkamena]

One thing I've noticed is that there's something about national parks that give people the illusion that they're in a perfectly safe place. A high number of people are killed each year, by doing things like jumping into a geyser in Yellowstone, or taking a swim in a river. I've even heard that some stupid tourists get mauled because they thought it was a smart idea to go right next to a black bear to take pictures of it.

How do you get the idea of "Hey, I should totally jump into this steaming hot water, that'll be fun!" into your head?!

 

[kailus13]

One thing I've noticed is that there's something about national parks that give people the illusion that they're in a perfectly safe place. A high number of people are killed each year, by doing things like jumping into a geyser in Yellowstone, or taking a swim in a river. I've even heard that some stupid tourists get mauled because they thought it was a smart idea to go right next to a black bear to take pictures of it.

How do you get the idea of "Hey, I should totally jump into this steaming hot water, that'll be fun!" into your head?!

"Hey, that looks like a giant hot tub!" is the only reason I can think of. Swimming in a river doesn't sound too dangerous though.

 

[Keymik]

I was once riding my bicycle while I was very very angry and felt the need to kick stuff.
So being the 13 year old genius that I was I started kicking the front wheel of my bicycle, while riding it I might add.
Cue the obvious. My foot got stuck and I was launched forward face first into the road.

The sad part is that I did the same thing with a stick two years later.. Sometimes I wonder how my brain works.

 

[Frission]

One thing I've noticed is that there's something about national parks that give people the illusion that they're in a perfectly safe place. A high number of people are killed each year, by doing things like jumping into a geyser in Yellowstone, or taking a swim in a river. I've even heard that some stupid tourists get mauled because they thought it was a smart idea to go right next to a black bear to take pictures of it.

How do you get the idea of "Hey, I should totally jump into this steaming hot water, that'll be fun!" into your head?!

"Hey, that looks like a giant hot tub!" is the only reason I can think of. Swimming in a river doesn't sound too dangerous though.

http://usatoday30.usatoday.com/news/nation/2011-08-07-national-parks-accidental-deaths_n.htm

Drowning is the number one cause of death apparently. People get swept away.

 

[Korak the Mad]

I once stabbed myself in the hand with a sharp knife while trying split two frozen hamburger patties. I needed stitches, and due to so really good karma/luck, the knife went between two nerves and didn't touch either of them, a fraction of millimeter off and my hand would have been paralyzed. But My hand still functions perfectly.

I'm going to say it because no one else has. The Darwin Awards, that is the perfect example for what we are discussing.

 

[snekadid]

Reading this thread, all I see is a long list of Darwin at work.

 

[teh_Canape]

In video games, I often figure out the "twists" long before the protagonists do. In some games, it is fair enough as they don't have the same benefits as we do (like in Bioshock 1), but in others it should be really obvious.

Spoiler: Such as the new Tomb Raider (major spoilers)

Around halfway through the game, it becomes apparent that the storm queen does not have "successors", but takes over the younger bodies of her servants once she grows old, in order to carry on living. This is obvious based upon the journals Lara discovers as well as other moments while exploring tombs and temples.

Lara doesn't figure it out until just before the finale somehow.

actually, she does figure out when you reach her temple, but what does take her a while to figure out is WHO will be the next "descendant"
at least that's how I remember it

 

[hazabaza1]

In video games, I often figure out the "twists" long before the protagonists do. In some games, it is fair enough as they don't have the same benefits as we do (like in Bioshock 1), but in others it should be really obvious.

Spoiler: Such as the new Tomb Raider (major spoilers)

Around halfway through the game, it becomes apparent that the storm queen does not have "successors", but takes over the younger bodies of her servants once she grows old, in order to carry on living. This is obvious based upon the journals Lara discovers as well as other moments while exploring tombs and temples.

Lara doesn't figure it out until just before the finale somehow.

Oh god this so much.
Like, you see one of the journals near the start of the game and I'm like "oh this is happening." Then a story event happens and it's like "oh this happened because this is happening." It gets to the point where I'm thinking "how long are they going to pretend this isn't happening?" and then it happens and Lara is all WHOOOOOOOOA and I'm just "no shit."

I also recognise that this rambling was barely comprehensible.

 

[m19]

In video games, I often figure out the "twists" long before the protagonists do. In some games, it is fair enough as they don't have the same benefits as we do (like in Bioshock 1), but in others it should be really obvious.

Spoiler: Such as the new Tomb Raider (major spoilers)

Around halfway through the game, it becomes apparent that the storm queen does not have "successors", but takes over the younger bodies of her servants once she grows old, in order to carry on living. This is obvious based upon the journals Lara discovers as well as other moments while exploring tombs and temples.

Lara doesn't figure it out until just before the finale somehow.

Oh god this so much.
Like, you see one of the journals near the start of the game and I'm like "oh this is happening." Then a story event happens and it's like "oh this happened because this is happening." It gets to the point where I'm thinking "how long are they going to pretend this isn't happening?" and then it happens and Lara is all WHOOOOOOOOA and I'm just "no shit."

I also recognise that this rambling was barely comprehensible.

They probably did it that way because not everyone would have read the journals.

 

[hazabaza1]

In video games, I often figure out the "twists" long before the protagonists do. In some games, it is fair enough as they don't have the same benefits as we do (like in Bioshock 1), but in others it should be really obvious.

Spoiler: Such as the new Tomb Raider (major spoilers)

Around halfway through the game, it becomes apparent that the storm queen does not have "successors", but takes over the younger bodies of her servants once she grows old, in order to carry on living. This is obvious based upon the journals Lara discovers as well as other moments while exploring tombs and temples.

Lara doesn't figure it out until just before the finale somehow.

Oh god this so much.
Like, you see one of the journals near the start of the game and I'm like "oh this is happening." Then a story event happens and it's like "oh this happened because this is happening." It gets to the point where I'm thinking "how long are they going to pretend this isn't happening?" and then it happens and Lara is all WHOOOOOOOOA and I'm just "no shit."

I also recognise that this rambling was barely comprehensible.

They probably did it that way because not everyone would have read the journals.

Then don't have journals about it.

Not to ***** at you, but it always annoys me whenever games have information that the characters can pick up optionally, will comment on the thing they've just picked up, but then spaz it up when important stuff comes up.

 

[Abomination]

In video games, I often figure out the "twists" long before the protagonists do. In some games, it is fair enough as they don't have the same benefits as we do (like in Bioshock 1), but in others it should be really obvious.

Spoiler: Such as the new Tomb Raider (major spoilers)

Around halfway through the game, it becomes apparent that the storm queen does not have "successors", but takes over the younger bodies of her servants once she grows old, in order to carry on living. This is obvious based upon the journals Lara discovers as well as other moments while exploring tombs and temples.

Lara doesn't figure it out until just before the finale somehow.

Oh god this so much.
Like, you see one of the journals near the start of the game and I'm like "oh this is happening." Then a story event happens and it's like "oh this happened because this is happening." It gets to the point where I'm thinking "how long are they going to pretend this isn't happening?" and then it happens and Lara is all WHOOOOOOOOA and I'm just "no shit."

I also recognise that this rambling was barely comprehensible.

I had it worked out at the end of the second video of the voyage there when

Spoiler

Sam said she supposedly had the Queen's blood in her veins. I immediately thought "Oh, I know where this is going." I admit I do enjoy foreboding at times but Tomb Raider just kept hammering the point home.

 

[Angie7F]

Well, living in Japan, I see people freak out about the earthquake.
I always think, "Duh, we are living on a fault line. You seriously think there will be no earthquakes?"