These Five Friends Have Taken The Same Group Photo Every Five Years Since 1982

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The First Photo (1982)

One of the harsh truths of life is that most things don’t last. Sadly, so many people we love come and go and with each passing year, we have no choice but to move onto the next stage of life. However, there are those who make a concerted effort to keep their friendships going, no matter the cost. Take these five friends, for example, who first started hanging out in the early ’80s. JD, Wedge, Belves, Sallad, and Kram had no idea that one group photo they took back in 1982 would help them create one of the most unbreakable bonds ever seen.

The First Photo (1982)

This is the story of five friends whose fates were intertwined after having a photo taken together. Back in 1982, on July 4th, John Wardlaw, Mark Rumer, Dallas Burney, John Molony, and John Dickson decided to take a strange photo during their lakeside vacation.

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The First Photo (1982)

They sat on a deck railing, all pulled the same brooding expressions, and snapped away. However, at the time, they had no idea that they would end up returning to the exact same scenario every five years…

Bittersweet Beginning

The Five Year Photo gang’s story actually started a few years before they took that first, life-changing photo. While all of the guys met each other under different circumstances, it was when John Dickson (JD) and John Wardlaw (Wedge) met that truly put this story into motion.

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Bittersweet Beginning

After the 1977 Sycamore Fire burned down Wedge’s home, his family rented a home from the Dicksons. Soon after, JD and Wedge became good friends, along with John Molony (Belves), Dallas Burney (Sallad), and Mark Rumer (Kram).

It Was JD’s Idea

After graduating in 1982, Wedge invited JD and the others to his grandparents’ cabin, located in Copco Lake, Northern California. About midway through the month that they spent at that lake house, JD saw the mountains in the background and thought it was a perfect opportunity to take a great group photo.

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It Was JD’s Idea

So he pulled out his 35mm camera, used a self-timer, and posed with his friends on the rail of the deck. Seeing the end result changed their lives forever…

Wedge Turned It Into A Tradition

While JD was the one who organized the first group photo back in 1982, it was Wedge who ultimately transformed the seemingly one-off moment into a “quinquennial” tradition.

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Wedge Turned It Into A Tradition

According to the gang, it was Wedge who wanted to recreate the first photo when they returned to the lake five years later. From that point onwards, it was Wedge who’d bring a camera with him and organize the photos. However, Wedge believes that the tradition had been agreed on from the very start…

Let’s Make A Pact

In an interview with the Santa Barbara News Press, Wedge recalled the moment the five decided to turn this group photo into a tradition. “Once we took it and saw the photo, we said, ‘We should come back and take it in five years,'” he said.

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Let’s Make A Pact

“‘We have to vow to do it every five years.'” As far as he was concerned, taking a photo every five years was a good enough incentive to stay in touch with each other. But would it work?

The Second Photo (1987)

As promised, the gang took the exact same photo, in the exact same location, with the exact same people. While everything seemed to be in place (mysterious jar and topless men included), there was one jarring technical error that set the two photos apart from each other.

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The Second Photo (1987)

In the 1987 photo, it was revealed that Wedge’s shoulder (furthest left) was not behind Mark’s, unlike the original in 1982. In order to rectify the “error,” they photoshopped Mark’s shoulder years later.

Why The Long Faces?

One question that fans have asked the gang over the years is why they decided to have such deadpan expressions when taking each photo. Wedge and the others looked so down and decided to maintain those same faces with each photo (except for 1997).

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Why The Long Faces?

“For some reason, we all chose to have dark, mysterious expressions on our faces,” Wedge said. “I’m sure we all thought we were being really cool.” This group of friends were happy to poke fun at their younger selves.

They Wanted To Make A Movie

In 1992, the gang ended up bringing a couple of unfamiliar faces with them. This is because they weren’t even planning on taking the Five Year Photo this time around.

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They Wanted To Make A Movie

Instead, they were planning on making a movie and the friends they had brought along were going to star in it. It was called You Only Die Once. While it’s unclear whether or not they even completed the movie, they ultimately decided to carry on the tradition instead…

The Third Photo (1992)

Once again, the five returned to Copco Lake five years later. However, unlike the previous two photos, which were against a blue sky backdrop, there was an overcast, which meant it wasn’t as hot as previous vacations.

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The Third Photo (1992)

As a result, the entire gang decided to wear T-shirts for the third photo. It was clear that they were all men now. However, there is still one outstanding question that wasn’t answered until recently: What is the story behind that mysterious jar?

That Mysterious Jar

One of the most enigmatic details about the original 1982 photo is the jar that John Molony (Belves) is holding. According to the gang, they found a cockroach during their vacation and made it their mascot, putting it in a jar with a butterscotch candy.

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That Mysterious Jar

“For some reason we thought he might be lonely so we cut out a photo of actor Robert Young…from a coffee advertisement and placed him in the jar,” the gang wrote. “Over the years the jars changed and were empty.”

The Fourth Photo (1997)

By the time 1997 came around, the five were still dedicated to recreating the photo tradition they first started 15 years prior. However, they admitted that they got a bit lazy with the organization of the fourth photo.

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The Fourth Photo (1997)

The biggest difference saw JD and Sallad smiling, deviating from the previous tradition of all five friends giving deadpan expressions. As the years went on, the gang developed a formula, a set of guidelines, if you will, of how they take the “Five Year Photo…”

Meticulous Planners

As the years passed, Wedge and the gang developed rules of how to take that definitive “Five Year Photo.” They make sure to always sit in the same places and they also look at the original 1982 picture to make sure everything is in place (holding the jar right, pulling the long faces, and even their shoulder arrangements).

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Meticulous Planners

However, after all of that meticulous planning, one of the gang usually yells, “Just take the darn photo!” Which leads us to 2002…

The Fifth Photo (2002)

After taking a more relaxed approach five years prior, the gang decided to return to the roots of the original photo. However, not even all of the planning could prevent them from making a ton of mistakes.

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The Fifth Photo (2002)

While they admitted that the much larger jar was a deliberate joke, Sallad accidentally smiled, a mistake that the rest of the gang have never fully forgiven him for. Not to mention the fact that Belves forgot to wear sunglasses (this was photoshopped later on).

They Nearly Broke The Pact

It was around this time that the gang nearly sabotaged their quinquennial tradition, when they considered taking the sacred photo earlier than they usually would. Some of the friends have been to the lake during other years.

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They Nearly Broke The Pact

However, they ultimately fought temptations to break their pact. “One time, we went up early. Mark refused to be in the photograph,” JD said. “We were all sitting out there and he wouldn’t come out.” But is their pact still intact?

‘Til Death Do Us Part?

One question that many fans have had asked is what the gang will do if one of them dies. Most of the time, Wedge and co. have agreed to carry on the tradition, while leaving blank spaces for any of their fallen friends.

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‘Til Death Do Us Part?

“We thought an Urn might be funny, since we have a sense of humor about it,” the gang wrote on their website. “There are plenty of ideas but the real answer is we will keep taking the photo.”

Entering The Digital Age

Fast forward another five years and the gang were on the verge of capturing their sixth Five Year Photo. However, this time, things were a little different. They traded in film for a digital camera.

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Entering The Digital Age

While one would assume that this would make things easier, the gang believes it has made things more complicated. “It took 30 seconds to take the original,” Wedge said. “Now it takes [an] half hour to take a photo because it has to be perfect.”

The Sixth Photo (2007)

After using that hilariously large jar five years prior, the gang decided to use a duplicate of the original to make things just a bit more authentic. They even put a butterscotch candy inside the jar.

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The Sixth Photo (2007)

Funnily enough, many fans accused the gang of displaying the photos in the wrong order on their website, seeing as they supposedly look younger in this 2007 edition. However, there is a chance that this is due to the higher quality of the digital camera.

Some Things Changed, Others Didn’t

It makes sense that the gang would do “nostalgic” things in future photos to hark back to their younger selves. However, they know all too well that change is inevitable.

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Some Things Changed, Others Didn’t

As a result, they try not to take the photos too seriously. Take the sunglasses for example, which only Belves is wearing in certain photos. In others though, the entire gang is wearing shades. Not to mention the gang’s choices to wear or not to wear T-shirts…

Keeping Up With The Times

As previously mentioned, the Five Year Photos show how change is inevitable. There are certain aspects of our lives that will not stay the same.

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Keeping Up With The Times

Wedge has always been a believer in trying new things. Although his project is all about the paradox of time and change, he has no problem trying out new technology in order to get the perfect photo. He happily uses a Mac book in order get things just right. Which leads us to the seventh photo…

The Seventh Photo (2012)

In their seventh photo, which was taken in 2012, the gang went to some extraordinary lengths (literally), in order to make it happen. At the time, members of the gang were living in New Orleans, Portland, Santa Barbara, and Antioch, respectively.

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The Seventh Photo (2012)

This made organizing the shoot something of a logistical nightmare. Nevertheless, they made it happen. Also, they took the jar pretty seriously, adding all the original contents: a photo of Robert Young, a butterscotch candy, and even a plastic cockroach.

Look, We’re On TV!

Wedge couldn’t believe it when NBC called him up and asked him if he could bring the gang to NYC. The network wanted to have them on The Today Show and unsurprisingly, they flew all the way to have an interview with Matt Lauer.

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Look, We’re On TV!

Wedge admitted that they were in high demand at the time and had to turn down the likes of ABC, CBS and Fox, amongst others. It was one of the greatest days of their lives, for a number of reasons…

McKayla’s Impressed!

Seeing that they were in NYC and making a name for themselves on TV, the gang got the opportunity to join forces with another awesome gang of five – the Fierce Five!

McKayla’s Impressed!

This was, of course, the five gymnasts who took the Summer Olympics by storm back in 2012. After the show, the gang got to hang out with McKayla Maroney, Aly Raisman, Gabby Douglas, Kyla Ross and Jordyn Wieber. They even managed to have a group photo – definitely another one for the collection!

Loved Ones Have Come & Gone…

As each five years pass, the gang has been through so much in their personal lives. By 2012, only two out of the five were married. Yet, by the time 2017 came around, they all were.

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Loved Ones Have Come & Gone…

Nevertheless, the photo tradition is still intact. “I look at the photos and think of the relationships I went through. Wedding rings come and go if you look closely,” JD said. “Watch us lose hair, gain forehead…and gain and lose weight.”

Whatever It Takes

One thing is for sure: no matter how far they drift apart, the five friends do whatever it takes to make sure that the Five Year Photo happens. “Mark drove all night just to get there this year,” JD said.

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Whatever It Takes

“He arrived at 3 a.m. the day of the photo.” He went as far to say that if he was stuck in a hospital, he would get the gang to bring him to Copco Lake in a stretcher. Now that’s dedication.

25 Years Later

As the summer of 2017 approached, the gang was as determined as ever to come together at Copco Lake to take that classic photo. Only this time, things were a little different.

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25 Years Later

For starters, the five men are no longer the young high school kids who were able to prank each other for an entire month. They simply don’t have the energy (or desire) to do that anymore. Nevertheless, the gang still keeps the tradition alive until this very day…

The Eighth Photo (2017)

Funnily enough, after appearing as guests on Matt Lauer’s show in 2012, the gang decided to honor him by putting a photo of him in the jar (instead of Robert Young) for their 2017 edition.

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The Eighth Photo (2017)

This is actually the first time that the three Johns went shirtless since their 1987 edition, making it some sort of strange 30-year anniversary. While it’s great seeing each photo individually, we thought we’d put them all together to see the gang’s transformation in all their glory…

A Work Of Art

It’s amazing just how far the gang’s Five Year Photos have traveled. Not only have Wedge and the gang become American heroes, but they have also reached as far as Germany. Their photos have become so popular that they have even ended up in museums!

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A Work Of Art

Just a couple of years ago, the Museum fur Kommunikation in Frankfurt, Germany, included the eight photos in one of its exhibitions, displaying them in chronological order above some furniture.

All Of The Years

As of May 2019, the gang has taken a staggering eight photos – in 1982, 1987, 1992, 1997, 2002, 2007, 2012, and 2017. While they might not have intended it back then, the collage shows just how far they have come together and the impact that a pact can have on friendship.

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All Of The Years

“We will return to Robert Young in 2022 or perhaps we’ll have a contest in which the winner gets to be the head in a jar,” the gang wrote on their website. See you in 2022!

People Share 45 Times They Saw Coworkers Get Fired on the Spot

You Really Dropped the Ball

Well, this is an unfortunate situation. We’re at a bowling alley, and it’s somebody’s first day at work. Sadly, their first day didn’t last very long because they promptly dropped a ball on someone’s foot.

You Really Dropped the Ball

To make things worse, it was a customer’s foot. To make things suspicious, it was a complaining customer’s foot. We might have said that this new employee was just clumsy, but we suspect they just had a bad temper.

Flogging Overpriced Plastic

Hilariously, the person in this story lost their job because of a mishap with a truffle. The truffle in question wasn’t made of chocolate and dipped in cocoa. No, it was an extremely expensive mushroom used in fine dining.

Flogging Overpriced Plastic

This new employee was called over to the truffle station at his new job, and went ahead with a transaction despite not being trained yet. Unfortunately for him and the customer, he sold her a $90 piece of plastic.

No Tossing the Animals

Animal lovers — look away, because this story involves someone manhandling some very tiny kitties. This brief new employee was a trainee at an animal shelter, and was being shown how to clean the kitten rooms. As his trainer turned to grab some fresh supplies, this trainee started casually tossing kittens across the kennel.

No Tossing the Animals

Understandably, his coworker “freaked out,” informed the supervisor, and watched him get fired. Most importantly, all of the tiny kitties were left unharmed and were successfully adopted.

We Never Saw Him Again

When he showed up at his new job, this new employee made a good impression on his coworkers. He worked a shift at the pizza place on a Thursday and was declared a “fine worker” by this Redditor. However, by the time Friday rolled around, this fine worker was nowhere to be seen.

We Never Saw Him Again

When Monday arrived, a police officer showed up at the pizza place requesting this fine worker, but again, he wasn’t there. By Tuesday, the man was fired.

Don’t Stick Around, Kid

Many companies use temp agencies when they find themselves in need of a temporary worker. That’s what happened in this story, when a manager hired a temporary document processing clerk. The temp arrived, bringing with them a box of personal items to decorate their cubicle. A little presumptuous? Perhaps.

Don’t Stick Around, Kid

After two hours of training, the temp gets settled at a computer, but declares that the computer mouse has given them carpal tunnel syndrome. That was the end of the line for them.

Fired From the Family Business

You’d think that working in the family business would guarantee you a permanent job, but that wasn’t the case in this story. Here, a doctor has a medical practice and hires his daughters as receptionists for their first job. The first daughter works there for one year, and then the second daughter for two years. So far, so good.

Fired From the Family Business

However, when it comes time for the third and youngest daughter to start work, she struggles to see her dad as the boss. Shortly after, he wasn’t.

Liars Get Fired

In work, and in life, it’s usually best to tell the truth. Of course, there are exceptions to this — like those white lies you tell people so you don’t hurt their feelings, or when you pretend that you haven’t eaten all of the cookies in your mom’s kitchen.

Liars Get Fired

But generally, if you tell the truth, it’s likely that people will respect your decision to do so. Telling the truth could have saved this new employee’s job, but his decision to lie got him fired on the spot.

Never Look Them in the Eye

Working in an old fashioned elevator is a service job that requires you to be almost invisible. Of course, you must be well turned out and polite when talked to, but otherwise, you stare straight ahead and remain silent. That’s what this coworker told his new trainee, but unfortunately, he chose not to listen.

Never Look Them in the Eye

Instead, this inexperienced elevator operator chose to make conversation with one of the wealthy residents, by asking how much money they make. A monumental error.

Glass Completely Empty

When working in a restaurant, it’s risky behavior to come in and socialize when you’re not working. On the one hand, you might have a wonderful relationship with your coworkers and genuinely enjoy the atmosphere and service available at your workplace.

Glass Completely Empty

On the other hand, you might get into a huge fight and end up losing your job. This new worker had her boyfriend come into her new workplace. They got into a massive fight, and threw her drink all over him.

Over Before it Even Began

When reading stories like this one, you have to wonder if some people really are trying to get fired from their jobs. Are these people just thrill-seekers? Are they performance artists that just want to cause chaos? Or, are they really the hapless almost employees they appear to be?

Over Before it Even Began

This candidate for the Getting Fired on Purpose Award sent an introductory email to the entire company and concluded his message with some very personal and inappropriate details. He was fired before even starting.

Bull in a China Shop

You’ve heard of a bull in a china shop — a person who’s extremely clumsy either in their movements, or in their behavior. This person clearly meets the definition in both ways, as they acted both oafishly and carelessly in terms of their new employment.

Bull in a China Shop

This new worker was working with the stock at a fancy tea store and was caught casually tossing delicate China teacups and teapots around. As you might have guessed, he was immediately fired.

Really Into Radios

We do find the man in this story rather endearing, as all of his employment issues are in some way related to his love of radios. Truthfully, this man should stop making risky decisions based on his love of radios, but it’s nice that he’s passionate about something.

Really into Radios

Anyway, after quitting his stable, well-paid job to work in a radio repair store, this new employee lost his new job on his first day because he was taking radio parts home.

Staying Out in the Cold

This story doesn’t involve someone getting fired on the spot, but it does involve someone who should’ve been fired because of his bizarre decision making. Basically, this person took a job working at a drill rig, and ended up getting put on the night shift.

Staying Out in the Cold

Soon, the new employee tells his boss that he can’t do the job anymore, and he leaves. As it turns out, during the freezing cold overnight shifts, the new guy repeatedly refused to share his coworker’s propane heater.

Fired Over Fried Eggs

As TV shows have taught us, sometimes people are hired and fired in order to teach another employee a lesson. Obviously, this is very unethical, and messes with various people’s careers just to make a point. That’s what went down here — when a cook was hired to threaten the job of another chef.

Fired Over Fried Eggs

When the original chef apologized to the manager, there was no need for the new employee to stick around. Because of that, he was fired over fried eggs.

Leaving a Nasty Surprise

We’d have preferred to get through this list of people witnessing their coworkers getting fired without having to mention poop. But alas, here we are. In this case, a Medieval Times worker was fired for defecating in one of the horse’s stalls. Thank goodness for that — are we right?

Leaving a Nasty Surprise

Usually, this sort of behavior occurs after someone has been fired, and not in the middle of their employment. Who knows what else this employee was getting up to.

Watch Out for Undercover Bosses

This story could be an episode of reality TV show Undercover Boss, though it ends with a less uplifting conclusion than usual. In this case, the owner of a construction company hired new workers but wasn’t involved in the interviewing process.

Watch Out for Undercover Bosses

When he arrived to check in on the progress of their work, they didn’t recognize him or know his level of seniority. Everything was going well until the workers declared they would be clocking out two hours early. Right away, they were all fired.

Out of Her Depth

In this tale, a new employee was noticeably bad at her job and was clearly floundering during their first day. This employee was hired to do basic data entry work, but didn’t ask any questions or take any notes during her orientation session.

Out of Her Depth

The Redditor who posted this story suspects this employee lied on her resume after seeing “flashes of panic” on her face. Though she wasn’t fired, this person did effectively fire herself when she realized that she was out of her depth.

Wake Up and Get Out

One sure way of losing your job is falling asleep on the job. Now, we’re not saying that it’s a fire-able offense to sleep at work — hey, we don’t know your situation — but you will find yourself unemployed if you’re caught sleeping at work. For that reason, it’s best to avoid falling asleep in a meeting.

Wake Up and Get Out

The employee featured in this Reddit post slept through two meetings on his first day. By the second, he was even snoring. Unsurprisingly, he was fired.

Get a Better Alibi

If you decide to call in sick to work, you really need to think about your story in advance. It’s good to stick to something simple and unassuming. There’s no need to come up with a dramatic and outlandish tale like your mom getting into a car accident — then you’ll just get stuck answering questions about it.

Get a Better Alibi

Furthermore, it’s not a bad idea to choose an excuse that’s a little uncomfortable, because then people won’t want to chat about it.

Keep Your Mouth Shut

Some people start a new job with just a little too much confidence and that can either lead to great outcomes, or terrible ones. In this case, a new employee was confidently chomping on the bar fruit, much to the irritation of his new coworkers.

Keep Your Mouth Shut

When his manager asked him to stop, this new worker looked him in the eye and continued. Brazen! Worse still, the employee then told the manager he was cocky and made an inappropriate comment in front of other staff.

You’re Not Fooling Anyone

This new employee didn’t exactly start off on the right foot, and things only got worse from there. This employee began by criticizing her new job to her coworker, and then told everyone about her upcoming birthday plans. When she didn’t show up the next day, they assumed she had quit.

You’re Not Fooling Anyone

But, this girl was no quitter and was actually extremely brazen. She walked right back into work as if nothing happened, managed to keep her job, and then didn’t come in the next day.

Dangerously Bad at Your Job

Sometimes, being bad at your job is actually really dangerous, and serious workplace accidents can happen. That was a risk in this situation, where a new employee didn’t survive the transition from job training to the production floor.

Dangerously Bad at Your Job

This new employee was discovered using heavy machinery incorrectly, despite just having finished his training. After training for three days, this unfortunate soul was fired and escorted from the building. It’s safe to say that it was probably for the best.

It’s a Lobster Massacre

Harming animals, or allowing animals to cause harm to one another, is one of the signs of being a psychopath. Now, we’re not saying that the worker in this story is a potential emotionless killer, but we’re not impressed by their behavior either.

It’s a Lobster Massacre

The worker in question decided to take a lobster out of the grocery store lobster tank and free its claws. Upon returning to the tank, the newly free lobster murdered all of the others. Hmm.

In and Out

When you’re working somewhere, it’s best to maintain your workplace persona the whole time you’re at work. Obviously, this means in the office, factory, or equivalent areas — but also in the kitchen, the cafeteria, and the parking lot. If you slip up and say something inappropriate in these locations, it could cost you your job.

In and Out

According to this post, a new employee greeted the CEO of his new job in a very explicit manner. Just 10 minutes later, he was gone.

This One’s on the Boss

Alright, most of the people getting fired on this list are people that have done something worthy of getting fired for. Asides from the chef that was fired because of his broken fried egg yolks, most people we’ve seen so far have done something that generally leads to getting fired.

This One’s on the Boss

In this case, the boss is completely to blame for this ridiculous situation. A 15-year-old was hired and fired straight away because she wasn’t old enough to work.

Soaking in the Sun

Ordinarily, when you interview for and get a job, you show up to work on the first, second, and third day. Heck, ideally you should show up every day. What you shouldn’t do is agree to go on vacation and then not inform your new employers about this.

Soaking in the Sun

The worker in this story not only took time off for a vacation, but also called his new job to tell them he’d been in Florida. More ridiculously, the trip was a present for getting the job.

Not Safe for Work

You would think that the most obvious thing about working in an environment with other people is that you don’t watch anything inappropriate during that time. That seems super obvious to us, and we assumed it was super obvious to everyone else too.

Not Safe for Work

The man in this story didn’t seem to think so, as he started playing unsafe-for-work content on his iPad, which was propped up on his desk. Foolishly, he even asked for a second chance. No, thanks!

Ten Minutes of Work

The author of this post is the person who got fired, and it only took them 10 minutes to accomplish. In a way, we respect this person, because they valued their own time and happiness over making some money. It’s a privilege to be able to do that, but we’re glad they did.

Ten Minutes of Work

After thinking they’d scored a job stocking shelves at Walmart, this person was dismayed to find out that they had to sweep the entire parking lot. They decided against it.

The Coffee That Never Came

We’re not saying that we advocate for crime, but we do find this story rather funny. In this tale, we have two people who didn’t actually get fired, but who didn’t really intend on working for long.

The Coffee That Never Came

Two friends started a construction job and one was asked to get everyone’s coffee order. After taking the order and everyone’s money, this person said he needed his friend to help him, and they ran off with the cash. A fire-able offense for sure, if only they had been caught.

Sorry, It’s Beneath Me

This story also features a new employee who just walked out of his job, thereby firing himself. We know that this is technically called quitting, but in these examples, it seems that people have no intention of ever actually doing the job at hand.

Sorry, It’s Beneath Me

The almost employee from this story was a homeless man who was invited to live in an RV on someone’s land. After landing a job at a hardware store, he walked out, saying it was beneath him.

What’s Down Your Pants?

When you’re working in certain jobs, it’s nice to take home a little bit of the product. People working in ice-cream stores can usually take home a tub for themselves, and people working in takeout places are usually entitled to a meal during their shift. It’s the least minimum wage workers can ask for.

What’s Down Your Pants?

That’s what the kid at the seafood counter thought when he shoved five pounds of crab legs down his pants. Regrettably for him, they fell out in front of the manager.

Sorely Lacking Expertise

We really feel for the worker in this story because they clearly ended up in way over their heads and were still trying to get the job done. This person was hired to paint several circles, a logo, and some text on a gym wall, after claiming to be a signwriter.

Sorely Lacking Expertise

A signwriter would know that this job requires chalk, tape, and a rather large paintbrush. Instead, this man was trying to draw a huge circle freehand, using a 4mm round paintbrush.

Late on Day One

We don’t know where we stand on this story, where a woman is fired before she even makes it to the office for her first day. This would make sense if the woman was late because of her own lack of planning. However, this woman was involved in a car accident.

Late on Day One

Sure, if this lady’s job was to drive or operate heavy machinery, we understand how a car crash could be a problem. But otherwise, isn’t it just an accident?

Take This Cabbage and Leave

Remember our fired employee who just happened to drop a bowling ball on the foot of a complaining customer? This is a similar situation. Here we have someone three hours into their first shift at the grocery store who encounters a notoriously difficult Karen, and loses his cool.

Take This Cabbage and Leave

Rather than just smiling and nodding, as all experienced retail employees do, this worker threw a cabbage at the irritating customer. Funnily enough, he was fired on the spot.

For Messing With Big Macs

We’ve all heard horror stories about fast-food workers that do unfortunate things to the food they prepare. Nobody wants to hear about this, and absolutely no one wants to find out that it actually happens. Here we have the culprit.

For Messing With Big Macs

This Mcdonald’s worker ended up getting fired because he put some of his body hair into his own crush’s Big Mac. After getting fired and telling his friend about it, his friend wisely threw him out of his house.

Let Me Show You Out

We have to chuckle at this story, which features a man that seems to have no brain at all. This person was hired by a game software company and within minutes, sent an email to the entire company jeopardizing his new job.

Let Me Show You Out

Bragging to over 500 employees, this foolish employee said he had illegally pirated pre-screeners for movies that hadn’t hit theaters yet. Worse still, he offered to sell these stolen movies for $10 a pop. Someone didn’t think this through.

But What Did You Expect?

This story makes hardly any sense either, as it features an employee at a doggie daycare that’s afraid of dogs. We understand that some people have dog phobias (honestly, we just barely understand), but then why choose to work at a facility that houses lots of dogs? It makes no sense.

But What Did You Expect?

This worker barely made it two hours in the big dog room because she was scared of the animals. Doesn’t she know they’re all very good boys?

Ma’am, Are You Lost?

Some people end up making it through the interview process even though they’re rather eccentric. We’re not saying that there’s no place for quirky people in the corporate world, but that sometimes interviews miss out on how people actually behave.

Ma’am, Are You Lost?

This employee showed up to work each day still in her nightwear and with wet hair. She even wore slippers instead of shoes! Rather than being given a dress code, this lady was promptly fired.

It Isn’t Working Out

In this waitressing story, a new employee makes several massive mistakes and quickly finds herself without a job. To begin with, this clumsy would be waitress tripped twice down the same set of stairs, sending food flying everywhere. From there, she messed up wrapping cutlery, and unplugged the freezer by accident.

It Isn’t Working Out

Thanks to all of these mistakes, the restaurant lost out on $300 worth of ice creams. Because of all of this, the new girl was gone after just one shift.

Time for More TV

Look, there are lots of people that watch TV or use social media during work hours. They shouldn’t do it, but they do, and some of them are foolish enough to tell their coworkers. Listen — there’s no need to divulge these sorts of workplace secrets to anyone, let alone somebody who could get you fired.

Time for More TV

That’s what went down with this worker, who bragged that she wasn’t even reading what she was supposed to be working on.

Is it That Difficult?

We’ve seen this already on our list, and here’s yet another employee that couldn’t resist watching inappropriate videos at work. We have no words for this. It makes no sense to us. How can your impulse control be so bad that you decide to watch not-safe-for-work videos while literally sitting at work? Make it make sense!

Is it That Difficult?

The worst thing about this story is that the employees were actually allowed to use their computers for personal reasons during their breaks.

Try a Different Location

When your manager calls you and tells you to come into work, you have several options. You could be a diligent employee, agree to come in, and show up within a reasonable time frame. Or, you could say that you aren’t available and won’t be able to make it.

Try a Different Location

If you decide not to go into work, what you absolutely must not do is show up there for social reasons. That’s one way to guarantee you don’t have a job anymore.

Stick to the Company Line

Fast-food outlet Arby’s is a sandwich store and operates much like all other fast-food outlets. This means that workers are paid minimum wage but must praise and support the company when asked about it by customers. This Arby’s worker lost their job when they told a customer the truth.

Stick to the Company Line

When asked for some food recommendations — by a customer already buying Arby’s food – this worker happily obliged. Apparently, that was the wrong answer, as they should have simply answered, “Arby’s.”

You Can’t Be Serioussssss

Like some other folks on this list, the woman in this story is actually rather great and probably better off not employed by the company she applied to work for. This woman is described as being “hippy” and “casual,” but also smart and friendly.

You Can’t Be Serioussssss

Who would think that she’d show up to work with her pet in tow? To be more precise, this woman arrived at the office with a massive python wrapped around her neck. We love her.

Dressed for the Wrong Job

Meet Jeremy, a teenager who didn’t nail his first day at work. Instead of going to college, Jeremy applied for a job at a moving company instead. The work was moving boxes, so it was strange when Jeremy showed up in a full suit and tie looking for his desk.

Dressed for the Wrong Job

Sadly for Jeremy, everyone thought this was absolutely hilarious, and Jeremy lost his new job right away.