Usually, getting from A to B should be one of the easiest things to get through during the day. But despite the normally efficient transit system, stupid traffic mistakes, vehicle malfunction and plain human obstinacy can sometimes conspire to make the journey unexpectedly bizarre. Journeys over our roadways, over railways, and even within airplanes sometimes get very confusing, even laughable, or frustrating beyond explanation. Breakdowns, silly driver mistakes, or other road hazards aren’t the only things that cause problems for travelers; peculiar circumstances at any part of our transportation infrastructure can leave even ordinary travelers incredulous.

Like a bus, driven by confused young adults on an endless journey to reach the exit, police in formation, leading a mobility scooter down the highway; the journey we normally see as routine can develop into a bizarre scene leaving every watcher bewildered with the turn of events. Whether an event causes curiosity amongst a crowd of onlookers, creates problems, for others or is simply the result of one too many drinks being consumed, within a few minutes even the most common form of transport turns into an amusingly awkward event to be remembered, either with frustrated bewilderment or utter enjoyment.

Between an enormous motor roundabout that’s going on to infinity with an array of cars forever driving round it, to a traffic police officer tailing a mobility scooter up a motorway, the transport system can quickly become a bizarre experience. The typical journey can be turned into an amusing or rather bewildering experience where everyone’s not quite sure whether to watch on with bemusement, or start creating unexpected traffic holdups and delays. Just minutes can change an ordinary trip into an occasion you tell your mates for years, as this particular event can be either funny, annoying or plain confusing and a demonstration that transport, like anything, doesn’t always run on schedule.

1. The Roundabout Marathoning Driver in Swindon

Roundabouts are meant to allow traffic to keep moving, however when the driver’s navigation seems to be unable to locate his correct exit. A confused British driver was apparently trapped inside a roundabout in Swindon for approximately an hour during January 2016 as he repeatedly missed his desired exit. Instead of being a quick crossing this maneuver instead resulted in the driver making rather a long circumnavigation. According to a local report the bemused gentleman drove around and around and finally at about minute 58 police arrived on the scene to extricate him to allow him to discover where he was actually supposed to be going.

A Simple Turn Becomes An Endurance Test:

• Driver repeatedly missed his intended exit
• Motorist circled junction 57 reported times
• Police officer eventually helped him
• Roundabout became an accidental endurance event
• Confusing navigation created unforgettable local spectacle

Things became funnier when they allegedly told police they “couldn’t find a complicated roundabout.” This strange reason has become a little running gag to those who heard about this incident. They should have turned and come down a different road. Instead, they appear to have completed a journey that just kept going round in circles  as it would be much easier to turn off than end up going round in circles until they ran out of petrol.

It was a brilliant case study on how the one navigational difficulty can provide quite an unforgettable show out of a mere commute; what seemed like it should only take a matter of moments had been an unexpectedly protracted roundabout affair leaving onlookers speechless with the car repeating circular motion from the said junction time and time again and leaving people wonder how on earth could a situation like this last for so long. It soon turned into a memorable account of how a seemingly quick commute became an epic tale of discombobulated navigation; ultimately, a routine commute had transformed into quite a remarkable and unforgettable show.

2. The 8-MPH Mobility Scooter Highway Chase in Oxfordshire

Police car chases are associated with roaring engines, flashing lights and incredible speeds. Something slightly different occurred for Thames Valley Police officers in Oxfordshire in 2018 when they encountered a man on a mobility scooter, riding at a glacial pace, along a busy motorway. It was thought the scooter could go 8 miles per hour at a real push making this the slowest high speed pursuit on a motorway; police were forced to follow with flashing lights, advising other motorists of the incredibly slow moving vehicle.

A Highway Pursuit At Walking Pace:

• Mobility scooter traveled extremely slowly
• Police followed with emergency lights
• Officers warned approaching motorway traffic
• Rider remained on dangerous roadway
• Tesco trip created memorable explanation

It was not a speed pursuit, it was more of a cautious escort to protect both the motorbike rider and all other road users at speed on the busy motorway, the police rode behind the scooter ensuring the rider was protected from other fast moving traffic on the motorway as such. Police were careful with the situation as a motorbike and cars have a considerable difference in speed. Police did not want the situation to pose an unnecessary risk to road users and ensured the motorcyclist continued without harm. An incident of usual road traffic police procedures turns into a most unusual form of roadside work.

The officers stopped the scooter at approximately 20 minutes of their time where they managed to return him back safely and get him off the motorway. His answer was simply, he was “just trying to get to Tesco” which in relation to how dangerous traveling on the motorway can be to be, only visiting Tesco at that particular moment made for a somewhat of a funny story, the situation looking like could end very dramatically and then turning out to be, nothing more and nothing less than a man simply needing to be at Tesco, provided for one of the greatest “motorway not being right” stories for the years to come.

3. The Rogue Runaway Train in Perth

Railways depend on carefully coordinated procedures, making it particularly alarming when a train begins moving without its driver. That is exactly what happened in Perth, Australia, in 2016. A train driver had stepped away from the cabin at a station while investigating a technical problem when the doors closed and the train unexpectedly started moving down the tracks. The driver was suddenly left behind, forced to run along the platform as the train continued its journey without anyone at the controls.

An Unexpected Journey Without Its Driver:

• Train unexpectedly began moving alone
• Driver was left behind
• Passengers noticed something seemed unusual
• Safety system eventually stopped train
• Journey covered roughly ten miles

This strange incident was even more puzzling for passengers, many of whom were not even aware that anything went wrong. So the train proceeded while the driver stayed put and this scenario was really only a short moment from developing into something more serious. Passengers will continue their journey totally unknown to the situation that developed, all that looked normal a moment earlier became something completely different and very potentially dangerous! It truly baffled all passengers on board with the strange situations that arise in life and that only a small problem, instantly can become huge.

Luckily it didn’t go too far due to the system within the trains security which brought it to a halt nearly 10 miles down the track after all the commotion and the passengers only noticing that the train hadn’t stopped when they looked outside and watched their train driver running alongside. A very strange phenomenon which they couldn’t understand how it occurred when the trains safety systems brought the moving train to a stop. So now this started as nothing but a standard check of trains by railway workers quickly evolved into a barmy incident for those on board! Fortunately the train did stop and no one was hurt badly during the train’s unplanned journey.

4. The Italian Highway Parmesan Cheese Spill

Most traffic jams on a highway are caused by accidents, road works or a high volume of traffic. However in Italy in 2015 commuters faced a considerably more unusual hurdle. An overturned freight truck was carrying over two hundred giant rounds of Parmesan cheese and dropped all of them onto the highway. Large Parmesan cheese rounds tumbled around the roadway, halting traffic, and with stranded drivers or drivers getting out and snapping pictures it was a bizarre sight.

A Motorway Covered In Rolling Cheese:

• Freight truck carried hundreds of cheese
• Heavy wheels covered multiple highway lanes
• Traffic came to complete standstill
• Motorists photographed unusual roadside obstruction
• Cleanup required several hours afterward

It was definitely an incident that you wouldn’t expect on your average motorway journey! Rather than witnessing typical crash or roadworks traffic we witnessed an absurd amount of Parmesan wheels strewn all over the motorway. The odd load left the highway looking abnormal in many ways as traffic had no other choice but to navigate slowly and carefully over and around a roadway laden with an extraordinary amount of cheese.

After several hours removing all the cheese and opening the motorway, the bizarre event turned out to be a rather time-consuming clean-up. Such oddness surely gave rise to a number of jokes, with townsfolk comically stating that the whole affair was, “more than great!” This expensive disruption to traffic provided a remarkable spectacle, while the full motorway littered with Parmesan would perhaps not be part of any commuter’s typical day. This bizarre incident became a long remembered saga for those traveling, when their entire motorway was found to be dusted in Italian Parmesan.

5. The Ride-On Lawnmower Commuter in Wisconsin

When the automobile stalls out to a stop, most people will seek out a bus, call a friend to get picked up, or devise an alternate way to commute to work. A Wisconsin man implemented a dramatically different plan in 2018. When his car broke down, he decided that it was appropriate to take out his riding lawn tractor until his car could get repaired. The mowing apparatus can average a mere 8 mph while on open public roadways.

Turning A Lawn Tool Into Transportation:

• Car breakdown forced unusual commuting solution
• Ride-on mower traveled eight miles
• Police stopped rider for questioning
• Officers allowed unusual commute afterward
• Month-long journey attracted roadside attention

Inevitably, such a novel commute raised some eyebrows, and the local law enforcement eventually stopped him to see what in the world was going on. Upon hearing of his car trouble, they were reportedly amused at the invention and let him go on his way, to keep mowing to the workplace everyday for a full month, while his car was being fixed.

As he continues his commute from home and school-driving his grass, his drivers see him and continue to honk their horns, wave, and yell. His perseverance turned an unfortunate mechanical problem into an entire month-long road side show that amused everyone it affected, including people on the side of the road whose jokes grew to an entirely new height of “mow-tivation”. Since it wasn’t going to stand in his way, the car that broke down turned into something of the original commuting spectacle with more perseverance than I have in my entire being.

6. The ‘Ghost Bus’ of London

Not a common sight on the road but in Hackney double-decker buses are a common sight, but it is highly unlikely drivers would expect an appearance of what looks to be a self-driving public service bus, it was a common sight for drivers in Hackney back in 2017. A member of the public who was in London on his holiday captured on video this bizarre sighting: passengers were watching a public double-decker bus move along on its own while drivers have their coffee break just around the corner off driving, but the driver forgot to pull the hand brake and left the double-decker vehicle free without warning.

When An Empty Bus Starts Moving:

• Driver accidentally left handbrake disengaged
• Empty bus rolled through streets
• Pedestrians watched in complete disbelief
• Bus eventually stopped without injuries
• Strange sight became memorable local story

Witnessing such a huge vehicle roaming with no driver was bewildering for the people at the pedestrian walk who could only stand there and gaze in wonder at the vehicle continuing its journey in a very unexpected manner. This occurrence was even peculiar because the very presence of a bus in London is very closely linked to the existence of a driver. With the presence of no driver there seemed an added layer of surprise with the existence of a huge vehicle on the road moving without one, creating bewilderment among pedestrians about how this journey was even taking place.

Fortunately, this out-of-control vehicle managed to safely come to a stop without causing injury. It could have easily been the start to an interesting transport crisis; instead it was a sensational experience for many eye-witnesses. Many are intrigued by such an unusual display as a recognizable, iconic London bus traveling through the city with no one at the controls. Walking and watching on pavements; people looked with curious interest and bemusement at the moving, driver-less, double-decker.

7. The Dramatic Flight Attendant Exit

It usually isn’t very dramatic to quit an undesirable job, but 2010 Jet Blue flight attendant Steven Slater’s farewell to the job was incredibly over the top. While on an aggravated flight, after being sworn at by a passenger, Slater had had enough. Instead of quietly leaving his job as a flight attendant, he grabbed a beer from the galley, made a public-address announcement using the airplane’s public address system, and then opened the emergency slide.

A Resignation That Became National News:

• Flight attendant reached breaking point
• Passenger confrontation triggered dramatic response
• Slater used aircraft public-address system
• Emergency slide became unusual exit
• Authorities arrested him soon afterward

Then, he stepped out of the airplane in a very unusual manner making a remarkable exit. This became the news and public’s attention after his extraordinary trip to an ordinary workplace altercation. By doing this, many beyond those involved immediately knew something extraordinary happened to them; a minor disagreement had become a compelling story of national interest.

Authorities later apprehended Slater; but in a way his peculiar departure had turned him into a sort of folk hero to his disenchanted colleagues. That extraordinary, beer soaked resignation soon became the model of the most extreme response possible to work related frustration. The fact that it was utterly abnormal, yet resonated to the tune that you or I have at times dreamed of pulling: an equally dramatic departure, a chance, a release.

8. The Staged Canal Proposal

If flowers, romantic ambiances, specific restaurants, or candlelight dinners are the quintessential choices for marriage proposals, for the 2017 proposal initiated by Dutchman, Fons Veldhuis, it was nothing less than theatrical. Veldhuis wanted his marriage proposal to be as unforgettable as possible, for he orchestrated a planned crash-landing in a canal in Holland. It was organized with safety experts who supervised the feat and then crashed Veldhuis and his automobile into the icy waters.

A Romantic Proposal With An Extraordinary Stunt:

• Proposal involved carefully staged canal crash
• Safety professionals supervised the unusual stunt
• Girlfriend was rescued from floating vehicle
• Dramatic scene confused nearby onlookers
• Proposal ultimately received a successful answer

He was then the brave rescuer, pulling his girlfriend out of the half-drowned car, and taking full advantage of the situation in order to ask for her hand. The nearby public could not help being perplexed about this mix of a dramatic rescue and marriage proposal. Normally a harrowing experience this turned into a special memory. Being unexpected in so many regards: being proposed to just after a traumatic experience like that and being proposed to in such peculiar conditions was overwhelming for everybody present.

The outlandish scenario of their romance unexpectedly unfolded and resulted in a successful proposal. This incident along with a very sudden crash, that resulted in a popped marriage question, was also captured and was viral on the internet within days due to how unique it was to see this event. The footage gained the attraction from online viewers of what was really going on with this shocking encounter from a normally very mundane situation, transformed into this epic proposal that not many couples have, or would. 

9. The 8-Hour Parking Space Standoff

It may seem unbelievable but parking spaces can escalate quickly into an angry standoff. In the year of 2019 a two car confrontation over a parking spot resulted in a total eight hour traffic jam when the two vehicles took their standoff to a new extreme! A driver tried to back into a newly vacant parking space while a second driver was already attempting to pull in at roughly the same time and neither willing to back down the two cars ended up jammed, bumper to bumper.

A Parking Spot Sparks An Eight-Hour Battle:

• Two drivers wanted the same space
• Neither motorist agreed to surrender
• Curious locals gathered around dispute
• Spectator reportedly brought popcorn
• Hunger finally ended the standoff

The odd conflict went on for hours, gathering an impressive crowd of nosy onlookers. The fight became a truly fantastic spectacle, with one witness allegedly supplying themselves with a bucket of popcorn, just to view the car park struggle. The local police, who eventually turn up, are not able to quickly talk round either of the drivers into backing down.

Eventually, the hungry one motorist turned off his engine, and went in his car to get lunch, ending the strange parking dispute after an amazing 8-hour battle with the one man remaining with his desired space and the long argument ultimately to be called a bizarre victory. What was once an argument over a space of black top had been extended to some extreme in order to achieve what was thought to be victory, so hunger was what conquered all.

10. The Tractor-Driven Wedding Arrival

A car breaking down in itself is incredibly irritating, but when it happens moments before a wedding ceremony, it has the potential of disrupting the whole tightly arranged day. Such was the plight of an Irish bride in 2016, whose official transportation to her ceremony broke down on her departure from her home, forcing her not to panic or have the break-down delay the ceremony but instead to resort to what she knew well.

A Wedding Journey Takes A Farming Detour:

• Wedding transportation broke down unexpectedly
• Bride chose family’s large tractor
• She remained in complete wedding dress
• Guests were stunned by arrival
• Photographs quickly spread across internet

She grew up on a farm, so he climbed onto his family’s green tractor wearing the whole wedding dress and drove herself to the church! The guests and the whole wedding party were shocked when they heard that, but were even more amazed when their bride then drove up behind them in the machine! “It was easily the talking point of the day,” said wedding guest James. Clearly, being faced with no transportation did not come as a shock and the farm wife then came up with a funny solution.

Images of the eccentric journey spread online and many marvel at her cool hotheadedness and adaptability when her original wedding entrance didn’t go to plan. The tractor entry quickly became a memorable part of the wedding day where the couple let their unexpected issues create fond memories instead of derailing the entire event. This unconventional entrance made quite an unusual wedding entrance that guests and many internet users can fondly remember today as they all demonstrate that sometimes the best moments come out of unforeseen problems.