While garages have the potential to be transformed into exciting spaces, they often serve as an area where we park our cars and store tools and equipment. However, for certain homeowners, the garage and garage door can become a source of stress due to unexpected events. So, here are seven stories recounting some of the craziest events that have ever occurred in garages.

1. The Good Deed

Hearing a positive and uplifting news story is a rarity these days, but in Baraboo, Wisconsin, a 73-year-old man experienced a heartwarming deed when he found graffiti on his garage door.

As reported by Fox News, Police Officer Michael Pichler took it upon himself to purchase white paint for $17 and spent around 30 minutes scrubbing off the graffiti from the man’s garage door, giving it a clean look with a fresh coat of paint and finish. A 16-year veteran of the force, Officer Pichler simply wanted to help the senior citizen and make things right for him, stating, ‘I felt bad for the guy. It’s the last thing he needs to deal with, having this on his garage door.’

According to the report, another home in the neighborhood was also tagged with graffiti, and Officer Pichler donated the necessary cleaning supplies to those residents as well. While police believe the incidents were likely random acts by local youth and not targeted, Officer Pichler’s act of kindness turned an unfortunate situation into a silver lining for the community.

Though it’s unfortunate that these homeowners had to deal with graffiti, Officer Pichler’s good deed serves as an example for the community, demonstrating that a little kindness can mean a lot. Sometimes, a simple act can serve as a powerful reminder of how easy it is to make someone’s day a bit brighter.

2. Theme Park Attraction

As every parent knows, it only takes a second for little ones to find themselves in potentially dangerous situations. This was the case for a mom and her daughter in Australia when a garage door briefly transformed into a theme park attraction for the tiny rider. The incident had the little girl going for a thrilling ride that surely gave her mother a good scare.

In a viral video, which seems to be home security camera footage, a mom and her two children appear to have just returned from a walk when the frightening incident occurred. The mom holds onto her daughter, lifting her up to press the button and open the garage door. She then sets her daughter down and turns her back for just a few seconds.

In those moments, the little girl grabs the overhead garage door edge as it opens. She manages to hold on, and to the viewer’s relief, the door stops as it opens, leaving the girl hanging several feet off the ground. The mom then turns around and rushes over to grab her daughter.

Luckily for this family, the incident left the girl no worse for wear. She appears completely unharmed, and perhaps even got a thrill from the unexpected overhead garage door ride.

3. Sleeping Beauty and the Unlicensed Beast

An Escondido man experienced one of the most terrifying awakenings when an unlicensed teenager pulled his vehicle into the man’s driveway. What happened next was likely a result of inexperience and the lack of a driver’s license.

As the teen stopped in the man’s driveway, he failed to put the vehicle in park. Instead of hitting the brakes, he accidentally pressed down on the gas pedal, causing the truck to crash through the garage door. Besides requiring a garage door repair service, the man also needed immediate medical care. The heavy garage door collapsed on the man, who was sleeping in the garage, resulting in serious back injuries and a frightening experience that he will likely never forget.

4. I Just Want You to Be Happy. And Naked.

It’s said that a man’s home is his castle. Unfortunately, that doesn’t give him the right to do whatever he pleases on his property. A Virginia man found this out the hard way when he used his garage door as an outdoor adult film projection screen.

Neighbors quickly called the police on 41-year-old Antonia Smallwood, complaining that he was displaying a movie with graphic sexual scenes. While using the garage door as a movie screen isn’t unusual, the film choice certainly calls the man’s decisions into question.

He was served with a summons for the incident but was arrested when he refused to sign it. The moral of the story here is that homeowners can use their garage doors for entertainment but should probably keep the movie selections to a PG rating unless the projection is done on the inside of the door.

5. Most Prisons Have Wide Doors!

Homes often serve as comfortable daycare facilities, but the garage is typically not the ideal place for children to hang out. Unfortunately, that’s exactly where one frustrated woman decided to lock her roommate’s kids.

A 29-year-old woman, fed up with looking after her roommate’s 4 and 9-year-old children, put them in the garage and shut both the door and the garage door in frustration at the roommate’s late return. Fortunately, the kids’ time in the garage prison was brief, and no garage door repair service was needed to rescue them.

When the mother returned, she found the kids and promptly contacted the police. However, the woman who locked up the little ones showed little concern, insisting the garage was the safest place to leave them. Most, if not all, childcare experts would likely disagree!

6. Trampoline World Championship

A garage door doesn’t make a great trampoline, but that didn’t stop a group of teens from giving it a try. Homeowner’s surveillance video from Albuquerque, New Mexico, captured unidentified kids around 2 am in a choreographed move seemingly intended to damage garage doors.

Police don’t believe there was any intent to break and enter. It appears more likely that the group got a thrill out of jumping into the door at the same time and then quickly running away. Homeowners do not share their enthusiasm, as they have been stuck with a hefty garage door repair bill. They were also unable to access their vehicles for several days, as the garage doors were severely bent.

7. Scary Movie Scene You Won’t Watch More Than Once

It’s a haunting mental image that you won’t be able to unsee. Police in Brussels, Belgium made a gruesome discovery after responding to a call at the home of a woman and her daughter. According to a report, neighbors contacted the authorities upon hearing screams and witnessing smoke emanating from under the garage door.

Upon entering the garage, the police were confronted with a shocking scene – the woman was cooking on a charcoal grill, and what she was preparing turned out to be truly horrifying: the remains of her daughter’s body.

The mother was rushed to the hospital for treatment of carbon monoxide poisoning. Initially, it was unclear to the police whether the mother had killed her daughter before the incident or if the injuries sustained from the grill were the primary cause of death. Upon her release from the hospital, the mother was arrested on suspicion of murder charges.

Wrapping Up

The garage may seem like an ordinary and uneventful part of the home; however, these stories prove that it can also harbor odd and sometimes potentially dangerous incidents. Maintaining the garage door in good condition, ensuring its security, and taking safety precautions in the space can help prevent more serious problems.