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Stairs. Not a word that sparks much excitement. We climb them all the time without even thinking. If you do feel anything at all, it’s usually just the burn in your legs after one too many steps or the sudden jolt of missing one. But there are places where the simple act of going up or down can get your heart truly racing—not from the effort, but from sheer fear.

You can find them in a Facebook group called ‘Death Stairs’ which, as its name suggests, is dedicated to sharing terrifying staircases. Picture this: flimsy ladders reaching for the sky and slippery rocks clinging to cliff edges. If you’re curious, we’ve gathered the most spine-tingling posts below. Fair warning though, you might want to hold onto something first.

“Welcome to Death Stairs, where ascension is perilous and descending is deadly,” reads the bio of the Facebook group that has 382K followers. Despite the ominous tone, the members often lighten the mood with their humorous captions.

“Literally all it would take is one drunk uncle attempting to scale this like Mount Kilimanjaro to turn the wedding reception into a funeral,” said one of the users about a tiny set of wooden steps used by restaurant staff to reach their office.

To learn more about ‘Death Stairs’, Bored Panda got in touch with Jeroen Puijn and Greg Wilson, two regular contributors. The fascination behind the group remains a bit of a mystery, they admit. But one thing’s for sure: the trickier the stairs, the more people seem to love them.

Jeroen, being Dutch, isn’t easily impressed. In the Netherlands, a small country that historically had to use every inch of space, narrow and steep staircases are a common feature.

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For context, Dutch home steps are typically 15 cm deep, which is about 6 inches—half the recommended safety standard. You can’t even put your entire foot down. Yet, as Jeroen notes, everyone there is simply used to them.

#3

Good Luck Going Down To Pee At Night

Good Luck Going Down To Pee At Night

Anna Tuvike Report

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sdorph
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If you come home drunk you better sleep on the couch

TBS
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Forget the stairs; I'd be banging my shoulder into the white beam several times a day, walking through!

Pandora
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I wouldn't be able to get down, sober in the broad daylight! 😬

Sigh J
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

If I go down those stairs in the middle of the night, I might end up with accidental gender reassignment

Tabitha
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This is more like a glass ladder. I hope it’s just for show and not a real staircase. Imagine the movers trying to get your furniture up or down those stairs. Hell, imagine you trying to get bags of shopping or luggage or your laundry up and down those stairs. I sure hope there’s a normal staircase somewhere else in the apartment.

OneWithRatsAndKefir
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Usually I don’t mind seeing stairs without rails (being young and physically healthy-ish, I could deal with such a set-up in my own house), but this is a no. Terrible vertigo; knowing my luck I’d get dizzy and fall.

Id row
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I can't believe that would pass inspection. There's no way.

Anna Ekberg
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Those are stairs!? Are you sure? I thought it was some fancy bookshelf. Ugh, just noooooo.

MisterE
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Need osha safety shoes for this one. No socks, no dress shoes, no heels of any kind, no house slippers. Hell, dont even think about lotioing your feet then trying to use those steps.

Nikole
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

That’s exactly what I was thinking. I’d slip on those soooooo fast.

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SkippityBoppityBoo
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Absolutely no handrail, glass steps... What could possibly ever go wrong?

Camilore
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think I need some professional climbing certification just to look at these

Bert van Aalsburg
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

There’s a British tv show that used a similar staircase as a setup for a comedy about three widows.

Gypsy Lee
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

And they’re glass, so when you fall you can be sure you bleed out after you break your neck.

Paulina
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I would never be able to walk those steps - even sober in full light 😱

Jessica Bertram
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Just don't walk in that apt at all. Get a chunk of glass right in the old eyeball

Niki A
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I always think things like this are done to show off wealth, and somewhere in that room is a button to reveal the real stairs that are used when there's no company to see.

Bored Retsuko
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Are those really supposed to be stairs or some sort of weird shelves?

tameson
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

From the original poster "it is an official ad on a Norwegian real estate website." She has another photo up that shows it going to a small office loft.

Julia Mckinney
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I could have climbed those about 35-40 years ago, not now though.

Ray Ceeya (RayCeeYa)
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

This can't be real. It looks almost AI generated. Look at the window. No way this is real.

JL
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I'd like to see video of them hauling bedroom furniture up those things.

Jules
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

When an interior designer is given too much of a free rein.....

Cat Chat
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Not only are those stairs dangerous, but why are they in the middle of the room?

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#4

An Accident Waiting To Happen

An Accident Waiting To Happen

Linda Johnson Report

Sharing a glimpse of his own home, Jeroen posts a picture of a small ladder leading to the attic. His cat is laying by the very edge of the opening, looking relaxed. One of the commenters calls the pet a “personal resident death defier”. The owner jokes that the cat might just smack you on the head as you come down.

#5

Stairs At My Hotel In Paris. It Was Even Worse In Person. The Camera Brightened It Up A Lot From The Actual Lighting.

Stairs At My Hotel In Paris. It Was Even Worse In Person. The Camera Brightened It Up A Lot From The Actual Lighting.

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Darius S. (he/him) cis/grey
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

that threshold on landing doorway isn't the same height all the way across??? as if that non repeating harlequin print wasn't bad enough.?

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#6

Abandoned Diving Board, Prague, Czech Republic.

Abandoned Diving Board, Prague, Czech Republic.

Josef Polesný Report

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Jeroen says the scariest stairs he encountered weren’t in the Netherlands, but in Greece. Located on one of Crete Island’s famous gorges, they were very wet. Jeroen found himself seriously struggling with keeping his balance on the way down.

#7

Authentic Dutch Stairs In The Airbnb We'll Be Renting To Bridge The Period Between Moving Out Of Our Current House Into The One We Just Bought.

Authentic Dutch Stairs In The Airbnb We'll Be Renting To Bridge The Period Between Moving Out Of Our Current House Into The One We Just Bought.

Madalina Amza Report

#8

Stayed In London Last Fall. Bathroom Was Upstairs.

Stayed In London Last Fall. Bathroom Was Upstairs.

Marinus De Graaf Report

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On the other side of the world, Greg, who plays in a jazz band in Pittsburgh, has faced many vertical obstacles since moving to the city with his partner four years ago.

“We’ve encountered crumbling concrete city stairs, residences with all number of stair-related code violations, and piles of bricks or rotting wood being passed off as ‘stairs’,” he says.

“I see our laughable state of regulatory oversight as a microcosm of the downfall of the American empire, and [the group] manages to make a big heavy topic like that feel like something we can laugh about”.

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#10

Tangelo In His Favorite Let's Trip Mom And Have Her Break Her Foot Again Spot.

Tangelo In His Favorite Let's Trip Mom And Have Her Break Her Foot Again Spot.

Nancy Jeffries Report

#11

5th Floor Of Our Hotel In London, UK. I'm Standing With My Back Touching The Closed Door To Our Room. Yes That Is Beige Low-Pile Carpet Lining The Walls Under The Banister. The Stairs Ahead Were To The Washrooms.

5th Floor Of Our Hotel In London, UK. I'm Standing With My Back Touching The Closed Door To Our Room. Yes That Is Beige Low-Pile Carpet Lining The Walls Under The Banister. The Stairs Ahead Were To The Washrooms.

Jeannie Grundy Report

#12

Death Stairs In Our Old Home. Everyone Has Fell Down These At Least Once.

Death Stairs In Our Old Home. Everyone Has Fell Down These At Least Once.

Devin L Hill Report

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Mike F
Community Member
4 months ago (edited) DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The rise is enormous, and it looks like they're not uniform. That's a mf'n nightmare!

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Greg had a near-death stair experience once when his dog rushed past him, causing him to trip down to his garage. The wooden beams supporting the stairs gave way, and he landed on his side, breaking two ribs. It took nearly half a year for them to heal completely.

#14

Perfect Choice Of Carpet

Perfect Choice Of Carpet

Edward Matthews Report

#15

Staying At This Hotel In London Was A Struggle. Especially After Couple Of Pints Of Guinness

Staying At This Hotel In London Was A Struggle. Especially After Couple Of Pints Of Guinness

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Upstaged75
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

What kind of sadist decided that patterned carpet would be a good idea for stairs??

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Under a Facebook photo shared by Greg, one user commented that Pittsburgh is the death stair capital of the USA. The staircase in the post has scruff marks and screw holes on the floor, where the railing used to run all the way through. Now, there’s a small gap that could be easily missed.

#16

These Bad Boys Also Come With A Custom Wobble To Each Step! Stairs That Have Been On The "To Fix" List For Probably Over 10 Years. Located About 2 Hours Out Of Pittsburgh/Deathstairtopia

These Bad Boys Also Come With A Custom Wobble To Each Step! Stairs That Have Been On The "To Fix" List For Probably Over 10 Years. Located About 2 Hours Out Of Pittsburgh/Deathstairtopia

Hope Safko Report

#17

My Very Favorite DIY Home Stair Repair In - You Probably Guessed It - Pittsburgh.

My Very Favorite DIY Home Stair Repair In - You Probably Guessed It - Pittsburgh.

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#18

Its Been A While But Then I Found This Greatness In An Art Gallery In London

Its Been A While But Then I Found This Greatness In An Art Gallery In London

Nik Burns Report

“I guess we probably get a small smug sense of satisfaction being able to identify when something is wrong and unsafe, even if it’s blatantly obvious,” reflects Greg.

When we post on ‘Death Stairs’, it can feel like “we’ve accomplished something just by pointing out an obvious problem and saying, ‘this is bad and wrong! See? I’m helping!’”

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#20

This Is Something I Built For Burning Man In 2014. My Wife Says It Qualifies To Be Posted In This Group. For The Record, There Were No Reported Injuries.

This Is Something I Built For Burning Man In 2014. My Wife Says It Qualifies To Be Posted In This Group. For The Record, There Were No Reported Injuries.

Doug Taphouse Report

#21

In My Friends Barn

In My Friends Barn

Bryan Bailey Report

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Norm Gilmore
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Socks are the worst things to wear on these sort of steps and/or ladders. The material causes your foot to slide in the sock and off the step. Source- me wrenching the instep of my foot and sliding on my a**e down the steps...

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Jeroen finds it ironic that stairs, whose primary goal is to be functional, sometimes end up being poorly designed and dangerous to use. Surprisingly, experts say they’re one of the most challenging elements to get right.

Danish Design Review explains that stairs are hard “to modify if other parts of the scheme are changed as the plan develops. It becomes a difficult game of consequences—change one part and another no longer works”.

#22

Just Bought A House And These Are Our Stairs

Just Bought A House And These Are Our Stairs

Sara Kay Report

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sdorph
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

The rest of the house must be something pretty special to make up for that

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The designs we see on ‘Death Stairs’ are truly in a league of their own. But while they may be entertaining to look at, it’s important to remember that navigating them in real life can be a different story. So be careful out there and watch your step!

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#25

Pictured: The Stairs That Almost Killed My Boss. Picture Taken After I Mopped Up The Blood And Added Tread Tape.

Pictured: The Stairs That Almost Killed My Boss. Picture Taken After I Mopped Up The Blood And Added Tread Tape.

Kenneth John Moyers Report

#27

This Is One Of The Coolest Things I've Learned In Anthropology, At Ruins, And So On. It's Also Completely Terrifying. Chaco Canyon

This Is One Of The Coolest Things I've Learned In Anthropology, At Ruins, And So On. It's Also Completely Terrifying. Chaco Canyon

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TBS
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I used to live near there. The Anasazi (cliff dwellers) did a lot like this. Sometimes it was just FINGER AND TOE holds. No genetic "fear of height" gene.

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#28

My Knees Hurt Looking At This Picture

My Knees Hurt Looking At This Picture

Taryn Hough Report

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#31

I Have Fallen Down These Bastards Twice, Which Was Two Times Too Many. Now I Climb Down Them Backwards Like A Ladder. Our House Is A Very Old Cape Cod And My Office Is On The Second Floor So I Am Upstairs Every Day. As You Can See They Are Very Steep, And The Step Is Very Narrow, Women’s Size 9 Croc For Comparison

I Have Fallen Down These Bastards Twice, Which Was Two Times Too Many. Now I Climb Down Them Backwards Like A Ladder. Our House Is A Very Old Cape Cod And My Office Is On The Second Floor So I Am Upstairs Every Day. As You Can See They Are Very Steep, And The Step Is Very Narrow, Women’s Size 9 Croc For Comparison

Kellyann Kamm Report

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#33

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Veliko Tarnovo, Bulgaria

Maria Georgieva Report

#34

Not Really Death Stairs, Unless You Slip And Fall 300 Feet Into The Great White Shark Breeding Ground Below. As A Sidenote, It's Just A Short Drive From Bodega Bay, Where Hitchcock Filmed 'The Birds.'

Not Really Death Stairs, Unless You Slip And Fall 300 Feet Into The Great White Shark Breeding Ground Below. As A Sidenote, It's Just A Short Drive From Bodega Bay, Where Hitchcock Filmed 'The Birds.'

Alan Elliott Report

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kitten levels tokyo
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I think sandy slippery stairs that go for miles with no landing qualify as death stairs.

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#35

Eerie Death Stairs In Pittsburgh On Melrose Avenue. These Steps LED To A Small Apartment Development Called Clifton Park

Eerie Death Stairs In Pittsburgh On Melrose Avenue. These Steps LED To A Small Apartment Development Called Clifton Park

Dean Mcafee Report

#36

Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland. Not Traditional Steps, But Certainly Not A Place For A Soft Landing After A Misplaced Step

Giants Causeway, Northern Ireland. Not Traditional Steps, But Certainly Not A Place For A Soft Landing After A Misplaced Step

Darren Millar Report

#37

My Air Bnb In Edinburgh, Scotland A Few Weeks Ago. 50 Steps Total, And We Were On The 4th Floor. Nothing Like Schlepping 4 Heavy Suitcases Up This Bad Boy After 3 Connecting Flights!

My Air Bnb In Edinburgh, Scotland A Few Weeks Ago. 50 Steps Total, And We Were On The 4th Floor. Nothing Like Schlepping 4 Heavy Suitcases Up This Bad Boy After 3 Connecting Flights!

Julia Rose Report

#39

These Were The Stairs In My Daughter’s University House. It Was A Lovely Victorian House. It Was No Fun Getting Her Belongings In And Out! Shes 5’10, How She Survived Negotiating Those Whilst A Bit Tipsy And Never Knocked Herself Out On The Doorframe Is Beyond Me!

These Were The Stairs In My Daughter’s University House. It Was A Lovely Victorian House. It Was No Fun Getting Her Belongings In And Out! Shes 5’10, How She Survived Negotiating Those Whilst A Bit Tipsy And Never Knocked Herself Out On The Doorframe Is Beyond Me!

Persephone Jones Report

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Kirsti-Tina Thompson
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I had stairs like this in my attic bedroom in uni. Can't tell you the amount of times my feet slipped right off them n I went down them on my a*s n bruised my self to kingdom come.

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#40

1911 Photo Of The Indian Trail Steps In Pittsburgh. Over 1000 Steps From The Level Of The Monongahela, Just Across The River From Downtown Pittsburgh, To The Top Of Mt. Washington, Which Was A Working-Class Neighborhood In Those Days. It Cost A Nickel To Ride The Duquesne Incline, Worth About $1.75 In Today's Economy, And Many People Climbed These Steps Both Ways To Save Ten Cents Every Day! The Steps Fell Into Disrepair And Disuse And Were Gone Before The Beginning Of Ww II.

1911 Photo Of The Indian Trail Steps In Pittsburgh. Over 1000 Steps From The Level Of The Monongahela, Just Across The River From Downtown Pittsburgh, To The Top Of Mt. Washington, Which Was A Working-Class Neighborhood In Those Days. It Cost A Nickel To Ride The Duquesne Incline, Worth About $1.75 In Today's Economy, And Many People Climbed These Steps Both Ways To Save Ten Cents Every Day! The Steps Fell Into Disrepair And Disuse And Were Gone Before The Beginning Of Ww II.

Mike Walling Report

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#42

Not Even That Egregious But These Are Stairs Staff Actually Use To Get To The Office Of A Restaurant/Event Space I Was At Last Night. Literally All It Would Take Is One Drunk Uncle Attempting To Scale This Like Mount Kilimanjaro To Turn The Wedding Reception Into A Funeral.

Not Even That Egregious But These Are Stairs Staff Actually Use To Get To The Office Of A Restaurant/Event Space I Was At Last Night. Literally All It Would Take Is One Drunk Uncle Attempting To Scale This Like Mount Kilimanjaro To Turn The Wedding Reception Into A Funeral.

Cassane Elyse Report

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Vaseem H
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

I thought that's was leading to an outside space with a waterfall and small water feature

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#44

In Our Hotel In Paris.

In Our Hotel In Paris.

Kate Bendick Report

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Cat Chat
Community Member
4 months ago DotsCreated by potrace 1.15, written by Peter Selinger 2001-2017

Why is the elevator door in the middle of the stairs. Defeats the purpose of providing an elevator for those unable to use the stairs.

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#46

Haven't Seen This Mentioned Here Yet, But Was Reminded By Another Post... The Fort Worth Water Gardens.

Haven't Seen This Mentioned Here Yet, But Was Reminded By Another Post... The Fort Worth Water Gardens.

David Hibbs Report

#47

Not Sure If This Has Been Posted Already. But Stumbled Across These Possible Death Stairs In Juneau, Alaska… I Figure They Fit But The Camera Doesn’t Do The Angle Justice…

Not Sure If This Has Been Posted Already. But Stumbled Across These Possible Death Stairs In Juneau, Alaska… I Figure They Fit But The Camera Doesn’t Do The Angle Justice…

Garrett Proffitt Report

#48

That's How You Get Christmas Decorations Out Of The Attic

That's How You Get Christmas Decorations Out Of The Attic

Cole Young Report

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#49

From A Local Listing (Technically Ladder And Not Stairs). Pitched As An Extra Bedroom…the Dining Room Is On One Side (With No Door), And The Only Entrance To The Actual Bedroom Is On The Opposite Wall. Yes The Brace Pole Is That Slanted, And Yes The Fan Is Directly Above The Ladder.

From A Local Listing (Technically Ladder And Not Stairs). Pitched As An Extra Bedroom…the Dining Room Is On One Side (With No Door), And The Only Entrance To The Actual Bedroom Is On The Opposite Wall. Yes The Brace Pole Is That Slanted, And Yes The Fan Is Directly Above The Ladder.

Andy Ripplinger Report

#50

Saw This On A Sponsored Post, I Feel Like It Counts

Saw This On A Sponsored Post, I Feel Like It Counts

Joshua Darrin Hobbs Report

Note: this post originally had 80 images. It’s been shortened to the top 50 images based on user votes.