Here’s a story that’s absolutely nuts.
Thank you for reading this post, don't forget to subscribe!After this Norwegian man suffered a knee injury, he bought a cheap IKEA stool to help make showering a little easier and more comfortable. But what was supposed to be a useful tool quickly turned into the kind of bathroom disaster that is almost impossible to explain without wincing.
Claus Jørstad found himself in an extremely uncomfortable situation after getting his testicle trapped inside one of the holes of an IKEA stool while taking a shower.
The bizarre incident originally went viral back in 2016, but has since resurfaced across social media, with the story once again being shared on platforms including Facebook, Instagram, and Reddit.
Jørstad, who was 45 at the time and was described as a photographer and politician from Alta, Norway, had been struggling with a knee injury.
Needing somewhere to sit while showering, he bought IKEA’s MARIUS stool, which cost around £5.
Unfortunately, its design presented a problem he presumably hadn’t considered while walking around IKEA.
The seat contains eight holes.
And during one particular shower, Jørstad discovered exactly why sitting naked on something containing eight holes can carry certain risks.
Rather than describe the incident in conventional anatomical terms, Jørstad decided to give his account a nautical theme, referring to the unfortunate member of his “crew” as a “boatswain”.
Writing about his experience on IKEA Norway’s Facebook page, he explained: “One boatswain slipped away unnoticed and saw his chance to slide down into one of the holes in the stool. I didn’t notice this at first, and as we know, things tend to expand in the heat.”
Initially, Jørstad apparently had no idea what had happened.
That changed rather dramatically when he attempted to get back onto his feet.
He continued: “I didn’t notice this until I went to stand up, and realised the stool was stuck to my backside, dangling there, and I felt a holy pain strike me like lightning. That godforsaken lump of a boatswain was stuck in the hole!”
What had started as a practical solution for his injured knee had now left him attached to the very stool that was supposed to make his shower easier.
Getting free wasn’t straightforward either.
Jørstad reportedly considered using a hairdryer to warm himself up, before recognising the fairly obvious danger involved in bringing an electrical appliance into the situation.
Instead, his eventual escape came courtesy of something much simpler: the shower running out of hot water.
As the water turned cold, the swelling reduced.
“The cold had actually caused that bloated boatswain to shrink again,” he wrote.
That was enough to finally bring the ordeal to an end.
“So with a pop, I was a free man once more!”
Having survived his encounter with the MARIUS, Jørstad still managed to see the funny side.
He even asked whether IKEA sold the stool in yellow.
His post attracted plenty of attention, and it has since been shared more than 13,000 times.
IKEA also got involved rather than leaving its customer to sail off into the sunset alone.
Customer service representative Lisa-Mari responded using Jørstad’s own nautical theme, writing: “Sorry to hear that your crew got into a bit of a foul weather foul-up… We recommend pulling that stool out of the shower cubicle and using it to display a nice flower instead…
“If you choose to keep it in the shower, make sure you are well-dressed for your next voyage out to sea.”
There was, however, some disappointing news for Jørstad when it came to his colour request.
“The MARIUS stool only comes in red, black, or white,” he wrote.
Despite originally happening a decade ago, the combination of an innocent IKEA purchase, an extraordinarily unfortunate seating position and Jørstad’s colourful description of events has given the story another life online.
It’s the sort of nuts story that lives on forever.
Featured image credit: Facebook/Claus Jørstad
