Back in college, I was baking my roommates birthday cake at 1:00 in the morning. I went back to my room while the cake was in the oven and the next thing you know, the fire alarm went off and the whole dorm had to evacuate. Needless to say, the oven was faulty and the cake was fried to a crisp. Plus I pissed a whole lot of people off!
My trunk is pretty air tight and I had each tier in a sealed box also. It was a dusty ride but once I arrived it was in the middle of a meadow and green area. I was worried about the dust too but was not a factor thank heaven!
I've been VERY lucky so far. I've had 2 very very small disaster by comparison to those I've read.
One was when I was 13 or 14. My Grandma thought it would be helpful to sit the butter in a bowl to soften. Well I wasn't paying attn & started mixing, needless to say, the butter was for the frosting & the oil that I put in the cake was for the cake. So the cake had oil & butter in it, it wasn't good AT ALL!!!! HAHA.
Second was a few years back, I was baking a purse cake for my sister's birthday.....She came over to watch/talk/help (whatever, heehee) ANYWAY, the 12x12 it was going to be sitting on, was iced & ready to go. I picked it up, turned & I must have rotated my wrist because to the ground it went.
I've had a few more rebake disasters, cut or craved something too much, but all & all I know I've been VERY Lucky!