First dates, especially blind ones, can take a million different turns. However, the situation Reddit user Affectionate_Base827 found himself in with one woman he matched with online is one for the books. Only, it's not entirely clear which ones—perhaps techno thrillers.
You see, even though it seemed like the two hit it off on the internet, the restaurant dinner they went to was a bit awkward from the very get-go. And after the lady got drunk and went to the bathroom, the guy learned why—she accidentally sent him a text that was clearly intended for one of her friends!
Going on a blind date, you never really know how it will play out
Image credits: Yunus Tuğ / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Luckily for this guy, he didn’t lose his head, even in the most unfortunate of circumstances
Image credits: Miquel Parera / unsplash (not the actual photo)
Image credits: Affectionate_Base827
Experts say people should be clear about what they're feeling on dates to avoid such situations
According to a new survey from YouGov, most Americans don't go on dates as often as they would like to — among people who aren't in a relationship, 69% say they rarely or never date, but when asked about their desires, just 30% of singles say they actually prefer to stay out of the "market."
Regarding the specific dating experiences folks have had, more Americans say they've gone on a wonderful date (80%) than say they've had a horrible one (50%), while 47% have experienced both.
If we were to take the Redditor's word for this particular case, it sounds like the woman made the night way more complicated than it had to be.
If someone is not feeling the date, they should just be honest about it, says Kendra Knight, PhD, an assistant professor of communication at DePaul University who studies communication and relationships.
"People don't communicate clearly enough when they aren't attracted to a person," Dr. Knight explains. It can feel easier and kinder to ask your friend to help you stage an emergency, but that often leads to more uncertainty, she says.
"Sometimes, to avoid hurt feelings, people [also] use euphemisms like, I'm not feeling the spark, or I'm not looking for a relationship. That may make for a smoother exit, but it can leave the other party's head spinning."
"Ambiguity and uncertainty come up again and again as major challenges in contemporary dating. Therefore, I'd advise against euphemism or subtlety," Dr. Knight adds.
That said, being honest doesn't mean acting like a jerk. "Rather, it's a choice to be fair and transparent," Dr. Knight says.
Image credits: Meg Aghamyan / unsplash (not the actual photo)
As his story went viral, the man provided more context in the comments section
People have had many things to say about what happened that night
