You might need to smooch a lot of frogs before you find the love of your life. Dating is the usual process many of us go through to find "the one," but it's not smooth sailing for everyone. Having a successful first date can be particularly hard. 62% of Americans go on between one and 15 first dates in their lives, and only 11% have never been on a date ever.
Love at first sight doesn't work for everyone, so, there's a first date etiquette that people expect. That might include a neutral, public environment, some talk about each other's backgrounds and lives, and at least a little bit of chemistry. However, first dates go bad more often than not, at least based on the stories that people shared when someone online asked: "What was your 'I need to leave right now' moment on a first date?"
From people who wouldn't take "no" for an answer and lied about having children to those who spent the entire date talking about exes and asking to be entertained, let's hope these folks change before terrorizing others during first dates.
#1
I made a little joke while we were bantering, he raised his hand and said ‘do you want the front or back side?’
I grabbed my bag, stood up, said ‘see ya’ and walked away.
I had a relationship that started with a slap and ended with me in hospital with broken bones. It will never, ever get to the point of a slap again. Even in jest.
I grabbed my bag, stood up, said ‘see ya’ and walked away.
I had a relationship that started with a slap and ended with me in hospital with broken bones. It will never, ever get to the point of a slap again. Even in jest.
67points
#2
Well, I should have left when he text 15 min into the date to say he would be an hour late, but I had already ordered a slice of pizza and didn’t have much else to do, so I waited.
When he finally did show up, he came to my table and said “we have to leave right now, I’m double parked.”
I didn’t want to get in a car with a complete stranger, let alone someone who can’t even say hi. I said “I want to have a drink first and talk.”
He said, “what about that joint you said we’d smoke? Let’s do that in my car.”
He seemed really insistent on getting me in his car, so I said, “I have to pee and close out my tab, why don’t you find a better parking spot while I do that.”
He left to do that, and I found a different exit. Unmatched him on my walk home. .
When he finally did show up, he came to my table and said “we have to leave right now, I’m double parked.”
I didn’t want to get in a car with a complete stranger, let alone someone who can’t even say hi. I said “I want to have a drink first and talk.”
He said, “what about that joint you said we’d smoke? Let’s do that in my car.”
He seemed really insistent on getting me in his car, so I said, “I have to pee and close out my tab, why don’t you find a better parking spot while I do that.”
He left to do that, and I found a different exit. Unmatched him on my walk home. .
63points
#3
We were talking and then he put his hand around my neck, and gave a slight squeeze. I instinctively reached my hand out to his neck, and squeezed harder. What’s funny was he had the audacity to get freaked out.
We were also out in public, broad daylight when he did this.
We were also out in public, broad daylight when he did this.
61points
#4
He seemed nice and funny and smart. We went to a comedy show, and held the door open for me. I walked through and he slapped my behind so hard, I stumbled. Like it legitimately hurt.
He starts laughing and I just walked right back out of the doors. Shortest date I ever went on.
He starts laughing and I just walked right back out of the doors. Shortest date I ever went on.
59points
#5
I told me ‘I guess you are white enough’ when I told him where I was from. I am, by every single metric, 100% white.
He also:
- ordered for me (a salad because ‘women should watch what they eat’)
- ordered the most expensive bottle of wine in the restaurant and then put his hand over my glass after I’d had one glass because he was ‘sure I’d had enough’.
-asked me if I was vaccinated because he didn’t want his kids to ‘get autism’
I had to have a waiter help me leave through a back door and then block him.
He also:
- ordered for me (a salad because ‘women should watch what they eat’)
- ordered the most expensive bottle of wine in the restaurant and then put his hand over my glass after I’d had one glass because he was ‘sure I’d had enough’.
-asked me if I was vaccinated because he didn’t want his kids to ‘get autism’
I had to have a waiter help me leave through a back door and then block him.
51points
#6
I arrived at his business to go for coffee down the street. The place was packed full of things, à la hoarder style and he invited me to the basement to hang out. Against my better judgment, I didn’t run but just said let’s go and grab that coffee.
Went to the coffee shop. As soon as I sat down, he said “You would look really good in a dog collar.”
I’m out.
KnowledgeSeveral9502:
Now you know what would have happened in that basement. Glad you lived to see 2026.
Went to the coffee shop. As soon as I sat down, he said “You would look really good in a dog collar.”
I’m out.
KnowledgeSeveral9502:
Now you know what would have happened in that basement. Glad you lived to see 2026.
50points
#7
It was an amazing date until he mentioned I never put my drink down, or let him refill it.
49points
#8
I (M) said to her (F) when she arrived at the bar “can I get you a drink?” She replied “erm… no, it’s 2018, I’m perfectly capable of getting my own drink thank you”. Ok… was just being polite but whatever. Then when we sat down she said “ok… you have precisely 5 minutes to entertain me and we’ll see where we go from there. GO!” I just left.
48points
#9
Met a guy for coffee on a Saturday morning. At the time one of the 50 shades movies came out, he was saying that all girls were obsessed with it. Later, I was telling him that I was taking MMA classes and hoped that if it came down to it I’d be able to defend myself. He said, “Well I’ll beat you up for free anytime.” Kinda laughed it off, okay, bad joke right?
Well he kept bringing it up, and then says VERBATIM (as we’re walking downtown with our coffees): “One day you’ll just be walking down the street, I’ll grab you by your ponytail, next thing you know you’ll end up in the hospital getting facial reconstruction surgery…then you’ll fall in love with me because no one else will want you.”
Made my excuses and left a few minutes later. He kept msging me after that asking if I was playing hard to get. 😅.
Well he kept bringing it up, and then says VERBATIM (as we’re walking downtown with our coffees): “One day you’ll just be walking down the street, I’ll grab you by your ponytail, next thing you know you’ll end up in the hospital getting facial reconstruction surgery…then you’ll fall in love with me because no one else will want you.”
Made my excuses and left a few minutes later. He kept msging me after that asking if I was playing hard to get. 😅.
46points
#10
Told me a "funny story" about a couple leaving his restaurant job, drunk, getting into a car with a child in the backseat. Laughed when he said they probably crashed on the way home. I asked if he had any empathy and he said "I don't know the meaning of that word!" as though he was proud of himself. I walked out.
41points
#11
He wouldn't take no for an answer during a movie theater date. Just hands everywhere. I excused myself to go to the bathroom and walked straight out the front door.
iuyts:
This happened to me too. I'm sorry.
The next day, he had the audacity to text me to say that he felt guilty for how we'd "fooled around" and I kid you not suggested that I "wear something different" next time.
I was sixteen or so, he was a friend of a friend.
I was like there's not going to be a next time. And then I told a bunch of people at his church.
iuyts:
This happened to me too. I'm sorry.
The next day, he had the audacity to text me to say that he felt guilty for how we'd "fooled around" and I kid you not suggested that I "wear something different" next time.
I was sixteen or so, he was a friend of a friend.
I was like there's not going to be a next time. And then I told a bunch of people at his church.
40points
#12
5 mins in "My dog bites people, and you need to be okay with that or we have no future together."
Excused myself, paid for my glass of wine, and walked out.
Excused myself, paid for my glass of wine, and walked out.
40points
#13
We had met at a restaurant for a lunch date. We’d been sat down for roughly five minutes, ordered drinks but not food when a family walked in including a man wearing a Kippah. She immediately said something so startlingly anti-Semitic that I’m not going to put it into text before looking to me and expecting my endorsement.
I put sufficient money down to cover the drink I’d just ordered and left. Genuinely came out of clear blue sky and (mercifully) I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since.
I put sufficient money down to cover the drink I’d just ordered and left. Genuinely came out of clear blue sky and (mercifully) I’ve never experienced anything like it before or since.
40points
#14
Scheduled a pretty laid back date at a place we both liked the food at or so I thought after TELLING ME “I love their food” only to sit down, chat, then go “by the way I’m vegan and don’t eat any of this” I asked what the deal was and she said it was a test.
Got up, left, went to the hockey game with the boys.
Got up, left, went to the hockey game with the boys.
37points
#15
He was bragging about having dated girls of all kinds of ethnicities, but never before someone of my ethnicity. It made me feel like he just wanted to add me to the list.
Nightmare_Gerbil:
Like women are Pokémon and he’s “gotta catch em all.” Bleah.
Nightmare_Gerbil:
Like women are Pokémon and he’s “gotta catch em all.” Bleah.
36points
#16
He asked if I liked history because I studied political sciences and sociology. I said yes. He then asked what I think about the WW2 era in that regard and I said that from the viewpoint of my two fields, it's very interesting to analyze.
He then proceeded to boast about his knowledge of all WW2 tanks for like 1.5 hours. He refused to change topic, switched back to tanks and (I think) firearms everytime.
The moment I wanted to leave was when he proudly proclaimed that he knew the tactical mistakes Germans made and that he could have won the war.
Jesus christ.
He then proceeded to boast about his knowledge of all WW2 tanks for like 1.5 hours. He refused to change topic, switched back to tanks and (I think) firearms everytime.
The moment I wanted to leave was when he proudly proclaimed that he knew the tactical mistakes Germans made and that he could have won the war.
Jesus christ.
36points
#17
He wouldnt stfu about himself and how amazing he was.
Another one was the guy I met onlne who immediately behaved like I was his girlfriend on the first date.
He even told his family I was the one.
No buddy I am not.
Another one was the guy I met onlne who immediately behaved like I was his girlfriend on the first date.
He even told his family I was the one.
No buddy I am not.
35points
#18
I mentioned my childhood pet and he went "oh yes I love cats! My roommate has a cat named Miso, but he's not nearly as cute as Kennie."
I never told him it was a cat. I also never told him his name was Kennie. He had stalked my old social media accounts from over ten years back to find all my information. I got tf out of there and blocked him on everything.
EDIT: to everyone saying that it's normal to check socials, yeah it is. I checked his too, to scope him out before the date. The weird/creepy part is that
1. my previous account only had my first name. I didn't even post my face. I have 2 posts of kennie and they're from like 2012.
2. you can really only find that account through scrolling through my follower list on ig and finding it through my handful of friends who still follow that old account, because the username doesn't really connect back to my current accounts in any way.
like yeah checking out someone's socials is pretty normal but digging so so deep into my life is so scary...
I never told him it was a cat. I also never told him his name was Kennie. He had stalked my old social media accounts from over ten years back to find all my information. I got tf out of there and blocked him on everything.
EDIT: to everyone saying that it's normal to check socials, yeah it is. I checked his too, to scope him out before the date. The weird/creepy part is that
1. my previous account only had my first name. I didn't even post my face. I have 2 posts of kennie and they're from like 2012.
2. you can really only find that account through scrolling through my follower list on ig and finding it through my handful of friends who still follow that old account, because the username doesn't really connect back to my current accounts in any way.
like yeah checking out someone's socials is pretty normal but digging so so deep into my life is so scary...
35points
#19
In the first five minutes of the date, he told me that “music is evil”.
32points
#20
We went to an italian place. she started screaming at our waiter because her salad had croutons and she has a 'severe gluten allergy.' the crazy part? she was literally holding a piece of garlic bread from the free bread basket while yelling at him. i just put a $50 on the table for the poor guy and walked out.
32points