40 Times Men Did Something So Annoying, It Made Women Ghost Them Instantly

To gain more insight on the topic, we reached out to dating coach Sally Heart who aims to help women build the necessary mindset and strategy to find and attract the love they truly deserve. Being the creator of a free online dating safety course called Safety Hacks for Online Dating that’s designed to keep women safe from the dangers of online dating, she was more than happy to share her thoughts on the matter.

Knowing the ins and outs of the dating pool, Heart told Bored Panda that sometimes finding yourself in unfortunate situations comes down to bad luck, a lack of awareness, or a lack of seeing the warning signs that could’ve prevented these scenarios to begin with.

But as you’ve probably noticed from the examples featured in this list, nightmarish dates are all too common. A 2020 study by Pew Research Center found that around one-third of women using dating apps have been called an offensive name. And, alarmingly, six-in-ten women under the age of 35 reported men continued to pursue them after they said they were not interested. That’s double the rate that men experience.

"Often dating horror stories and tragedies happen when a woman takes herself out of public space and into a private one, where the man is in control," Heart explained. "The key is to be aware of potential dangers so you can avoid them completely."

If you’re able to pick up the signs beforehand, "the worst-case scenario becomes just a bad date who was rude to the waiter or made you feel uncomfortable with his presence or conversation — not such a horror — just a regular bad date."

But how can you know that a guy sitting in front of you is capable of such awkwardness, rudeness, and discomfort? Well, dating coach Heart was eager to offer some of the most common red flags women should look out for. Or consider ghosting if they’re already present.

"If the creep factor is there, like weird or insidious comments that make you feel uncomfortable or even scared, things that cause a genuine concern for one’s safety, it’s enough to make women want to ghost."

"Other men are just so overtly rude or despicable that women don’t want to have to explain or even deal with the fallout of saying 'I’m not interested,'" she added. "Many of us have seen how rejection can escalate bad behavior from men, which is why some women feel safer to simply ghost."

Of course, ghosting is an easy and not-so-scary way to cut all ties with your date — way less daunting than having a frank conversation or typing out what’s on your mind, as well as your heart. In fact, getting ghosted is now simply a fact of life in the modern dating world. A survey by the dating site Plenty of Fish found that 78% of single Millennials — people on the site between the ages of 18 and 33 — have experienced it at least once.

But as anyone who's been on the opposite side of the fence knows, being ignored hurts, is confusing, and leaves you with countless unanswered questions. "It’s always recommended by me to be upfront and tell someone that you’re not interested," Heart noted.

"That said, if a woman is genuinely concerned and creeped out, it may be best to just block a number and move on. This is especially true when someone has been threatening your safety in some capacity," the coach suggested.

Even when we all know that the online dating game is not for the faint of heart, and we have all experienced a simply disastrous date at some point, the dating coach wanted to remind you it can also be fun and lead to wonderful and even long-lasting relationships. "Don’t let one bad apple ruin the bunch, so to speak. The best thing to do is to learn how to do it effectively and safely."

"The main thing to remember is that these men are strangers and should be treated as such in the beginning. I advise anyone to take my free safety hacks online dating program to be sure that they are safeguarding themselves from risk to personal safety and scammers," Heart concluded.