Probably most of you remember your first date in your childhood – that feeling of slight nervousness, asking your parents for permission, getting ready and not knowing what to expect. These dates feel like the most important thing! Then you grow a little bit older. In this digital age, it’s common to meet people online – you communicate, get to know each other better and then decide to finally meet for a date. However, for this one you are even more nervous – you are not sure how that person looks in real life, how they act, if you will like each other or if you just wasted your time. However, when we are adults, we become more picky about our potential partners. There are quite a few qualities or values that are important to us and that we expect our partners to have. Needless to say, finding significant others is complicated, thus not all dates can go as smoothly as expected.
Speaking about that, one Reddit user started a thread asking people online to share times when a date was going well, but other people managed to ruin it. So, here you can find 41 of the weirdest, funniest, cringiest and most uncomfortable stories shared online.
More info: Reddit
#1
I went on a date with a guy who owned a local trendy business. It kind of made him a bit of local celebrity. I am an introvert, I don’t like attention and prefer to pretend that I am invisible when out in public. We were on our second date at a restaurant, not super fancy but certainly a little romantic date type place. During our dinner, no less than 5 randoms stopped by our table to talk to him. They were all customers and he was trying to balance being an attentive date without totally alienating customers. It was super awkward. He was aware that I was an introvert and was apologetic about it. He suggested that we wrap up dinner, hit up a store to grab some drinks and dessert and go to the beach – a good way to be around less people. In the shop we stopped at, 2 more people came up to him to chat and then at the beach another person stopped and this one actually tried to sit down and join us. At this point, I decided this guy wasn’t for me. I really liked him as a person but I couldn’t deal with all the attention he attracted. Some how he convinced me to go on a third date which I am glad he did. It’s been 20 plus years that we’ve been together. He’s helped me come out of my shell a little and I’ve taught him the delights of being an introvert and taking some completely people-free weekends. He is my person and I love him more than anything.
Image credits: monkey_monkey_monkey
#2
I was out with a guy having a lovely time and he made a comment about a copper bangle bracelet I was wearing. I told him that it was really special to me, I got it during my semester abroad in South Africa from a local. It was a solid copper band but in the middle there was copper wire woven around. He asked to take a closer look so I took it off and handed it to him. He then snapped it in half thinking the copper wire was a spring. I was visibly upset and he said that it was a sign that I needed to move on from my trip and stop living in the past (?!!?). I never spoke to him again
Image credits: kelseyboo1001
Bored Panda contacted Hayley Quinn, who is a dating coach, and she kindly agreed to share her insights and tips for and about first dates.
To begin with, key principles for making a great first impression, according to Hayley, are to be both interested and interesting. “Get the balance wrong and you could appear under confident, or arrogant. Be cautious of asking too many questions of your date without first sharing the same level of information yourself.”
#3
This wasn’t a date going well and then being ruined, so much as he f****d it from the start and kept f*****g it all the way through.
I had been friends with a guy from school for a couple of years. We both clearly liked each other and things gradually progressed to flirtation.
When we were both 16, he finally asked me to go bowling with him because he knew through our previous friendship that I’d had this idea in my head that a bowling date was the perfect first date and he wanted to impress me. Problem was that we didn’t live near a bowling alley, neither of us had a car, I didn’t live near any public transport links, but he did have a bus stop near his house. We agreed I would walk to meet him at the bus stop and figure it out from there.
I start the mile long walk and within ten minutes, the heavens open. I texted him that I was going to keep walking because I was already soaked to my skin so what did it matter at this point, and I was so excited for our date. No reply. I finally get to the bus stop and he’s not there. I call him to ask what’s going on. He tells me he doesn’t want to walk to the bus stop in the rain so thinks we should give the bowling alley a miss… wtf? I had just walked A MILE in the rain to meet him and he had to walk like maybe 3 minutes from his house and he couldn’t be bothered…. like, r u okay?
He then proceeds to invite me to his house instead. I don’t know what possessed me, but I said okay. I guess I had just known this guy so long and had so been looking forward to this date that I just wanted to let the weirdness slide. But wait, I don’t actually know how to get to his house. Again, he doesn’t want to get wet, so naturally he doesn’t come and meet me. He just talks me through the most vague directions, while I continue to get soaked. For some reason, I perservere.
After another 25 minutes of aimless wandering in the rain, I finally arrive at his parents’ house, ring the doorbell… and a random man answers the door. I am freaking out that I’ve got the wrong house. Nope, it’s his uncle. Because, lo and behold, his entire extended family of about 25 people, who I have never met, are round for dinner, and this 16-year-old moron doesn’t think to wait at the door for me to avoid this exact scenario, or even mention this at any point or give me any opportunity to prepare myself. So here I am looking like I’ve been dunked in a swimming pool, mascara down my face, pink dip dye ends running down my top, and no date to be found.
Eventually he appears, leads me off into another room where he plants us on the sofa with no plan, just a plate of dry leftover poppadoms between us, and a parade of extended relatives popping in at regular intervals to size me up. We chat for a few hours between visitors, I call my mum to come get me, and he tries to kiss me at the door. My very first kiss ever, and he went in full tongues. Traumatising.
Anyway, it’s been 10 years and I married him 3 weeks ago. And yes, this did come up in the speeches.
Image credits: clovek7
#4
It was a first date in a little restaurant. She was a bit late and had 2 shopping bags, even though we were going to the film after dinner, but ok, it was a Saturday afternoon, so, lots of shopping. The meal was nice, conversation was interesting, she looked cute.
And then the police arrived and arrested her because she was shoplifting and security cameras had caught her.
Image credits: comicsnerd
However if you ask too many questions in a row you will sound more like a gushing fan than somebody who is interesting in their own right. “It’s also hard to trust someone who is very closed up, and hard to be attracted to someone who isn’t able to talk passionately about their own lives, so remember to share authentically about who you are,” Hayley shares.
So if you are also taking time to listen to the other person, you will come across as trustworthy, not arrogant, by talking about yourself.
#5
“Dinosaurs never existed. Fossils are the devils way of testing our faith” – check please.
Image credits: bearblastingg
#6
“do you like to read?”
“Not really”
“What kind of music do you like”
“I don’t really listen to music”
“Do you like TV or movies”
“No”
There was no second date
Image credits: thebeardedcats
Speaking about personal topics, conversations about the future and when it’s the right time to touch on them, the dating coach says that while it’s nice to share openly on your dates, it’s also important to remember that what you share should be related to how well you know somebody. “First dates are about getting to know someone new, and having fun, that’s it!”
Thus serious topics such as about commitment or previous partners should be left for later until you have had more time to develop trust in the person that you are seeing. “No one wants to feel like they’re being sized up for a relationship before you’ve got to know them.”
#7
It was me. We were having a great time, we had a couple of cocktails and we were laughing constantly and flirting. I dont think I’ve ever hit it off so well with anyone. I’d not long come back from Afghanistan, she asked about the temperature out there. 2 minutes later I was crying my eyes out and all my s**t that I’d bottled up was coming out. She got all the details that she never asked for and it was awkward to the point where she couldn’t leave as I kept talking and crying, for 1.5 hours. 1 hour of hilarious drinks, 1.5 hours of crying and talking about dead children.
Image credits: Banditofbingofame
#8
He started telling me about how its normal for men to sleep with another woman when they are not sexually satisfied in a relationship without it being considered cheating.
Yes, he did say it doesnt work the same way for unsatisfied women 🙂
Image credits: emotionlessyeti
#9
Went on a date with a girl and we were hanging out at my place when she saw a spider. I went “Hang on, please don’t squish it. I’ll just get a piece of paper and put it outside.”
From the kitchen I hear a thump and she stomped it, and then laughed when I got upset. Asked her to leave pretty soon after that and there was no second date.
If she had instinctively squished it, then I would be more understanding. But she did it after I specifically asked her not to and was so spiteful about it.
Image credits: gentlybeepingheart
So you may be wondering when it’s the right time to make sure that person is looking at you seriously and wants the same as you. Hayley says to focus on how you are connecting first, then somewhere in the early dating stages, if you have established you like each other, you can have a conversation about commitment.
“For some people it will feel natural to do this on date 3, for others after 3 months; Again it’s a balance of not asking on a first date, and not waiting so long that you wind up in a situationship,” she emphasizes.
#10
Literally went on a date last night and was going really well until dessert when he said “god, I can’t wait to put kids in you.”.
We hadn’t even talked about kids at that point.
Image credits: Hannah1308
#11
Our *first* date was amazing. I still reminisce about how incredible that night was and how incredible I thought my life was about to become.
But the afternoon before what was supposed to be our second date, I got a voicemail, “I know you went out with my fiancee last night. I’m not mad at you. I’m sure you didn’t know I existed. But I do, and I’d appreciate it if you stopped seeing her.”
Welp.
Image credits: CarpeNivem
#12
Not me but a friend of mine. This was when we were around 22, 23 years old. She had a first date with a guy. They were meeting at a restaurant for dinner. She gets there and sees not only him but 2 other people at the table. Turns out he invited his parents to their date! So she, of course, excused herself to go to the bathroom and then just bounced. Talk about awkward. I have never laughed so hard as when she recounted her evening.
Image credits: 3rdandfinalwife
And finally, how to handle the situation if there is no chemistry or connection during the first date? The dating coach shares to first remember to choose a ‘low-commitment’ first date to start with. “It’s a lot easier to leave a round of drinks at a bar, or a coffee date, than walk out on a 3-course meal. So keep your first dates short and sweet.”
“If there’s no connection you then have a choice to either enjoy the chat for what it is (most people can tell us something interesting and new) or walk away by saying politely, but truthfully, ‘I appreciate you meeting me, but I want to be open that I don’t feel we have that connection… and I’m guessing you feel the same.’
“The only exception to this is if you feel unsafe; in this case you can ‘ask for Angela’ at a bar (UK) or ‘an angel shot’ (USA) which alerts a member of staff to the fact you feel unsafe and may need help exiting a date,” Hayley shares.
#13
As soon as he found out I was Latina (apparently I didn’t look nor sound like whatever Latino stereotype he had in his head), said “Latina!? CALIENTE!!!!”, and quickly started making sexual remarks and talking about how he loves Latinas ‘cuz they’re so hot and spicy and sexual…
Nope’d the f**k out immediately.
Image credits: auramistress
#14
He showed up remarkably, extravagantly, supernaturally high.
Image credits: Astondisa
So folks, do you have some stories of dates that went sideways? Maybe you have some tips that may be useful to others? Share them in the comments!
#15
The date started normal and fine, I was visiting town and wanted to have some fun and found him on tinder. He was taking me to a bunch of different bars in the area that he liked.
Then randomly halfway through, while walking to another bar, he does a 180 and randomly starts giving me s**t and being snarky at me because “you women hate short guys like us.”
???? What????
He was short, yes. But I hadn’t said anything? I didn’t draw any attention to something that didn’t seem to matter. And I was ON the date! I chose to go out with him! We were having fun! It’s not like he’d tried anything and I turned him down, so I’m to this day baffled as to what made him snap. Was he expecting me to randomly throw myself at him at some point? Was I supposed to try to cut the date short and insist on f*****g right then and there or what??
I just stood there while he gave me, the woman who gave him a chance, s**t for all the s**t he felt other women gave him. And then I tearfully said “I thought we were having fun, but thanks for making me feel like s**t” and I *literally* ran away leaving him standing in the street and blocked him like the madman he was.
I feel bad for him, but not enough to accept abuse when I did nothing to deserve it. Ask me why I only dated tall, confident men after that.
#16
she got jealous because I was nice to the waitress.
Image credits: TrailerParkPrepper
#17
Oh my I have a story for this one, first date got dinner and everything was going amazing, so we decided to go for a walk on the trails, and this boy though it was a smart idea to climb a tree! Guess what happened next, he’s ten feet in the air and he’s climbing a dead tree after I told him it was a dumb idea. Next thing I know the branch breaks and there puke and blood everywhere. I ended up going to ER with him after calling 911 and even met his mom! He ended up with a concussion and five stitches in his head, but he’s okey now. Him and I are great friends now.
#18
I had some odd dates after I got divorced and was trying to meet new people.
So when meeting someone for the first time I would always invite them to do something kind of noncommittal like getting coffee so I could end things early and leave if they get weird. The girl shows up and has her two young children with her that I didn’t know about. That wasn’t a problem for me and she was super nice so we talked for about twenty minutes outside the coffee shop and I suggested we do something more kid friendly like getting ice cream and everyone loved the idea.
So we googled a nearby place and went there instead, kids were happy and we had some really good conversation for about an hour. I asked if she would be interested in dinner and she said yes but it would have to be several hours later and she might still have the kids, her sitter had bailed last minute. We met later that night and she had the kids again and we ate at a low end steak house, we got along great and the conversation was good! But she got sloppy drunk off the three drinks she ordered with dinner and then drove her kids home after (I did offer to pay for her to get a ride home) and that just killed any interest I had.
Image credits: DasBarenJager
#19
I went on a blind date who had “just gotten out of a bad relationship.”
When she first showed up she looked really rattled. Beautiful, but rattled. Asked if she was ok and she said she was fine. A tall guy passed too close by her chair and she practically jumped out of her skin.
Finally admitted she had been “dating” her cousin.
Yes, her cousin.
They were “really into” each other but she finally called it off because she knew it was wrong. He wasn’t happy (it didn’t seem like she was either). It was a shame because she was gorgeous but her mind was a million miles away the whole time.
I went to drop her off in front of her apartment complex and there was a a tall, good looking guy leaning against a car out front. She gasped and said “that’s him!”
I asked if she’d be ok or if she wanted me to walk her in or take her somewhere else. She said she was fine but I might want to leave ASAP. She then proceeded to practically leap into his arms as he strode towards us. As I drove off I saw her get into his Tesla.
Image credits: _Brunonono_
#20
Made a weird sexual joke when we were buying food/snacks. He said something like ‘I’ll give you a snack later’ and started laughing to himself quite loud and other people heard the whole thing too. It made me super uncomfortable because I’m not into stuff like this, or moving fast in relationships and I lost all interest in him.
Image credits: SpecialBalloonOPS
#21
I was on a date with a newly divorced woman. We were having a nice dinner and getting to know each other before it turned awkward. She didn’t tell me she had kids until we were eating dinner, and she began moving things way too fast, talking about me meeting her kids right away, moving in together, etc. This was **on our first date**, and I didn’t want to be anybody’s step parent, much less get U-Hauly so quickly.
We finished our dinner and parted ways amicably after a heart to heart, and there were no hard feelings. She was simply getting carried away with the excitement of being single and going out with new people. She agreed that she needed to let the ink dry on her divorce a little longer and take her time before introducing new people to her children, and we fell out of contact soon after.
Image credits: ThingsOfThatNaychah
#22
I was having a great time and then my date didn’t show up.
Image credits: discoslimjim
#23
After a nice dinner, we were waiting in line to go see a movie when he started making some super racist comments about a group of black teens ahead of us.
#24
Went on a date with a gorgeous girl from college. We had similar tastes in music and I asked her about her Skrewdriver T shirt she was wearing and she went on to brag about the band’s white supremacist theme.
Image credits: TheRealSlabsy
#25
We had dinner and all was going well, and we were wandering down the dark sidewalk engaged in conversation, when she walked straight into a signpost that neither of us noticed. I let out one nervous laugh before I could stop it, and she accused me of engineering the event for my amusement.
Image credits: FrightenedOfSpoons
#26
I wish this would be made up.
Had an amazing date. Went to his place.
Dude had a car bed. And a small heart shaped bed “for the ladies”.
…………
#27
Like the first 80% of it was a nice/awkward but cute first date. Then at the end she pulled out her phone and started fighting with people on Twitter and narrating all of it. It was a long drive back.
Image credits: No-New-Therapy
#28
Not me but a date I witnessed working at a restaurant. This young guy and a girl showed up, they’re chatting, laughing, seemed to be having a good time. Then he got very clearly drunk and started blatantly hitting on me right in front of her. Every time I walked by the table he called me over calling me “Scarlett Johansson” and tried starting a conversation. I wasn’t even their waitress. The poor girl was literally sinking down in her seat looking miserable. I stopped trying to be polite, ignored him and gave her looks trying with all my might to psychically tell her “GET OUT.”
#29
I was the one who ruined, but:
The date went really well, we went to a bar, talked a lot, she actually invited me to her place, that was not far away from the bar. As I walked thro the door she asked what movie I would like to see, and I remembered that i had not seen the Prestige. However the movie was so interested that tipsy me started rejecting her advances due to the fact that “I would miss the good part”…
TLDR: I dont like prestige
Image credits: mreledo
#30
Met on a dating app in college during the last week before winter break. We realized we lived close to each other back home so we met in a nearby downtown area to get coffee. After the coffee we decided to take a walk around the city. Being winter, it was a snowy day with ice on the ground. At some point during our walk I made a joke and she playfully pushed my arm. Unfortunately, I happened to be standing on a sheet of black ice at the time. I slipped and tore both my ACL and MCL and ended up spending the next 6 months on crutches. It wasn’t really her fault of course, but that definitely ruined the date.
#31
We were on a date having a good time (at least I thought so) until one of her friends showed up and invited her to a band playing across the street. She said that sounds awesome and left. No apology, invitation, reschedule, nothing. I get if you weren’t enjoying the date but some common courtesy woulda been nice.
Image credits: Round-Fisherman-2570
#32
He started loudly talking about his kinks. In public.
Image credits: Feline_is_kat
#33
In my case, “the other person” was a third party.
Went out for drinks, had great conversation, went out to a late night sub place for some food afterward, still having a good time and getting flirtatious.
Drunk dude walks past the table, stops, looks at her and says “damn girl let me get your number”, then turns to me and “oh s**t my bad bro, this your girl?”
Like… what the *f**k* do I even say?
If I say no, it’s like I’m denying her. If I say yes, well it’s not true.
I didn’t know how to handle it and I said “we just met”. He walked on and said “my bad, my bad bro don’t f**k me up”
Conversation went cold and she wanted to go home, refused my offer to walk her to her car.
I texted her the next day and said I had a good time, sorry about the awkward ending.. said I’d like to maybe grab a coffee sometime, she replied “sure”, I said “cool, I’ll hit you up sometime”, she said “cool” and that was that. Her previous texts were wordy. I could take a hint.
Image credits: Left4DayZ1
#34
I got her all the way back to my bed where she mocked then she laughed her a*s off at my choice of decor said the mood was gone. Then she left
Image credits: HooterEnthusiast
#35
Went on a nice date with a girl. In the morning when I was driving her back we were talking about how far she lived and she mentioned that it didn’t matter she would drive even if she was drunk. I asked why she would do that and she says she used to do it in Idaho all the time so she expects to get a dui at some point. Like what
#36
I’ll start off by saying that I was on a date with a guy who was very handsome, smart, funny, and respectful.
Our coffee date was going well, we were laughing and everything…
Until his ex showed up.
He saw her and started getting paranoid.
Kept saying “We gotta get out of here. We gotta get out of here”
And was just freaking out.
Of course we left, but never went out with him again.
Image credits: Fun_Willingness5995
#37
I met a single mom at Denny’s and we were getting along pretty good and talking about our families and stuff. I mentioned that I don’t get along with my dad because he’s a narcissist and she said “so is my ex” and immediately started crying. For the rest of the date I was her psychologist.
Image credits: LordPsychopath
#38
Ordered a pint of beer, it was really good. Got halfway through waiting for the date to show up. She sat down, chatted and said “this isn’t what I was expecting” then got up and left. Ruined my beer.
My dating pictures were accurate, so not sure what happened.
Image credits: Tiffanlyn
#39
My little bro said he was on a date and it was going extremely well. Plans for a second date were made, hands were held, really went smoothly. At the end of the night he said it looked like she was waiting for a kiss so he went for it and she freaked out. Said she wanted the kiss but it was sexual assault going for it without asking first and she ghosted him.
Image credits: Solid_Internal_9079
#40
After dinner, we went to a bar. Everything seemed to be going well. We had a good conversation and we made out. The bar was getting packed for some reason so we decided to go back to my place. I told her I needed to go to the restroom first. She said she would wait for me outside. When I was finished, I went outside and saw her jumping into the back of a pickup with a bunch of people and leaving. She later texted me saying she bumped into her best friend and they were going to a party but they didn’t want to go along. I never saw after that.
#41
I asked out a Korean exchange student my first week of college. I had never actually did the full forward “You want to go out” thing before, and she was gorgeous (way out of my league). My jaw dropped when she accepted.
Two days later I picked her up at her dorm in my fairly new Mustang. She seemed quiet, and I thought it was just shyness. We’re on the highway doing 55 when she suddenly rolled down the window and VOMITED ALL OVER THE OUTSIDE OF THE CAR. Like…a lot. I think she ate a gallon of vegetable soup before the date or something.
I took her back to her dorm, she ran out of the car and I was left to clean things up. I took the car to a car wash and it actually faded the paint.
This was before cell phones, so I tried finding her to talk to her after that…I never saw her again. That was back in 1990, and to this day I have no idea what happened.
Image credits: Fritzo2162