Going on a date with a new person or with the love of your life sparks excitement in your life and can lead to some amazing memories. Dates, however, can't always be perfect, but usually they aren't bad enough for people to up and walk out. Here are stories from real people about dates that were so bad they had to get up and leave. Some stories are edited for clarification purposes.
Did You Call Me Fat?
“So I’ve known this guy for almost a year now, not really good friends or anything, more of casual acquaintances (we have a bunch of common friends and see each other from time to time, parties etc). A couple of months ago he started messaging me, first on Facebook, then by text (he got my number from a friend, he didn’t ask me for it) and most of the time, I responded just to be polite. He’s nice enough, but not really my type…so when he started dropping hints about ‘meeting up,’ I just turned him down and said I’m busy, or we’d just catch up the next time there’s a gathering with our friends, that sort of thing.
Fast-forward to last week and he asked me out again, which was about the 6th time in the past 2 months. I finally decided to at least give him a chance, because, hey, what could go wrong anyway, and who knows what I’m missing and all that jazz. Worst-case scenario it would be awkward, but we’ve talked more than a few times so I was thinking it can’t be that bad and we could actually have a pleasant time.
Date night comes and we meet up in the city after work. We have dinner; nice, cutesy Japanese place. Conversation was okay. I was certain at this point that it’s really not going to take off, he really isn’t my type, but I was having a pleasant enough time and he was a total gentleman and not bad to talk to.
The bill comes and I was going to suggest a quick coffee before heading home. However, he said that there’s something he’d made an appointment for us for and we need to rush off to make it in time. I was a bit intrigued and excited; was it a movie, or a show, a play (he knows I’m into theater)? So we hurry off and he took me to a high-end luxury mall with an attached wing for offices. We went up. Wait, this is an office lobby. What the…
It was a freaking weight-loss center.
So he explains that he’s part of this company (he works for them on a part-time basis as a distributor) and he wanted to introduce me to their products which would ‘revolutionize’ my lifestyle and make me healthier than I’ve ever been in my entire life. (FYI I’m 5’5″ and 135lbs). I was totally stunned at this point so I was just nodding like an idiot the whole time we were walking inside. He then left me with his smarmy ‘teammates’, who proceeded to give me an orientation about their company and a run-through of their health supplements (when he got to the part where the weight-loss products are, the smarmiest one said, ‘Oooh, now this is what you’ve been waiting for, I saved the best for last!’)
I just sat through it because I knew that if I started to say something, I was definitely going to burst and make a spectacle of myself (there was a seminar ongoing and we were at a little table to the side). After I flat-out said that I’m not interested in any of the products and frankly don’t believe that I need health supplements (I eat well and exercise regularly), they started on the second phase: introducing me to the ‘business’ aspect of it. Basically, it was a networking model of business where you not only sell the products, you also recruit people to sell them and they would be under your ‘team,’ and you get a commission for every sale they make. They rhapsodized about the wonders of the product, how easy it is to sell, and how much money I could be making because they could tell I have the right kind of ‘personality’ and ‘network’ for it. Registration was ‘only’ $1,000, and it was consumable in products.. which I could either use or sell to get my registration money back immediately.
I wish I could say I flipped the table and screamed at them to eff themselves with their health supplements and hope they overdose on their products, but no, right after the ‘talk’ I just said I should head home since it was getting a bit late.
The guy actually messaged me to say that he had a good time and he hopes to see me again and that I would reconsider their products and the ‘business opportunity.’
I called some friends up and went out for drinks because nobody likes your health supplements that’s why.”
A Trip To The Museum
“On my first date with a guy off an internet dating site, he took us to the Scientology museum in London. I thought, ‘Hmmm, original, easy to find things to talk about/ laugh at the craziness of. This could be fun.’
Then he proceeded to read every, single, piece of writing on every, single exhibit, ask the attendant very probing questions about how one goes about joining Scientology, etc. etc. and sounding slightly too interested to just be intrigued about a religion. Also he was visibly sweating.
Once we were done there, we went for a glass of Cabernet and he told me he used to shoot speed.
I was out of there like a shot.”
The Pompous Idiot
“In college, this guy from one of my classes asked me to go out with him out of the blue (we’d never even talked before) but he was pretty cute so I said sure. We exchanged numbers and he said he’d call me with details. He called the next day and told me we were going to a restaurant that was WAY out of my price range. We’re talking like no way will this bill will be under $100. I tried talking him out of it and when that didn’t work, flat out saying I couldn’t afford something like that but he insists and tells me not to worry (this all really should have been a clue to me). So I say fine and agree to go.
We get to the restaurant and the waiter comes over and I go to order the cheapest thing on the menu when he stops me and says, ‘Ignore her, we’re both having the steak.’
‘But I don’t like steak.’
‘She’s just saying that because she’s poor. We’ll have steak,’ and he shoos the waiter away. I’m mortified and ticked off and want to leave but he was my ride. He tries to make conversation and just proves to me that he really is a pompous idiot. Then he says he has to go to the bathroom and leaves. I’m sitting there for a good 10 minutes before he texted me, ‘Hahaha I got the runs from drinking last night, don’t eat without me.’ That was the last straw I call the waiter over, pay for my meal, and go to the Starbucks down the street to call my friend to pick me up.”
“His Friend Could Give Him A Ride Home”
“When I was a teenager, I worked at a retail store in the mall and a guy who worked a few stores down would always come in and talk to me. He was super sweet and genuine and would randomly take me to lunch/bring me coffee and the like. It was nice to just have someone to talk to and who seemed genuinely interested in me and what I had to say. He asked me on a date a few times and I always declined. I don’t like the idea of dating someone who I work with/work next to (just in case it goes sour).
After a month or two I finally agree to go on a date with him, because good guys are hard to find! I couldn’t just let him pass by. He picks me up at my house and on our way to dinner, we get into a car accident. The driver’s side was t-boned pretty badly and we ended up having to go to the hospital where he contacted his roommate…who then contacted my date’s girlfriend. I called for a ride and walked out of there. His friend could give him a ride home.”
I’m Going To Burn Forever
“I had just gotten into college and was single, so I couldn’t wait to meet some girls there. I sat next to a really cool girl in German class, very outdoorsy, went camping a lot (which is awesome, I do too). On the last night of a project we were working on together I gathered the nerve to ask her out and she quickly said ‘SURE!’ I pick her up the next night, and we go out to dinner. Everything is going great, had some good small talk, laughed quite a bit. Then the food arrived.
She immediately pulls out a Bible from her purse and says we should recite a passage before eating. I’m an atheist but I really don’t mind if a person is religious, I refuse to judge anyone on that basis alone. So we recite a verse, thank the Lord for our meal, etc. As soon as I start eating the first question she asks is, ‘Have you found a good church around here? I’ve been to a couple but I don’t really like them.’ I froze like a deer in headlights.
I’ve never been to church in my entire life so I have no clue as to what she would think is a ‘good’ church. After contemplating what to say for a second I decide to just tell her I’m an atheist. I mean heck, I don’t care that she’s religious and said a Bible verse/prayer before the meal, so maybe she won’t care I’m an atheist…right? Not even close. She gives me this weird evil/astonished look. Immediately grabs her Bible, flips through it for a second and starts quoting a passage about sinners going to burn. I knew I should have gotten up and left right away but I have an entire steak I just payed $25 for sitting in front of me. I hurry up and down the steak/potatoes/vegetables in about 10 minutes.
During these 10 minutes, she is STILL reciting passages talking about how I’m going to to burn eternally. I just nodded and continued inhaling my food. As soon as I finished, I opened my wallet, pulled out a piece of paper with about 5 cab companies phone numbers on it, grabbed about $75 bucks, and threw it all on the table. The only thing I said to her was, ‘That should be plenty of money to pay for dinner and get you a cab home.’ The next day she text me and sort of apologized. By ‘sort of’ I mean the text read something like ‘I didn’t mean to offend you but you need to recant your sins or spend eternity burning.’
Next day, I’m off to German class, wondering what may happen when I see her. Oddly enough, she wasn’t there. Next day comes, not there again. I asked the professor if she had received word as to why she hadn’t show up, and the teacher told me she had dropped the class the day before. That was a relief…
Now fast forward 4 years, and I’m a senior at a random bar near campus. And guess who is there wasted out of her mind? Yep…it’s good ole religious girl. I try to stay away from her but she spots me, runs up to me and hugs me…which I find very strange. I don’t hold grudges so I hug her back. She buys me a drink I didn’t ask for, but I accept it because I’m fairly broke. She demands I drink it with her, so, whatever I’ll do it… I try to be a nice guy from time to time. Not more than 10 minutes later she says, ‘We should go back to my place and hang out,’ while rubbing her hand up my thigh. I turn around, point to my girlfriend and say ‘See her, that’s my girlfriend, and she has never cared that I’m an atheist. Thanks for the drink.’
Walked away, and never saw her again.”
Who Admits That On A First Date?!
“There’s been a few but the absolute worst was the woman who turned up to the pub with literally no money, expecting me to buy her drinks and dinner. I wouldn’t have minded if she’d have told me beforehand but this was completely out of the blue.
So anyway, we sat there making awkward conversation, or at least I tried to start a conversation. I told her about my life, asked her questions. She was too busy texting and phoning her friends to really take notice.
So eventually we did get talking, and then out of nowhere, she told me that she killed her dog. Not accidentally either. I just upped and left and avoided all contact.”
The Worst Possible End To The Worst Possible Date
“Oh boy. Well, I was about 18 and working in the city (New York) at my father’s printing shop. I had met this guy a few days before on a bus going up state to visit my friend. I tell my father I’m leaving early to go hang out in the city with a friend and I’m just gonna take the train home from there. I meet up with the guy and almost immediately he’s weird. Think Pepe Le Pew. Like he’s trying to get all touchy feely and huggy squeezy on the subway. Then he pulls out a disposable camera and asks if he can take my picture and tell people I’m his girlfriend. I, of course, say no, but I was a big people pleaser and didn’t want to hurt his feelings so I didn’t end the date, but I couldn’t wait to get away.
This continued until we were walking down some random street and some lumpy chick waddles up to me and starts getting in my face. It was his girlfriend! I kid you not, we’re in freaking mid-town Manhattan and we just happened to pass her by hanging out with friends. I tell her to get the heck out of my face because I had no idea he had a girlfriend and am actually relived she decided to show up. He starts to follow me and I just turn around and say, ‘Dude, you really don’t want to do that. TRUST me.’
Since my train wasn’t for a while, I decided to go back to the office to wait. When I got there I found my father cheating on my mother with the woman he hired to help with the filing.”
This Chick’s Full On Crazytown
“I was at a party and got approached by a girl. She wanted to set up a double date with me and my buddy and her and her friend.
My friend and I accepted (his date was kinda ugly, but he agreed to take one for the team). The day of the date, the ugly friend cancelled on him, which was probably because it was just a setup for me and girl A in the first place. Ok! Sure, we go on.
So we set up a movie and go see it. After the movie, she wanted to go back to her dorm and hang out with her pals. The date was going ok, so I agreed. So we hang with her roomies for a while, things are ok, then they want to go out, so they leave. I offer to leave, like a normal gentleman, and she indicates I should stay for a little.
I agree. We put on another movie and I make a move to kiss her, and we kiss for a minute or so. Then, suddenly…
She pulls away without warning and immediately gets really agitated. She wants to know where things are going and before I can answer she begins crying very, very hard. She goes off on a tangent for about an hour about all these very odd issues she’s having and how nothing is right and all men are going to abuse her (what?) and so on.
Now within the first minute of the freak out, I’m thinking, ‘Ok, this is over. Let’s find an exit strategy, this girl is obviously not ready for anything.’ But this was a mistake, because I start asking questions, out of morbid curiosity. As it turns out, I’m like the second person she’s ever kissed.
…And how she’s as pure as the driven snow because her mother was super overbearing and never let her date, and told her all men were going to kill/assault her and leave her in a dumpster. She thinks because I kissed her that we have to have do the deed now, but first she wants to call my parents and make sure I’m not an axe murderer. Can she do a background check on me and see my grades? Oh no wait, it’s back to the getting it on subject and she says wants to but she’s afraid and doesn’t know what to do, and so at this point I stop her.
I tell her that I’ve had a few girlfriends in my time and that she’s better off finding someone a little less experienced, since she’s not. I tell her I’m not interested in doing anything right now, nor a relationship (well, I totally was on both parts, but not with crazy people). I tell her the connection between us was good, it’s just not right for us to sleep together.
She cries really hard again, but agrees that it’s not the right time, not the right person, etc.
I go home, chalk it up to a bad night. Now, mind you, all this girl had was my name and telephone number. I think she had the telephone number of my friend.
The next morning, at 7 am or so, I get a knock on my door. I don’t live on campus, I live waaaay off campus with roommates. It’s her. Now I’m freaking, cause how did she find my house!?! She’s got flowers, with a card. She’s still crying and she apologizes for her behavior the night before, and wants me to wait to read the card until after she leaves. I agree and she tearfully walks away. I go inside.
The card says (I’m paraphrasing of course): ‘I really like you, I know I probably scared you away, but if you ever want to give it a shot, give me a call.’ Right about the time I think, ‘Well, maybe someday…’ an INTENSELY loud pounding starts on the front door.
I answer, it’s her, she’s SCREAMING and in tears. I ask why, and she’s livid at me for not reading the note and chasing after her.
Now I’m thinking WHAT x ten to the millionth exponent. But I calmly explain I need some time to think about it, especially since she just started trying to break down my door. She falls on the floor, crying. I attempt to console her, and she flails at me and cries harder. I wait for like ten minutes for her to stop crying, and she agrees to give me some time. She walks away again.
It’s not 30 seconds before the pounding on the front door starts again. This time I’m done, I’m not going to answer.
I explain what’s happening to the roommates, and they don’t answer either. She spends the next hour screaming threats at the front door, crying and pounding on the door. I was just about to call the police before she left.
The next morning, she repeated the whole thing with a bigger bouquet and slightly less screaming, more pitiful crying, but it lasted only about 15 minutes, cause I threatened to call the police through the door and she called me a very nasty name and ran away.
I saw her only once more, about five years after, and after a friendly hi, she told me that she was really glad we hadn’t dated. Because she had a new boyfriend now, and that I was probably never going to change my mind. The guy was there with her, and I’ll admit she was a hottie, but the guy looked like Quasimodo.”
A Third Wheel On His Own Date
“I met a girl online. She seemed reasonably attractive and fairly easy-going, so I figured, hey — why not? We met at a local coffee shop and chatted for a few minutes before a mutual acquaintance of ours happened to show up out of nowhere and began talking to the two of us.
Turns out, they were both in AA together, and I then proceeded to learn her long and sordid history of over-drinking, and the real reason for her wanting to date (her exact words were: ‘I’m trying to replace my boyfriend who died this summer’). So, the guy decides to invite himself along for our date, neither of them asking me if it was cool for him to do so. We end up driving to a bar — a fine thing for a couple of recovering addicts to do — and the entire time they’re playing the absolute most god-awful music on the radio I can think of. I’m in the back seat, this horrible noise is blaring over the speakers while the two of them are chatting, and I’m thinking to myself, ‘Dear god, how can I find a way to get out of this?’
So we get to the bar and they proceeded to drink coffee and play air hockey while I tried to think of a way to leave. I ended up faking a cell phone call from my friend, saying I needed to go because she was in the hospital. The girl then proceeds to freak out at me for bailing on her during our date, at which point I just stared blankly at her for a second, blinked, and walked away.”
What A Sociopath
“We went to her place and her pets and plants were all dead. I saw goldfish floating upside down in a fish tank. And, she had a dead hamster in a cage on her dining room table. She said, ‘That happens a lot,’ and all I’m imagining is hamster after hamster starving to death right in front of her. The word ‘sociopath’ floated into my mind. I made some excuses to leave and she went a bit nutty at that point which concerned me quite a bit but at least I already figured her head was seriously spun.”
She Clearly Wanted Him For His Dough
“Years ago, when I was still single, I met someone online. We chatted a bit, she seemed cool enough, and we decided to meet up for a burger at a place I knew downtown. Seemed like a kind of low key thing. I get to the bar a few minutes early, and order a drink. Then I finish it. Then, 45 minutes late, she rolls in. OK, cool. We all have jobs and have dealt with traffic and whatever, it happens. But no excuse, just a shrug and a, ‘That’s how it goes sometimes.’ She sat down, we began chitchatting. She asked about my work, I assumed it was regular nervous smalltalk, but no, it was trying feel out how much money I made.
When she asked my job title, and I told her, she immediately suggested that we leave this casual pub place to hit up a fancy bar down the block. Ok, I guess. It’s a little more upscale than I had in mind, but ok. We walk to there, get seated, and then come the menus. She ordered herself dinner. Some kind of seafood thing that cost an insane amount of money. And a bottle of vino. Not a glass, mind you. A $250 bottle of vino. I had already ordered a drink from the bar for myself, and got the impression that this was not vino to share.
She kept talking about much her job sucked, and how little it paid, and how no one at her work was fun to hang out with. Like, the only conversation she had was bashing work and coworkers, with a few mildly racist undertones. The whole time, she was texting friends to meet up that evening. I was invited, of course, to party with them all night (and, I assume, bankroll their fun).
I discreetly went up to the bar, paid for my drink, and just left. Straight up noped out of there, without so much as a goodbye. From my messages when I checked in online later, I know that I ‘stuck her’ with an almost $500 bill, and that she was going to sue me for it. Heard from the bar owner later (it was close to work, and a sometimes happy hour spot) that she apparently tried to skip out on the bill, but they stopped her and she paid.
By the way, my very next date was with the woman I eventually married. It went much, much better.”