With only a couple of days into the New Year, we still have our hopes up and our new years resolutions are alive and well. Some of us have been working on keeping those resolutions going- whether it is to get rid of our lonjas once and for all, take it easy on the drinking, stop biting our nails, ease on the cursing, stay positive, or simply give love a chance. Truth of the matter is more than 60% of the people will give up on their resolutions as early as mid January/ early February. Sure, we might give up on constantly working out, we might stuff our faces with junk food again, booze it up more than twice a week, and curse more than a sailor, BUT if there is one thing many of us refuse to give up is on giving love a chance- even after being severely burned. Sin querer queriendo, dating has become the ultimate sport, a game hard to play and keep up with. So what happens when you have a less than stellar date? Bad dates are like cavities, they can creep up when you least expect it and everyone is prone to them.
The dating game
Any person that has been single this past couple of years knows that dating is not what it used to be. It has turned into a three ring circus- complete with freaks and bearded ladies.
Personally, I have been lucky and dating has been rather a pleasant experience- at least the first couple of dates before the prospects show their true colors- but that’s another story. It’s not always peaches and cream and we’re all entitled to at least one or ten bad dates throughout our single life.
When this happens we have to remind ourselves: “don’t hate the player, hate the game”.
Red Flags
You can see where a date is going almost instantly. Whether it’s a blind date or you’re going out with someone you’ve met at school, at the gym, or even at Starbucks. Here are a couple of red flags that may indicate you’re in for a date from hell:
Punctuality. It’s all about timing, so if the prospect is late on that first date (or the ones to follow) it’s an indication that he/she is too busy for a love life at the moment, or that he/she has no consideration and does things at their convenience. Being late 5-10 minutes is acceptable, more than that is just plain wrong. However, there are exceptions to that- I remember my first date when that particular person was two hours, yes, two hours(!) late, contrary to statistics and common sense, we went out on a date, kept on going for almost five years.
Massive D&M. Sure, the purpose of a date is to get to know a person, but when that person’s talk is comprised of massive D&M (deep and meaningful) conversation, you might want to reconsider. After all, who the hell wants to hear someone pour out all their issues, insecurities, and rant about a bad job and crappy friends? Remember not to share TMI and also stay away from the “Debbie Downers”.
Extra baggage. We all have loads of baggage, some of us more than others, but we either lose it along the way or we just learn how to deal with it. If all your date can do is talk about their ex and about how bad it was or whatever, they are clearly not over it.
Sex talk. Even if you’re a horndog by nature, you should know better than to bring up sex talk on the first date. When the person you’re dating throws many sexual innuendos your way while holding to a pack of condoms, you can either call it a night or go with the flow and just hit it and quit it.
Drunk. We all enjoy our cocktails and even some beers every once in a while. But getting drunk while on a date is probably not the best thing for either party. If you get to go on a date with a big time boozer that happens to be utterly smashed before dessert arrives, you might want to call it a night and out of courtesy get a cab for that drunkard.
Call it quits
Unless you’re a big-time masochist, a nadie le gusta la mala vida, so there is no reason for any of us to endure a bad date. So what to do when you want to call it quits?
• Drive. For starters, if it’s a first date, you should drive yourself. Do not rely on a date for a ride, that way you can call it a night whenever things turn sour.
• Your cell is your friend. Although it has been overtly used and it’s the cheapest and easiest way to escape a date from hell, you can always resort to your cell phone. Forget the dog; in this case, your cell phone is your best friend. You can always fake an emergency and call it a night.
• Be honest and don’t be too nice. Being too nice doesn’t always work when you’re trying to put a bad date to rest. Don’t tell someone you’d rather be friends when in reality you don’t want to see that effer ever again. You don’t want to send the wrong signals, so keep it real. This is when being honest comes in handy. You can just skip all the B.S. and tell your date straight out that there’s just no chemistry and that you don’t want to waste your time or theirs. Sure, that person will think you’re a total ass, but at least you were honest, and after all- the truth will set you free.
Good date, bad date
Don’t take yourself off the market just yet. If you’re still looking for your peor-es-nada but you’re fed up with the circus dating has become, just take a breather, relax and remember to keep it simple, don’t get it twisted and don’t lower your expectations.
You never have to go on a bad date if you take your time and you’re a good judge of character.
If you have a “bad date” story you would like to share, hit us up and send it over our way to: [email protected]
