We’ve all been on some pretty terrible dates, especially since the invention of internet-dating sites/apps like Plenty of Fish, Tinder, Badoo, OK Cupid, and more.
With that considered, here are some tips and tricks to get you out of a bad date:
1. First, you’re not going to want to be texting all night. No matter how bad the date is going, it is just plain rude. If you need to, excuse yourself to the washroom and tell a friend to call you in a little while. Once you receive your friend’s ‘disaster-call’, don’t make up a huge story. Just tell your date that something came up and you have to leave.
2. Feeling sick is a pretty simple way to get out of a bad date. This excuse works best if you have already eaten some of your meal, but be careful that you or your date don’t accidentally offend the restaurant staff.
a. If it’s just a movie date, then stay until it is over. If your date wants to do something else after, just tell them you ate too much popcorn and you aren’t feeling well, so you should really go home.
3. If you are sure you will never ever see this person again, you could always sneak away when they aren’t looking. Just be careful not to get caught.
4. Or, if you can, make your date want to leave early. Just fill any uncomfortable silences with annoying babble; that should scare them away for good.
I could keep listing foolish ways to get out of a bad date, but when push comes to shove, it’s probably just better to be honest and tell them that it’s not working out. It sounds more difficult than it actually is. They’d definitely appreciate the honesty—or they could be rude about it—but you will feel better for being honest. You don’t even have to pull the “it’s not you, it’s me” card. Just tell them that you appreciate the effort, but you don’t feel a connection. Explain to them that you think it’s time to go home, and do just that. You could even be brutally honest and say that you are not enjoying yourself, and that you need to leave.
Or, you could try to make the best of the situation by trying to get to know your date— who is probably just as uncomfortable as you are. Happy dating!
