Dating is such a hit-and-miss game these days. That’s why first-date impressions are so important. These Redditors share their unfortunate stories of how their first date got instantly ruined by the other person. From inviting their parents to having their boyfriend show up, it’s hard to believe that people like this actually exist. But yeah, they do.
1. Not Staying For A Refill
She told me she had pretty bad anxiety being in public and asked if she could make me dinner instead. We went for a walk prior to the dinner so we could see if we wanted to do the dinner after. She was super stoked for dinner after our walk.
Dinner was great and she asked if I wanted to watch a movie. About 20 minutes into the movie, she started nudging into me and initiated making out. After starting to really get into the heavier side of things, I felt something tap my shoulder—I am on top of her at this point.
Startled, I turned my head quickly. I can't believe my eyes. I am met eye to eye with a 4-5-year-old boy who then asked me if he could have a cup of water. His mom started screaming at him to go back to his room, which he did. She started apologizing and tried to reinitiate the kiss.
I told her to give me a minute. I got a cup of water and called for the boy to come back out. When he did, I handed him the cup. He took a drink and said thank you and ran back into his room. I was pretty riled up at the idea she had her kid there without saying anything AND screamed at him for asking for something as basic as water.
I left after that and vowed to never be that parent with my own kids.
2. A Sign To Move On From HIM
I was out with a guy having a lovely time when he made a comment about a copper bangle bracelet I was wearing. I told him that it was really special to me as I had gotten 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. But that wasn't all. 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.
WHAT? I never spoke to him again.
3. Jaw-Dropping Moment
man in white button up shirt holding black and white box
Photo by Jessie McCall on Unsplash
I was out on a dinner date with a gorgeous girl. We had a lot in common and we spoke for an hour.
When it was time for us to hit up the arcade, I asked for the check so I could pay for dinner. As I put my card down, she put her card down as well and said that she’d pay for her half of the meal. I INSISTED that it was fine for me to pick up the bill but she refused.
She said that she would pay for her meal. Fast forward to the end of the night. After being at the arcade, we were walking back to our cars. She looked at me and said, “It won’t work between us”. I said, “That sucks, why?” And she said—“As a man, I expected you to pay for our dinner tonight”.
I seriously wish someone recorded my facial reaction to that sentence. Was I expected to grab her credit card and throw it back at her?
4. Three’s A Crowd
We were out for dinner on our first date. Everything was going really well so we decided to head over to a bar close by for a couple drinks.
We were there for a little bit. She saw a friend of hers from work who came over to say hello. She ended up sitting down to join us. It wasn’t a big deal at first, until the entirety of the conversation ended up being about ins and outs of work and gossip about their co-workers.
There was pretty much nothing for me to add or participate in the conversation about aside from just changing the subject completely. After about 45 minutes, I just said I was getting tired, said goodnight and left. Then came the piece de resistance.
What made it worse was that as I was leaving, a group of my friends—who I probably would have tried to meet up with—were coming into the same bar. I still left to stick to the story and because she had tried to convince me to stay.
5. I’m Dang-Near Speechless
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.
6. I Swear I Didn’t Plan That
woman near fence
Photo by Amy Chen on Unsplash
We had dinner and all was going well. Afterwards, 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. She accused me of engineering the event for my amusement.
7. Don’t Cross My Boundaries
I went bowling with a guy and a couple other friends. We were getting along pretty well until my friend got up to bowl and we were left sitting alone together. That’s when he put his hand on my thigh.
I wasn't into physical affection from people I don't know well. I wasn't comfortable with him yet so I politely and subtly scooched his hand away so as to not bring attention to it and embarrass him.
That in itself wasn't an issue because he tried his luck and why not? His response was what infuriated me. He put his hand BACK and gripped my leg assertively. I wasn't having it and figured he just didn't get the hint. So I picked up his hand and moved it back to his own lap.
He shot a look at me and then dove his hand into my inner thigh. I grabbed his wrist and pulled his hand out and looked over at him with the most definitive "NO" on my face I could. We did not go out again. If a man can't respect my physical boundaries in public, he sure as heck won't respect them in private.
8. This Smells Off
We were at a fancy restaurant for a first date. Both the dinner and conversation were going well. Then under the table, he slipped off his shoes and pushed them forward toward me.
Oh man, they stunk! I used a foot to push them back to him. He kept talking and pushed them back toward me under the table.
Why the heck would you pop your shoes off in a nice restaurant? Why would you push them toward your date? Why wouldn’t you do something about stinky shoes in general?
9. We Just Met
person holding white ceramic cup with liquid
Photo by SnapbyThree MY on Unsplash
He asked if I would stop seeing other men because his most recent ex had cheated on him, so he now wanted to be sure that anything new would be strictly exclusive. That was totally fair. I prefer monogamy myself—except this was about 30 minutes into our first meeting.
We were only grabbing coffee after having met on the apps a couple days prior. I wasn't even chatting with anyone else at the time, but I wasn't really into having my actions controlled by a man I just met. I especially didn’t want to date someone who was clearly ready to let his ex's actions determine his treatment and expectations of me.
I hope he has managed to heal from that relationship since then, though.
10. First And Last Date
I was on a first date with a smart, beautiful, successful woman who I’d met online. We spent several weeks chatting and building a great rapport.
The date was going very well. We had instant romantic chemistry, a great deal in common and were really enjoying a great evening together. After dinner we proceeded to a nice upscale lounge and continued laughing, drinking, flirting and chatting about our lives for a couple more hours.
The conversation eventually shifted to us both being single parents of daughters around the same age—which is something we had already discussed online, so naturally she decided to show me a picture of her child and I in turn did the same. But then it all took a huge turn.
Suddenly, she looks at my daughter’s photo, tells me her name—which I hadn’t revealed—and proceeded to tell me that our daughters already knew each other. Even though they lived over an hour away, they knew each other. On top of that, she actually also knew my ex through a mutual friend.
At the time, my ex and I were not on good terms. So, that date quickly shifted from being what was seemingly a great first date, to also being our last. We never saw each other again.
11. No Idea What Happened
I asked a Korean exchange student out in my first week of college. I had never actually asked anyone if they wanted to go out before, so my jaw dropped when she accepted. After all, she was gorgeous and way out of my league.
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 miles per hour. Disaster struck hard and fast. 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 after that. I never saw her again. That was back in 1990. To this day, I have no idea what happened.
12. That Was Unexpected
a man and woman taking a selfie
Photo by Rachel S on Unsplash
I was around 22 or 23 years old and was meeting a guy for my first date at a restaurant for dinner. When I got there, I saw two other people at the table. It turns out, he had invited his parents to our date!
I excused myself to go to the bathroom and then just bounced. Talk about awkwardness.
13. There Won’t Be Seconds For Me
I met a guy on Tinder. We chatted for a while. He had a great personality and seemed nice! We met up and had a drink. He was funny, well-dressed and seemed to be into me. We decided to walk over to another spot where we could grab something to eat.
He stopped at a corner store to grab a chapstick. Not a problem—sometimes you need chapstick! Then it all went so wrong. After buying it, he unwrapped it and dropped the box on the counter in front of the cashier. The cashier and I looked at each other, utterly confused.
The cashier pointed to the garbage can by the door and asked him to throw it out over there. The guy rolled his eyes, snorted, and walked it to the trash. That's when I knew I wasn't going to be calling him back.
There were other signs at the next spot, but that's when I was pretty sure he was probably one very inconsiderate individual.
14. Dinner Ended Along With My Interest
After I got divorced, I went on some dates to try to meet new people.
When meeting someone new for the first time, I would always invite them to do something kind of noncommittal like getting coffee. That way, if things got a bit weird, I could end things early and leave.
So on this date, the girl shows up with her two young children, who I didn’t even know existed. That wasn't a problem for me and she was super nice. We talked for about twenty minutes outside the coffee shop. Then I suggested we do something more kid-friendly like getting ice cream. Everyone loved the idea.
We found a nearby place and went there instead. The kids were happy and we had some really good conversation for about an hour. I asked if she would be interested in dinner. She said yes but it would have to be several hours later and that her kids may have to come too as her sitter had bailed last minute.
Later that night, she and her kids met me at a low-end steak house. We got along great and the conversation was good still! But then she got sloppy and inebriated off the three drinks she ordered with dinner and then drove her kids home afterward—I did offer to pay for her to get a ride home, which she refused.
That just ended any interest I had.
15. Those Aren’t Tears Of Joy
Denny's | Denny's Restaurant, Hartford, CT. 8/2014 by Mike M… | Flickr
www.flickr.com
I met a single mom at Denny's. We were both getting along pretty well, talking about our families and things. I mentioned that I didn’t get along with my dad because he's a narcissist. That’s when she said, "So is my ex" and immediately started crying.
For the rest of the date I was her psychologist.
16. Front Row Ticket For One
The date went really well. We went to a bar and talked a lot. Afterwards, she invited me back to her place, which was not far away from the bar.
As I walked through the door, she asked what movie I would like to watch. I remembered that I hadn’t seen The Prestige and suggested that.
It turns out, the movie got so interesting, tipsy me started rejecting her advances. I didn’t want to miss any of the good parts of the movie!
17. Too Much Attention
I went on a date with a guy who owned a local trendy business. It kind of made him a bit of a local celebrity. Notably, I am an introvert and don't like attention. I’d much prefer to pretend that I was invisible when out in public.
We were on our second date at a restaurant. It wasn’t super fancy but it certainly was a little romantic place for a date. During our dinner, no less than five random people stopped by our table to talk to him. They were all customers.
He tried to balance being an attentive date without totally alienating his 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, two more people came up to him to chat, and then at the beach another person stopped and this one actually tried to sit down to 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. But there's a twist.
Somehow, 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.
18. Letting It All Out
clear cocktail glass with pink liquid inside
Photo by M.S. Meeuwesen on Unsplash
We were having a great time. We had a couple of cocktails, we were laughing constantly and flirting. I don't think I've ever hit it off so well with anyone.
I hadn’t been home long after returning from Afghanistan. She asked about the temperature out there. Then two minutes later, I started crying my eyes out and all the feelings I had bottled up came pouring out.
She got all the details that she never asked for. It was awkward to the point where she couldn't leave me as I kept talking and crying—for almost two hours.
We had an hour of hilarious drinks followed by an hour and a half of crying.
19. Poor In Judgment As Well
When my date turned up, he immediately asked what I wanted to drink. I chose a stout, then went to the toilet. When I returned, it wasn’t the beverage I had asked for. So I asked if they didn’t have the one I wanted? He said that this one was cheaper.
Okay. I was slightly baffled but he was a student so I let it go. He proceeded to talk about how broke he was. I wasn’t much better off but felt deep guilt so spent the rest of the night footing the bill. I didn’t mind as he was cool and we had a lot in common.
When it was time to go home, he walked me to my bus stop. Then out of nowhere, he randomly pulled out 20 dollars. He went to get a kebab without so much as an offer for me. I was actually cringing inside. I knew that I wouldn’t be seeing him again.
When I got home, he sent an unsolicited picture inviting me to see him again. See him again, I did not.
20. Bored Of Games
Things were going really well. We were at a bar having drinks when she decided that she wanted to play Scrabble. Apparently, she loved the game, which I am not great at. On top of that, I’ve had a few too many. I was completely not ready to play Scrabble.
She started with a word like “behooves” or something. Meanwhile, I used up my entire time to put down the word “hat”. She then put down the word “incredulous” followed by my “fun”. This continued until the end of the game.
We did not play again. We did not go out again.
21. Beautiful But Rattled
woman covering mouth with sweater
Photo by JJ Jordan on Unsplash
I went on a blind date with someone who had “just gotten out of a bad relationship”. When she first showed up, she looked really rattled. She was beautiful, but shaken up. I asked if she was okay and she said she was fine.
But when a tall guy passed too close by her chair in the restaurant, she practically jumped out of her skin. She finally admitted the horrible story. 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. When the date was over, I went to drop her off in front of her apartment complex.
That’s when I noticed a tall, good-looking guy leaning against a car out front. She gasped and said, “That’s him”! I asked if she’d be okay, if she wanted me to walk her inside or take her somewhere else. She said that 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.
22. Never To Be Seen Again
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 really busy for some reason so we decided to go back to my place. Before leaving, 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 to look for her. I saw her just as she was 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 me to go along. I never saw her after that.
23. Painful Slip Up
We met on a dating app in college during the last week before winter break. Once we realized that we lived close to each other, we met for coffee in a nearby cafe. 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. This small moment changed my life. Unfortunately, I happened to be standing on a sheet of black ice at the time. I slipped and tore both my ACL and MCL.
I ended up spending the next six months on crutches. It wasn’t really her fault of course, but that definitely ruined the date.
24. The Look Of Panic
grayscale photo of woman covering her face with her hands
Photo by Meghan Hessler on Unsplash
It was my first post-divorce date. That poor guy. He had no idea what he was in for. I think I did all the textbook things of what not to do: talked endlessly about my last relationship and drank too much. I was a certified hot mess.
The absolute cherry on top was when he dropped me off at home, I repeatedly asked him if he was going to call me. I could still see the look of pure panic on his face. Shockingly, he did not call. That was our one and only terrible date.
25. I Got The Hint
We went out for drinks and had a great conversation. Afterwards, we went out for some food at a late night sub place. We were still having a good time and started getting flirtatious. Suddenly, an intoxicated dude walked past the table, stopped, and looked at her.
He then said, "Dang it girl. Let me get your number". He then turned to me and said, “Oh man, my bad bro. Is this your girl"? I was stumped. I didn’t know what to say. If I said, “No”, it's like I was denying her. If I said, “Yes”, well it's not true.
I didn't know how to handle it and I ended up saying, “We just met". He walked on and kept saying, “My bad—bro don't mess me up". The conversation went cold after that. She asked to go home and refused my offer to walk her to her car.
I texted her the next day and said that I had a good time. I apologized for the awkward ending. I asked if she wanted 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.
26. That’s Not Cool
I went on a nice date with a girl. In the morning, I was driving her back and we were talking about how far she lived. She mentioned that it didn’t matter because she would drive even if she was intoxicated. I asked why she would do that as it was very irresponsible.
She said that she used to do it in Idaho all the time so she expected to get a ticket for drinking and driving at some point. Like, what?
27. Ultimate Turn Off
brown wooden table with plates and bowls
Photo by beth d on Unsplash
I met a great looking guy on a dating app. We decided to meet at an Indian restaurant close by—my favorite food.
The conversation was great. We were laughing. He was kind of flirty and I was flirting back. He was really super cute, fit, and financially well off—all the good stuff. Then came the kicker. I don’t know how I just sat through this, but he started making fun of the waiter.
Then the waiter's accent; the way he moved; the way he talked. My face just went blank and then did this little mouth thing that I do when I’m kind of upset. And he was like, “What?”
I told him that I didn’t think that it was cool at all. He didn’t get it and said that he was just having fun. I told him that it’s not fun. So in the parking lot we said good-bye. I had offered to pay for my own meal, but he would not agree to that. And he said, “Yeah, butterfly. You owe me dinner”.
Yeah, I don’t owe you anything. Such a turn off.
28. Now That Was Rude
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 sounded awesome and left. There was no apology, invitation, reschedule—nothing.
I get if you weren't enjoying the date but some common courtesy would’ve been nice.
29. Too Weird For Me
We went to her house and started watching the movie Fight Club. This was about 15 or 16 years ago. It was a pretty cool movie at the time.
We were in the middle of being very intimate when she suddenly shouted for me to "STOP"! I asked if everything was okay. She just shushed me and started watching the movie again. We were at the part where Brad Pitt burns Edward Norton's hand with chemicals.
I'm on top of her and trying to stay intimate. Meanwhile, she was watching intently and was completely in a trance. When that part of the movie was over, I asked her what was going on. After a series of questions, she made a horrific revelation. She explained that she enjoys watching people being in pain but not inflicting it or being in pain herself.
Needless to say, I didn't hang out with her again.
30. Yep, I’m Outta Here
person holding black samsung android smartphone
Photo by Mika Baumeister on Unsplash
I had just turned 18 in high school and hit it off with this girl I met on Tinder. On the date, things were going well. We had similar music and movie tastes, we both loved animals, and so on.
At one point, I asked what she did for fun during the past week. She told me that she got blackout smashed with her friends on the weekend. Although I wasn’t at the lawful age at the time to drink, I didn’t mind if the person I was seeing drank at all. I let her tell her story and the conversation continued.
Later in the date, I asked her what her plans were for the coming weekend—in an effort to show continued interest in going on another date. She told me that she planned on going to a club and getting blackout all weekend with her friend.
Hmmm, okay. So I asked, “What about next weekend"? She then says that she knows that she’s going to get completely plastered with her friends at another different club. For me, at least, that was enough for me to straight up say that I did not think things were going to work between us. I quickly finished the date and left.
31. Freaking Out
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. He kept saying, "We gotta get out of here. We gotta get out of here" and started just freaking out. Of course we left, but I never went out with him again.
32. That Was Super Uncomfortable
He made a weird, seductive joke when we were buying food and snacks together. He said something like, “I’ll give you a snack later” and started laughing to himself quite loudly. 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. I lost all interest in him pretty quickly.
33. So Distasteful
man holding tray of glasses
Photo by Rumman Amin on Unsplash
He showed discriminatory behavior towards our server, then he wanted to get a pat on the back for it afterwards. When he realized I didn’t agree with what he did, his reply was so stupid. He didn’t stop being an idiot. He simply looked away but continued being clearly both annoyed at the server AND me.
I paid the bill directly to the server with a good tip, apologized for the situation, and skedaddled. Nope.
34. Let’s Cut This Date Short
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 our date he did a 180. While walking to another bar, out of nowhere, he started shouting and being snarky at me. He kept saying, “You women hate short guys like us”.
WHAT???
He was short, yes. But I hadn’t said anything to him about it. I didn’t draw any attention to something that didn’t seem to matter to me. And I was ON the date! I chose to keep going around with him knowing he was that tall. I thought we were having fun. It’s not like he tried anything on me and I turned him down.
To this day I am still 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 jumping on him right then and there, or what??
After his trash talk, I just stood there gobsmacked. I was the woman who gave him a chance. But then I tearfully said, “I thought we were having fun, but thanks for making me feel like garbage” and I literally ran away, leaving him standing in the street. I blocked him like the madman he was.
I feel bad for him, but not enough to accept mistreatment when I did nothing to deserve it. Ask me why I only dated tall, confident men after that.
35. You Thought Wrong
There was tons of flirting leading up to the date. On the actual date, there was more flirting, arm touching and hand holding. We even talked of doing a movie night sleepover with extra cuddles.
After I walked my date to her car, I went to kiss her. She got nervous so I pulled back before I got too close. She said, “Oh sorry. I just uh…” then paused for a good five to ten seconds. Meanwhile, I was left standing in a little bit of confusion. She then continued “…I thought you were gay!”
I immediately asked about all the flirting and she said, “Yeah, I don’t know—I usually don’t do that with my gay friends. I’m sorry”.
I was so confused that I just mumbled, “Okay, have a good one” rather than try and figure out what the issue was. In her defense, it’s not incredulous for me to come off as gay, but it also just didn’t correlate with anything that happened before.
36. Stakes Were Too High
woman wearing gray denim jacket and black scarf
Photo by Vinicius Wiesehofer on Unsplash
Our online conversations were phenomenal and we connected instantly. On our first date, within fifteen minutes of being seated, she declared that in order for this to continue I needed to fully and permanently commit to her right then and there.
When I asked what she meant, her next comment was totally unhinged. She said, "You will either agree to be mine forever and we will go back to my place and have passionate intimacy all night so I can get pregnant or we can call dinner off now and go home".
The night of passion sounded fun but the risk was way too high. I paid the check and left immediately.
37. The Truth Is—
We were out on our fifth dinner date when I decided to open up about my anxiety and tell him why it limited me in our relationship. He cut me off and loudly proclaimed, “Is that why you won’t be intimate with me—because of your ‘anxiety’?”
He then proceeded to leave me at the restaurant—when he was my ride.
38. Act Your Age
My date got squeamish that I had blonde stubble on my legs and because I mentioned the existence of menstruation. I forget the context in which I mentioned it, but it was apropos to the conversation. I literally just said the word, not like I was having a detailed discussion or anything.
Anyways, the odd thing was that he was a second year med student. So one would think that he wouldn’t have acted like a juvenile about basic human biology. It honestly was so weird and childish.
He’s 25 years old and says “ewww” on a date at the sight of a 2-day-old leg stubble. And he wants to be a doctor? Good luck with that.
39. Adios, Princess
woman in black leather jacket
Photo by Joshua Rondeau on Unsplash
When my date arrived, all was going well. She seemed nice and we started getting on. When the waiter came to take our order, she asked what their best cabernet was. She then made sure that he double checked that it was "the stuff from the top shelf".
The waiter just looked at my cheap clothes and said, “What we have on the menu is what we’ve got”. She just puffed and pouted for the rest of the date. After that, I made sure that we got separate bills. When I requested that, she nearly lost her marbles.
“You are a man. It’s your job as the man to pay for everything. If you are far too poor to pay for things then maybe we shouldn’t go out again!” My comeback was perfect. I just said, “I’m way ahead of you there”. I paid and left.
40. You’ve Got It All Wrong
I generally try to be courteous to people, so I often open doors for both men and women.
On our date, I opened a door for her and she absolutely laid into me. She thought that as a woman, I didn’t think that she could open her own door. I was a bit perplexed as I never saw it as anything other than being nice. I certainly appreciate it when others do it for me.
Oh well, there was no second date.
41. You Couldn’t Wait To Tell Me
I took a girl on a date to our city's local zoo. During the winter, they decorate the entire place with Christmas lights. They have a light show and even a Ferris wheel. It really is a cute winter date idea.
Well, we were on the Ferris wheel looking down on all the cute lights and holding hands. I then asked if she was having a good time. She looked at me nervously and told me, “I’ve been talking to someone else. I told him about our date and he decided to beat you to it”.
Awkward. At least wait until the ride is over to tell me.
42. I Need A Breath Of Fresh Air
woman in black crew neck shirt
Photo by OSPAN ALI on Unsplash
I was on a date where the guy showed up and had really bad breath. The date was going well, but it’s a huge turn off to meet someone for the first date and they couldn’t even be bothered to freshen up beforehand.
I mean, I would’ve have kissed him and maybe even more if it didn’t smell like he had been nibbling on little pieces of dung droppings before our first date.
43. An Ugly Moment I’d Like To Forget
This was in high school. She invited me to her house to have dinner with her family, whom I didn't know very well.
The conversation turned to names we thought were old-fashioned and ugly-sounding. We all threw out a few like Gertrude, Bertha, and Eugene. Then I said the worst thing possible. I said something like, "At least that one's not as bad as Deborah!" I used my ugly voice and everything.
Her mom's name is Deborah. Her grandmother was also at the table with us. But hey, we've been married for almost seven years!
44. Funny Mix-Up
My aunt set me up on a date. I am half Asian and half European. So when I visited my family in Asia, they wanted me to date and probably marry this girl because she comes from a rich family.
On the date, we met at a restaurant. She brought her brother. He brought his girlfriend. I went there with a cousin. He thought it was hilarious. We all introduced ourselves to each other, but because the restaurant was loud and they’re mumbling, I didn’t manage to understand their names.
I decided not to ask them all for their names again, fearing I’d come across as rude. So I talked to my date and she was well-educated and good-looking as well. I started to think—Hey, this wasn't a bad idea. I actually liked her and we seemed to be on the same wavelength.
I started to flirt with her and she seemed to like it. Then suddenly, the brother said something and he and my date both got up to leave without saying anything else. I was totally confused. It turns out I was flirting with the brother’s girlfriend the whole time.
I never even looked at the girl I was supposed to date except when we first introduced each other.
45. In Your Dreams
man kissing woman's forehead while lying on bed
Photo by Toa Heftiba on Unsplash
We just went out as friends, so it technically wasn't a date but it functioned as one. It was with a girl I worked with. I'd been interested in her for a while but we were just friends and that was fine. Still, we hung out a lot and eventually one night, we went out for drinks after work.
Things started to escalate from there. Fast forward to later that night, we were both asleep at her place. Now, I hadn't been sleeping well all that week, partially because of her dragging me out with her. And when I'm sleep deprived, I have very strange dreams and am prone to sleepwalking/talking.
In my dream I was walking down this tunnel—like a metro tunnel. I saw this girl on the ground crying. She had no clothes on. I asked her what was wrong and she lunged at me. She was a zombie or something. She wrapped her cadaver-like arms around me.
I managed to throw her off and started yelling. That's what I saw in my dream and I was fighting for my life. What really happened was so embarrassing. What actually happened outside of the dream was her trying to cuddle with me. I responded by freaking out and literally throwing her out of the bed.
She screamed and that partially woke me up, but I was still mostly in the dream. She asked me what was wrong and I just started yelling things out—”Who are you? Where are your clothes? Get away from me!” I woke up fully as she stormed out of the room.
She thought I was trying to be an idiot, I suppose. I felt awful. I thought I blew it. Once I explained what happened, she thought it was hilarious and came back to bed. She still bugs me a lot for it, though.
46. Talk About Weird
A girl and I are on a first date. We have a nice dinner, and there's definitely some chemistry going on. We decided to go see a movie, but had just missed the one we wanted to see. Our other options were Scream and some Sylvester Stallone action movie. We opted for Scream.
At this cinema, there were a LOT of people talking back to the screen during the movie. It got quite infectious and eventually it got to the point where I was doing it too. I started yelling out, "DON'T ANSWER THE PHONE!!!!" along with half the people in the audience.
Anyway, after the movie ended, she barely said a word to me and I never heard from her again. Either she knew I was too good to be real and couldn’t trust herself around me, or she got drier than the Sahara once I was labeled the kind of person who talks back to movie screens.
47. A Narrow Escape
I finally took a girl out on a date who was flirting with me for over a month. Throughout most of the evening, she was really into me. She kept hanging on me and whatnot. So I thought, “cool, I’ve found myself a great girl to continue with”.
Then just before the end of the date, her boyfriend showed up—like what in the world! We had been playing pool for at least four hours at the time. The boyfriend took over so I just slipped over to the counter and requested for my ID back and left
Three hours later, she called me. She started ripping into me for messing up the date. My only answer to her was, “You have a boyfriend. What date were we on?” Apparently, the total cost of the pool table was over 200 bucks because her boyfriend tore the felt.
Talk about a close call.
48. Let The Ink Dry First
woman sitting on U-Haul trailer wheel fairings
Photo by Brooke Cagle on Unsplash
I was on a date with a newly divorced woman. We were having a nice dinner and getting to know each other. Then it turned awkward. She didn't tell me she had kids until we were eating dinner. Things started to move much too fast after that.
She started talking about me meeting her kids right away, moving in together, etc. This was on our first date! I didn't want to be anybody's step parent, much less get U-Hauled so quickly.
We finished our dinner and parted ways amicably. After a heart-to-heart talk, 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. We fell out of contact soon after.
49. Oops, Botched That One
We ordered a small snack for our coffee date. As it's arriving at the table, he pulls out his Nokia phone. Trying to make a lighthearted joke, I say "MAN, that has got to be the oldest phone I've seen in a while".
I really dug it in, trying to break that friendly wall. I'd screwed myself so badly. It turns out it's not a Nokia phone. It was his insulin pump.
50. What A Buzz
When I was about 20 or so, I was on a date with a girl who I really liked. She was exactly my type. I couldn't believe my luck.
We met in a local pub for a few drinks and things were going great. I was getting all the good signs that she was into me—lots of hand touching and the like. An hour of pure bliss went by and I needed to pee.
After washing my hands, I went to use the hand dryer. It didn't work. It looked like part of the protective grill was hanging from it. I wanted to dry my hands because I wanted to do more hand holding with her.
In the single most stupidly brain lapse moment of my life, I thought, "I can fix this!" and put my hand inside the nozzle of the dryer. WHY!? WHY THE HECK!?
Obviously, I got buzzed by the electric heating element. I fell back and cracked my head on the wall. I didn't get knocked out, but needed a few minutes to sort myself out before going back to my date. I didn't have the guts to tell her what had happened—brain lapse number two.
I had a banging headache and I wasn't quite right. Not much later, she made her excuses and left. She turned me down when I asked her for a second date.
A year or so later, I found out that she had told her friend that she really liked me, but when I returned from the washroom I was acting really weird and she "wasn't up for dating someone on narcotics".
When we're intoxicated, or even the slightest bit tipsy from having a little too much to drink, our immediate perspective on things is hazy.
But there's nothing like a bit of alarming news or a jarring incident to snap us out of the fog and focus on the moment.
Sometimes alcohol isn't always to blame for our impairment.
It can be a state of mind, like a perpetual numbness from being complacent in life, and all it takes is one shocking moment to rattle us back to our senses.
Curious to hear from strangers online about this type of scenario, Redditor Known_Challenge_7150 asked:
"What’s one thing that sobered you up real quick?"
These individuals were witness to shocking events that sobered them up right quick.
Bleeding Out
"Got out of a taxi and found a naked man profusely bleeding from his head crawling up the driveway in my condo. Called him an ambulance completely forgot I was absolutely wasted until 45 minutes later when I'd helped him translate and in to an amublance and stepped in my front door."
"Later a few days later learned he'd slipped in the tub and literally crawled out for help. Poor dude. He was fine but I genuinely thought he was going to die there."
– DongLaiCha
Tragic News
"At a bachelor party and we got a phone call that the groom’s father had suddenly passed."
– accountnameredacted
Bottom Of The Barrel
"I went to visit my parents back in July. I was homeless and deep into fentanyl addiction so I lost a lot of weight. My folks could see it. They knew something was up. Anyway, I spent the night and I was getting ready to leave in the morning and I looked at myself in the mirror for a good long time. I finally had enough and told them everything. They took me to detox, from there I went to rehab. Graduated in August and been living with them ever since then. I have 160 days clean and sober."
– Crotch-Monster
A reality check can be enough for some people to snap out of it.
Like Father, Like Son
"Was driving a drunk friend home, he had been on a bender again and was smart enough to call me for a lift rather than try and drive. As I helped in to his house his mother came down the stairs and said 'your as drunk as your father' and went back upstairs. I haven't seen him drunk since then, he still drinks but the thought of turning into his dad scared him out of hard drinking."
– psycospaz
Busted
"Flashing blue lights."
– FiddleOfGold
"This sobered me up just thinking about it."
– redmaple_syrup
Losing Sight
"Woke up to no sight in one eye. I had cataract surgery so just thought one of the lenses had slipped and it was an easy fix. Eye doc says nope, you had a stroke. I loved soy sauce, teriyaki sauce and salty food, which caused high blood pressure, which caused retina damage. Over six months was able to get most of my eyesight back with medication, and all back within a year. Trying to navigate life with one eye was very sobering. Started taking HBP much more seriously."
– MissHibernia
Quitting The Bottle
"Looked up someone I went to highschool with who was an awesome guy. Found out he had been dead for 3 years from alcoholism, at age 33. I made an overnight change. I hadn't started drinking that night yet, 10 months ago. Haven't touched it again since."
– omgtater
These disturbing moments were enough for Redditors to immediately come to their senses.
Unplanned House Guests
"Me and a buddy Woke up in someone’s living room, realized neither one of us knew the people, they were just nice and let 2 drunk guys sleep on their living room floor. We didn’t even say goodbye."
– Oneinsevenbillion75
Serious Health Warning
"Elevated liver enzymes."
"And the knowledge that this sh** was gonna kill me and I just couldn't orphan my family over it."
"So I opted for recovery, instead."
"Clean and sober since June 5, 2009."
– Far_Meal8674
The Joyride
"Grew up in a rural area. The little town hosted dances at the hockey arena, everyone (adults and kids) went and they overserved everyone, regardless of age. I was maybe 16 or 17 and was absolutely sh*tfaced, and jumped in the back of someone's truck with about 8 other people to go back to someone's cottage for after dance drinking. The driver (still don't know who it was) started racing one of his buddies and we whipped around small dirt roads, flying around blind corners on the wrong side of the road, going god knows how fast. It was basically a disaster waiting to happen. It was crazy scary and I was sober and thankful to be alive when we finally arrived."
– foxfood9116
The human psyche is a fascinating thing, isn't it?
How we can automatically focus on something urgent at a crucial time, even after getting buzzed from drinking too much alcohol.
But as we're in the thick of the holidays, it's a good reminder to drink responsibly and stay off the roads if you drive to your celebratory destination.
Cheers. Stay safe. And happy holidays.
We've all complained or vented about something in our lives which, in the grand scheme of things, wasn't exactly a problem, or is very easily solved.
Then there are those who complain about things that others almost hope will happen to them at some point in their lives.
These are known as "first world problems", as they are problems that pretty much only the world's one percent faces.
From having to fly business class instead of first class, or being served Roederer instead of Dom Pérignon, these complaints are often met with amusement, bewilderment, or even anger.
Redditor jennimackenzie was curious to hear the most absurd "first world problems" anyone ever complained about, leading them to ask:
"What’s the most ridiculous 'first world problem' you’ve seen people get worked up over?"
"Tale As Old As Time..."
"I once knew a mom who was legitimately devastated, to the point of tears/grief, because a doctor predicted her 8 year old daughter's final height to be around 5'2","
"Which wasn't tall enough to get cast as Belle at Disney World."
"That was the child's (and her mother's) only dream in life, apparently."
"Didn't appreciate my suggestion that she could be Minnie or Mickey."
"Lol!"
"Only a face character would do!"- TravelLovingMom
"Must Be Funny, In A Rich Man's World..."
"My boss from about a decade ago was this insanely rich dude who always went to the bank to get fresh and crisp currency."
"He'd call the bank in advance to make sure they had some on hand."
"I think he was a germaphobe."
"He had a trash can that he'd throw $1 and $5 bills in that he thought was 'dirty' and regularly just donated it vs spending it."
"I asked him why he did this and he said it was too much trouble and asked if I wanted it."
"I said f*ck yeah dumped it into my bag and when I got home it was close to $400 in singles and fives.
"Another time, he wanted to upgrade all the computers in his studio, so we went to a store and bought 10 PCs."
"They all had $150 mail in rebates and he wasn't bothered to go through the trouble of mailing them in."
"3 weeks later I received $1500 after spending a whole afternoon filling out all those goddamn forms."- azninvasion2000
Money Burn GIF by nog
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Who Wore It Better?
"When I was about 19 years old, I was at my boyfriends family BBQ."
"I was wearing this pretty floral sundress."
"His cousins girlfriend showed up in the same dress and she was SO mad that she went and changed."
"I will never understand being upset when someone is wearing the same thing as you.'
"Did you really think that your shirt you bought off the rack is going to be unique to you?"
"No."- mertsey627
Seeing Red! Or Blue In This Case...
"The blue of the balloons wasn't quite the same as the bridesmaid's sashes."
"Years ago my wife and I attended a wedding."
"It was very low key."
"The dinner was in the dining hall at the university where the couple met, cinder block walls and all."
"It was a Baptist wedding - no booze and very serious."
"The dark blue balloons attempting to liven up the hall were a slightly darker shade of blue than the sashes on the bridesmaid's dresses."
"The bride lost here sh*t and absolutely raved for nearly an hour."
"I can't remember how they finally managed to talk her down."- mechant_papa
south park wedding GIF
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See You In Court!
"Rich neighbors who end up in expensive court battles because they disagree about where a tree can be planted or whether the color of a fence fits in with the street’s 'amenity'."
'These disputes get really heated and rack up huge lawyers’ bills."
"The most pathetic part is after the judgement when they are arguing about who should pay the other party’s costs."
"Lots of affidavits filed citing the 'emotional distress' they had to endure, or painting themselves as brave warriors who were forced to take a stand to fight for 'justice'."
"Also lots of pompous litigants insisting that the judge refer to them by their 'Dr' title."
"An absolutely insane dumpster fire of entitled rich people problems."- ElectrocRaisin
It's Always People With Money Who Don't Want To Pay!
"I work in a public library."
"People will get so so mad if they have to be put on a wait list for a book."
"A popular book that just came out."
"Ok our services are not only free but so are the books."
"You’re welcome, a**holes."- Switchbladekitten
A Warm Butt Is A Happy Butt!
"My own."
"We have a bidet toilet seat (Fabulous! Everyone should have one!) and not only does it wash your bum and blow dry it, but the seat's heated!"
"It's shocking how much a heated toilet seat makes the whole process more agreeable."
"Except: We had a power outage and I went to use the toilet and the seat was cold!"
"Unacceptable!"
"This shall not stand!"
"I was really upset because it didn't feel good."
"Then I stopped and thought: This is the most first-world problem anyone's ever had."
"I was really pissed because my heiny was tepid."
"I got over it."- DeathGrover
homer simpson episode 23 GIF
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Holy Matrimony!
"Weddings are a gold mine for this question."
"People get so hyped up over their 'most important day of their life'."
"They'll destroy friendships, go into debt, and have crazy expectations."
"It's not always the couple who go crazy, either."
"Sometimes, it's the parents or another family member who feels entitled to control the wedding."
"It's just a party."
"Be considerate of guests, have plenty of food and drinks, and enjoy it."- magicrowantree
When Fast Food Isn't Fast Enough...
"Having to pull off to the side to wait for a drive-thru order to be brought out to you because your food isn't ready and there's a line building up behind you."- demanbmore
In Case You Don't Think Customer Service Employees Are Undervalued...
"I was working the return desk at a Target next to a military base so I have so many stories."
"One of my favorites was a lady who had her baby shower before revealing the gender and was livid that she had received floral newborn diapers when she’s having a boy."
"It was a huge box of super expensive, all organic diapers, that we didn’t carry and therefore could not return."
"I cannot accurately express her fury and disgust."
"How dare either suggest her boy could wear feminine diapers."
"I suggested she donate them if she didn’t want to use them and she instead threw away the entire box."
"When she left we pulled it out and threw it in our donate bin."
"There have also been multiple times where mom’s order massive toys and when we bring them out to the car they get furious that they aren’t wrapped."
"We don’t offer wrapping services."
"Here’s the thing, if you don’t want your kids to see the toys you got them for Christmas or their bit to day DON'T BRING THE CHILD WHEN YOU PICK IT UP."
'I’ve had multiple women scream and curse me out that I had ruined their kids Christmas by bringing the toys they ordered out to the car like they requested."- clever-mermaid-mae
Customer Service Waiting GIF by Juno Calypso
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Happiest Place On Earth!
"I used to work for Disney."
"That in itself should tell you everything."
"However for fun I'll give you two specific stories one form our tech department and one from my wife who worked bookings."
"I specifically worked for their call center to help with technical issues with magic band and the website."
"Suddenly got worse huh?"
"A right of passage call everyone has at least one story of is the 'Dome call'."
"Basically there is a subset of Disney Guest (TM) that believes if it rains at Walt Disney world there is someone that will push a button to encapsulate the whole of Disney property in a dome to keep out the rain."
"I'm not kidding."
"If this button is not pushed they call our tech department to angrily ask why."
"My wife worked booking."
"Pretty much everything including Bibbidi Bobbidi boutique and Pirate's league."
"These two things did roughly the same thing difference being price and theme."
"BBB was expensive did more and was focused on princesses, pirates league did a bit less and focused on mermaids and pirates."
"Lady called up my wife, and got pissed about BBB being booked up (It goes FAAAAST)."
"Karen: 'Im going to give the phone to my daughter and I want you to tell her how you are ruining her vacation by not letting her do BBB'."
"Wife proceeds to explain how pirate's league is so much cooler and how she can be a mermaid or pirate and basically gets the kid to start demanding to their parents about how they want to be a mermaid instead of a princess."- trollsong
Disney World GIF
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The horror!
Being booked into a junior suite at Disney World instead of an executive suite!
It's almost as bad as having no money for groceries, or no food to feed you children...
Said absolutely no one.