Dating is a gamble in general. When you add online dating into the mix, things can get messy really fast. What you see on someone’s dating profile isn’t always the real deal. You can be a complete Nancy Drew and screen all of your dates before you hit send, and still end up with a date who is the absolute worst.
What sucks more is when you’re already on the date and no longer have any interest in being there. What do you do in that situation? It’s tempting to drop the mic (err bill) and bounce. There are levels to a bad date. Maybe you had serious chemistry on the phone, but it just isn’t there when you meet face to face. Or he’s a total sociopath and you want nothing to do with him. There are many ways to escape your date short of sending an SOS. So, listen closely. Here’s what you need to do.
1. Fake a deadline and stick to it.
Your date completely dominated conversation and cut you off every time you tried to share. You’ve looked at your watch a total of seven times in the last 10 minutes alone and he still hasn’t gotten the hint. Tell him that you need to take care of something urgent (it doesn’t have to be a serious emergency) and have to leave immediately. It doesn’t matter if he believes you. Chances are, he is too self-centered to notice or care that you left before you touched your drink.
2. Stay for a drink and call it an early night.
You don’t get it. You had a lot of chemistry when you were talking on the phone and texting. However, now that you’re here in person, you feel completely different. That’s okay! It happens. Tell him that you have to wake up early in the morning. Don’t feel bad about it. Remember, you don’t owe him anything.
3. Text a friend to help break you out! (Seriously, it works!)
I never go on a date without letting my best friend know who I’m meeting or where we’re going. I’m lucky enough to have friends who make it their business to do quick text check-ins to see how everything is going. If you feel uncomfortable, head to the bathroom and have your friend wait a few minutes before calling or texting you.
4. Use your body language to send the message loud and clear.
You can tell a lot about the way a date is going strictly based off of everyone’s body language. If your date has been talking the entire time you’ve been there, you may want to try this. This includes making less eye contact, crossing your arms or aiming your feet toward the door.
5. Be upfront about how you feel.
If you don’t see this going any further, be honest. There’s nothing wrong with changing your mind. If you’re not feeling it, it’s better to say how you feel now than to make it seem like everything’s perfect. That’s not fair to you or him.
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