Ever had a bad date? Sure, we all have. Some of them are just boring or depressing or with someone that we just don’t click with. Others rank right up there in the ‘date from hell’ category. Either way, it’s a good idea to learn from your mistakes so you can avoid making them again in the future. A lot of people have nightmare stories that they can tell from their days of dating. Some of them are scary, some are just sad, and they’re frequently hilarious, but that doesn’t mean you want them to happen to you!
There’s no way to guarantee that you’ll never have another bad date, but there are a few ways that you can try to spot Mr. (or Ms.) wrong before you get too involved. Here are the top fifteen things that you can look for. Some are just for guys, some are just for ladies, and some are for everyone.
1. Pay attention to how the date is paid for and by whom. For example, if your date pays for your movie with change because “he doesn’t want to break his hundreds,” he probably isn’t someone you’re going to be interested in seeing again. Ditto if he/she ‘accidentally forgets’ to bring any money along on your date. http://love.ivillage.com/snd/snddodonts/0,,toptenlist_9dlr0dwv,00.html
2. Ladies, if you can count the jobs he’s had in the last few years and the number is higher than the number of pairs of shoes you own, that’s a huge red flag. http://love.ivillage.com/snd/snddodonts/0,,toptenlist_9dlr0dwv,00.html
3. If you spend time making excuses for why he/she really is mr./ms. right despite the obvious (and we mean obvious to everyone) problems, he/she probably isn’t. http://love.ivillage.com/snd/snddodonts/0,,toptenlist_9dlr0dwv,00.html
4. Avoid the ‘my wife/husband just doesn’t understand me’ line. The same is true for girlfriend/boyfriend. They might say they’ve broken up or that they’re separated or whatever, but they really aren’t. Unless they’ve severed all types of communication that’s not related to something vital like children in common, they still belong to someone else. That someone else probably won’t want you dating them! http://www.girlposse.com/dating/past_bad_dates/past_bad_dates.html
5. Steer clear of people who start talking about how much they hate their mother, how fat they used to be, or the fact that broccoli gives them excessive flatulence, especially if any of these topics come up in the first few minutes of conversation. http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
6. If you take them to the movies and you’re paying and they eat everything in the theatre, don’t take them out again. Enough said. http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
7. Cell phones, cell phones, cell phones! People who talk on them all the time are annoying, and if they can’t even get off the phone to have actual human interaction, move on. http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
8. If all he/she has to talk about is himself/herself and you can’t get a word in edgewise, that could be a problem. It could be an even bigger problem if the discussion is about psychotic exes and how all people that were dated in the past were crazy. If a person says everyone they used to date was the problem you might start to think: ‘maybe it’s them.’ http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
9. If you’re out with your date and his/her ex shows up and starts stalking you, it’s a good possibility their relationship isn’t as over as you might have thought. Moving on would be a good choice. Especially if the ex has a tattoo of your date’s name somewhere on his or her body. Bonus points if it’s somewhere inappropriate. More bonus points if he/she shows you where. http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
10. If your date shows up with his/her mom/dad/uncle/grandma/dog, etc, that’s another giant red flag. Stay away from people who are incapable of having a social interaction without bringing someone along for backup. http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
11. Your date is insane. Truly. If they start on about nudist colonies, burning themselves because it’s fun, or anything like that, you might want to back away. Slowly. Unless, of course, you’re into those things, too. http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
12. Say you’re on a date and your car breaks down, or it’s really late and the clubs are closing and you can’t find a ride home. You turn to your date to ask what to do, and he/she calls his/her girlfriend/boyfriend to come pick the two of you up and take you home. Huh? http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
13. Nothing wrong with spirituality, but if the guy/girl gets too ‘deep’ right away, you could be dealing with a religious nut. Or someone who’s just plain loony. http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
14. Your date falls asleep during dinner. Not a little snooze that’s over in five seconds followed by an apology and an explanation of why he/she is so tired. An actual, full-on, face splatting into the plate and they don’t even wake up kind of asleep. Pass. http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
15. Last (but certainly not least!), don’t forget the workout nut. This person can speak of nothing else, because nothing else is worthy of discussion. He/she will show up for your date (no matter where you’re meeting) in workout gear, and probably on a bicycle. Nope. Who’s next? http://www.southflorida.com/citylink/sfe-cl-040605cover,0,4220702.photogallery?index=1
Yannis