29 People Share Their Scary And Awful Dating Stories That Will Make You Want To Delete Tinder
"I was on a date with a girl when someone else asked her to prom...and she said yes."
Some first dates go awkward, and some go so badly they become stories people tell for years. This collection is packed with the second kind, the kind that starts with a little nervous excitement and ends with total disbelief.
From drunk restaurant meetups to people who vanish mid-date, these dating disasters show how fast chemistry can turn into chaos. A few of them are funny in hindsight, but most are just painfully strange, which is exactly why they are so memorable.
If your own worst date ever felt embarrassing, this roundup may make it seem almost normal. Read on.
1.Double dating
"I was once set up by my grandma with a guy from her church. Turned out it wasn’t just a blind date, it was a double date. With my grandparents."
Giphy / Via giphy.com2. Free meal
"I once went out with a guy who was going to meet me at the restaurant I work at. He showed up drunk and had no money on him. He then proceeded to walk around the bar and ask different people for food off of their plates, at the place I work."
3. You shouldn't eat animals, but you can wear them...
"It's ironic when someone preaches about their values but contradicts them in their actions. This can lead to confusion and mistrust in relationships," says Dr. Helen Fisher, a biological anthropologist and relationship expert at helenfisher.com. "Authenticity is crucial for genuine connections."
Calabrese / Via giphy.com4. Why did you say that?
"My date asked me to get some coffee before we went to see a movie and I told him 'coffee gives me diarrhea.' I instantly realized what I’d said and knew I couldn’t backpedal."
5. Guitar on the first date?
"I went out with a guy who brought his guitar on our first date. I'm a musician, but NO." On top of that, he played me songs he wrote about his unrequited love for his ex.— Dr. Laura Berman, sex therapist
Nickelodeon / Via giphy.com
6. Just let me check what else is out there...
"I went bowling with this guy, and after we played a game, we got nachos and sat down at a table. We talked a few minutes before he pulled out his phone and proceeded to swipe through Tinder right in front of me."
7. Best first date ever
"It was supposed to be a quick first date — just a light hike to check out the super bloom — but I fell about 20 minutes in, breaking my ankle in three places. When we called for help, they sent a helicopter and I ended up getting flown out. Nothing like a first date ending in the hospital!"— Dr. Alexandra Solomon, relationship therapist
youtube.com
8. Over-plucking
"I went on a date to a teppanyaki restaurant where they cook the food in the middle of the table. There was a giant flame at one point and my date started going nuts, saying the flame had burned my eyebrows off. I ran to the bathroom to check and nope, they were the eyebrows I came in with. Man, over-plucking in the '90s was a bad idea on so many levels!"
9. A man just took a nap...
"I went on a Bumble date and the first thing the guy says is, 'I took a nap before our date and didn’t have time to shower.' Our date was at 4 p.m. AND he went to the gym beforehand. There was not a second date."— Dr. Terri Orbuch, relationship researcher and author
Disney
10. Chewing tobacco
"I went on a movie date with this guy who chewed tobacco through the whole movie. He drove me home, and while still chewing, leaned in to try to make out. I high-fived him and bolted from that car so fast!"
11. She broke the man
"My date went in for a hug and I ended up jumping and wrapping my legs around him. His knees buckled and we both almost fell. To this day I still don’t understand why my first instinct was to jump and wrap my legs around him. So embarrassing."
Universal
12. Not a word
"I went on a date with a guy to the movies. We talked a lot before the movie started. After it ended, he walked straight out to his car and left. Didn’t say a word to me or even see if I got to my car. Never heard from him again."
13. Harry Styles on my mind...
"We were sitting in the car when he asked me what I was thinking about and I said, 'Harry Styles.'”— Dr. Ramani Durvasula, clinical psychologist
Netflix
14. Squirrels ruined her love life
"We didn’t even make it to a first date. This guy and I had been texting for a few days when he told me that he was scared of squirrels. I thought he was joking, so I sent him pictures of the squirrels outside my place. Nope. Deathly afraid of them."
Also, if you are worried about karma, the narrator setting their friend up with their crush, despite the crush’s past history, is a brutal reminder.
15. Are you a werewolf?
"I was on a second date with a guy, and we drove out to these woods near my apartment. After he parked the car, he looked at me and said, 'I have to tell you something.' For some reason, his saying that reminded me of the 'Thriller' music video where Michael Jackson parks in the woods with his date. I immediately blurted out 'Are you a werewolf?'""There are no words to describe the look on his face. Needless to say, things didn’t work out."
Epic
One individual recounted a particularly alarming experience during law school when they went on a date with a man unfamiliar with the concept of a jury. This fundamental gap in knowledge led the individual to decide against further communication. The situation took a bizarre turn weeks later when he sent her a YouTube video of himself playing guitar, highlighting the often surreal nature of modern dating.
17. Different shoes
"I put my shoes on in the dark and showed up on a first date in two different pairs."
ABC
18. Not good enough
"I went on a first date with a guy to a pool hall. He left in the middle of the date because he was mad that I wasn't good enough at playing pool."
19. Beers in lap
"This guy and I were sitting in a booth at a bar. I felt like we were totally hitting it off, so, after he'd told me something endearing, I decided to lean over the table and kiss him. Knocked both our beers into his lap. We never spoke again."
NBC
20. So awkward...
"I went on an art gallery date with this pretentious guy who was 40 minutes late and explained the whole thing to me. Afterward, he asked me if I wanted to go to lunch. I told him I had to meet my mom, so he walked me to my car - which I couldn’t find for two hours because I'd lost it in the parking lot. So, so, so awkward."
21.
"I was on a third date at a pub where we had some appetizers and drinks. Afterwards, he walked me back to my hotel, where we stood awkwardly at the lobby doors as I waited for him to kiss me. We ended up just having an awkward hug and I was kind of disappointed. Once I got into the elevator, I looked in the mirror and realized I had a giant piece of green onion stuck in my front teeth and it had been there for at least the last hour. No wonder he didn’t want to kiss me."
HBO
22. Tell me about your favorite salad.
"I was on a first date where it was like my date didn’t know how to speak. I had to start all the conversations. At one point, I couldn’t think of anything else to say. Above his head was a sign pointing to the salad bar, so I panicked and asked what his favorite salad dressing was. He said, 'Dry. I like my salad plain.' I asked for the check and left."
23. Disgusting:
"My date and I were on our way to a movie when the dude said, 'You’re so hot, I can’t get rid of this boner — think you could help me out before we get there?'"Uh, no thanks."— Dr. Laura Berman, sex therapist
Moosh / Via giphy.com
The awkwardness of being asked out while already on a date highlights the complexities of modern dating.
25. Bad coincidence
"I was walking around the mall with a date and I had on some tight shorts. I bent down to look at something on a bottom shelf when my shorts constricted my stomach and I accidentally let out a huge fart right in front of him! I stood up, extremely embarrassed (and seriously regretting the burrito I had for lunch) and he told me there was a hole in my shorts.Yep, I ripped a fart and my shorts at the same time. It was a very awkward ride home afterwards and he ghosted me not too long after that."
TLC
The experience of going on a blind date in a foreign country can be daunting, as illustrated by the story of someone who found themselves paired with an older widower in China. The added pressure of being scrutinized by not only the man himself but also by multiple family members, his sister and her husband, along with the late wife's sister and her husband, turns a simple dinner into an intense social examination. This scenario reflects the high stakes and complexities that often accompany modern dating, especially when family dynamics become intertwined with the search for romance.
27. You didn't dry my pants well...
"On a first date, the guy got DRUNK and dropped food on his pants. He was too drunk to drive home at the end of the night, so I set him up to sleep on the couch, then threw his pants in the wash and then the dryer. He left early, like 5 a.m., then called me to complain his pants weren’t completely dry....this is why I don’t date often."
giphy.com
28. Alien abduction. Sadly, they brought him back...
"My great aunt set me up with her phlebotomist (she was homebound and he came to the house to do all her blood work). We met up for drinks and he spent the entire time telling me about his karaoke squad and his childhood alien abduction encounter.""I think the waitress picked up on the awkward vibes and pretty quickly brought the check. I never let my family play matchmaker again."
29. Demons...
"I’m actually on a first date right now. The guy is sleeping. Before he fell asleep, he explained to me that he’s vulnerable to demons and thinks he was possessed once. I'm excited to never see him again."
Giphy Originals / Via giphy.com
There are so many weirdos out there, and they made dating a difficult game impossible to win. Some people even give up on it.
It’s better to be alone than to suffer an endless series of horrible dates. But you shouldn’t give up.
You just have to stop forcing it. Many people are so afraid of being alone that they go out on dates with people they wouldn’t even consider seeing a couple of years ago.
You don’t have to stop dating - you just have to choose more wisely.
Want the restaurant meltdown version? See the AITA dinner date where the date tried to control the restaurant choice.
