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Original poster

I did something daring today... do you think I'll get a reply?

270 replies

aurynne · 16/08/2021 01:31

I was at the Drs. waiting room today and a gentleman came in and sat by my side. We looked briefly and smiled at each other. I thought he looked like a really nice person, not gorgeously handsome but there was something in him that made me want to know a bit more. He was well dressed and was wearing a name tag but I did not find the way to properly read it without being very obvious. I was trying to find an excuse to talk to him when I was called in to my appointment.

When I finished he was gone. I was just about to leave myself, when I stopped and thought: "What the hell, what do you have to lose?". So I asked the receptionist: "Excuse me, I'm going to be cheeky but, if I pass you a note would you be able to give it to the gentleman who was sitting by my side about 20 min ago?". She smiled at me looking amused and said that it could be arranged.

So I quickly scribbled this on the back of a receipt: "Hello, I am the lady sitting by your side at the waiting room earlier. I was wondering, would you like to go for a coffee one day? If not, I just hope this note made your day. Aurynne, 555-3453", and a smiley face.

I can't believe I did that!!! I'm 45, no spring chicken, but I am feeling quite excited. I have no idea whether the man is married, has a girlfriend, is gay or celibate, but even if I get no answer I am enjoying imagining his face when he gets the note. Which I really hope he gets. I want to know where he works, and why he was wearing a name tag. And what his name is. And most of all, whether he thought he'd like to know me too, or if it was all in my head only.

Do you think I'll get a reply?

Has anyone else done something like this? Please tell me what happened while I nervously wait for a message that may never arrive!!!

OP posts:
HalzTangz · 16/08/2021 07:51

@WaterIsBest

Name tag = Jehovah's Witness
Or it could be someone's name tag as part of their uniform for work
NeilTheBaby · 16/08/2021 07:52

Oh good lord I wonder how anyone meets anyone these days if you can't even leave a note for someone with your phone number on.

The receptionist wouldn't be doing anything wrong!

It's not wolf whistling, he's not an old man stalking a teen girl!! Get a grip.

HalzTangz · 16/08/2021 07:52

@Doublestar

You were in the Dr's waiting room with another waiting patient on a Sunday?

Ooh, I was just getting my hat ready a la Cilla as well! Sigh. (Have you thought about becoming a detective LuluJakey? Grin)

It's America or somewhere so quite likely a surgery would be open on a weekend
Lumpwoody · 16/08/2021 07:54

I fucking hope the receptionist would be doing something wrong. Seriously.

There’s plenty of places to meet someone. If the op was that keen she could have opened her mouth and talked to him when he was sitting beside her.

sycamore54321 · 16/08/2021 07:55

There are definitely different power dynamics in a woman approaching a man rather than the other way round.

While this move might be sweet and daring in another setting, (maybe waiting for your MOT or something), I think though here that a doctor’s waiting room is a very different place and people are there for very personal private reasons. There’s an expectation of confidentiality in your exchanges with a doctor and so roping in the receptionist is not on. It might just about be ok to approach someone yourself directly, if you’d spoken to the man yourself, but it’s really not acceptable at all for someone official being used to approach you in that setting.

I suspect the receptionist has the sense to smile indulgently at the OP and then binned the note. Path of least resistance all round

SquirryTheSquirrel · 16/08/2021 07:55

Oh good lord I wonder how anyone meets anyone these days

The OP had the opportunity to start up a conversation when he was sitting near her in the waiting room - a remark about the weather would have done it. He could then have shown interest, or not.

He also had that opportunity and didn't take it.

Lumpwoody · 16/08/2021 07:56

It isn’t the job of a doctors receptionist to judge the power dynamics and I’d hope to god they have a blanket rule.

Iloveginger · 16/08/2021 07:56

@SquirryTheSquirrel

Its a light hearted romantic anecdote

I just don't think we should be giving this sort of behaviour the thumbs up.

because of a possible GDPR breach? Shock
HalzTangz · 16/08/2021 07:56

@SquirryTheSquirrel

In the UK, for the receptionist to use his details for the purpose of passing on a note would be a GDPR breach - she should only be accessing his data for the purposes it was collected for. Not sure if the same is true where the OP is (guessing from format of phone number it isn't the UK).

Obviously the OP meant no harm, but there are situations where this sort of thing could be very frightening - abusive ex using this method is one that leaps to mind.

I'm not sure we should really be cheering this on.

Or presumably the chap was still in with the Dr and the receptionist could pass it him on the way out
Sparklingbrook · 16/08/2021 07:57

@NeilTheBaby

Oh good lord I wonder how anyone meets anyone these days if you can't even leave a note for someone with your phone number on. The receptionist wouldn't be doing anything wrong! It's not wolf whistling, he's not an old man stalking a teen girl!! Get a grip.
OP had met him. She was sitting right next to him.
Lumpwoody · 16/08/2021 07:57

Passing the note wouldn’t be a gdpr breach but it would be the wrong thing for the receptionist to do.

It’s not for a receptionist to judge an interaction and decide if it’s safe or not for a note to be passed. I would expect they have a blanket rule.

HalzTangz · 16/08/2021 07:59

@SquirryTheSquirrel

I’m assuming he had gone in for his appointment and therefore the receptionist could give him the note when he came back out.

OP said 'When I finished he was gone.'

If he was still in his appointment, why wouldn't she wait for him to come out and pass the note on herself?

OP said he had gone, I read that to be he had gone in for his appointment.
50ShadesOfCatholic · 16/08/2021 08:04

I did something similar. Turned into a very lovely relationship 💕

JustJustWhy · 16/08/2021 08:05

@Lumpwoody

I’m really uncomfortable about it.

I don’t understand why people are cheering it on either.

My dd is going to the doctor today. So it’s ok if some random bloke gets the receptionist to give him a note with his number on it and a sleazy message?

God yes. The note was SO SLEAZY. She was practically bending over and showing her hoop, in literary form. Hmm
Iloveginger · 16/08/2021 08:05

@SquirryTheSquirrel

Why wouldn’t it be fine if a man did it? It’s not like she’s stalking him. It’s a note.

How does the receptionist know that? For all the receptionist knows she could be his crazed ex, hellbent on making his life miserable.

Yet he somehow managed to sit with his crazed ex in the waiting room and crazed ex managed to restrain herself for duration, waiting until he’d gone to pass the note on. Someone’s very imaginative this morning.
50ShadesOfCatholic · 16/08/2021 08:06

@Lumpwoody

The receptionist doesn’t know who she is though or what her motivations are.

It’s wrong that they would insert themselves into this sort of thing. There must be guidance against it.

It’s not something to cheer on.
The doctors must have rules that are equivalent male and female. They can’t go well it’s ok coz she’s 40 something and female but it’s not ok coz he’s 40 something male and the woman is 19.

The receptionist will know who she is, goodness she'll have just paid her bill as she left.
blueberrywaffle · 16/08/2021 08:07

🍿
I hope he replies !!

romdowa · 16/08/2021 08:09

This would creep me out to no end. I doubt the receptionist will actually pass the note along through and it's probably gone in the bin, she probably just couldn't be bothered to tell you no. I often did this when customers would try and pass their numbers to my work colleagues. I'd smile and nod and the minute the walked out it would be dumped.

Iloveginger · 16/08/2021 08:09

Yes. tell us about your date op.
But don’t forget to report that receptionist to ico.

user97495 · 16/08/2021 08:10

Dr's appointment, in person, on a Saturday?! What could a man ever bring to your life with that level of fulfilment?!

user97495 · 16/08/2021 08:11

*weekend

goingtotown · 16/08/2021 08:12

He’ll think that you’re bonkers.

NiceTwin · 16/08/2021 08:13

I took my car for a windscreen repair yonks ago.
A couple of days later, I had a letter from one of the workers there.
I read it, thought how lovely but not my type, wrote a quick thank you but no thank you note back.
It didn't alarm me, I wasn't traumatised and I never gave it another thought.

Lumpwoody · 16/08/2021 08:14

The op will know who she is @50ShadesOfCatholic but she won’t know her motivations.

Do you know that I’m normal looking at me? That my ex isn’t a stalker? That’s some skills you’ve got if so.

HalzTangz · 16/08/2021 08:15

There are some uptight people on this thread.

It's just a note asking for a coffee date.

No GDPR has been broken.

It's not unprofessional to pass on a note that was left. I can think of several situations where a note may be passed from receptionist to a person.

Seriously are you people so scared in real life that you couldn't handle recieving a non threatening note that you could just put in the in if you didn't want it