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AIBU?

Share your dilemmas and get honest opinions from other Mumsnetters.

To ask if you think this is poor first date etiquette or not?

280 replies

Toddzoid · 16/05/2016 01:01

I went on a first date earlier. For starters he was half an hour late which I thought was pretty terrible, I was loitering around the meeting spot feeling like a bit of an idiot and towards the end was extremely tempted to tell him where to stick it... However he more than made up for it during the date. He was warm, kind, funny, charasmatic etc. We were having a fab time... Until his friends turn up at the bar. Instead of a simple hello and introduction which is what I expected, he invited them to sit with us! There was zero effort to include me in the conversation either, it was pretty much as though I weren't there discussing things between themselves about their shared nights out and such. I made my excuses up after maybe ten or fifteen minutes and left. He walked me to the bar entrance, hugged and asked if we could go for dinner next weekend. I wasn't sure whether I wanted to actually and felt it had all been rather rude.

I asked my friend for advice and she said she'd have felt flattered he wanted to introduce her to his friends. I didn't see it like that at all but then I am quite the introvert so not sure whether that has a bearing on things! AIBU to find it rude or is it just me being awkward?

OP posts:
mylifestory · 17/05/2016 21:10

all this what if .... just go on another date and then you decide if there'll be a 3rd, stick with your gut, its probably right.
good luck!

Baconyum · 17/05/2016 22:38

All the pps saying 'my dp/dh did x y z on our first date'

1 there's always exceptions to the rule

2 they iirc only did one thing wrong eg being late, one fault can be excused, 3/4 Hmm

I do think also that women (people? I've seen male friends get sucked into unhealthy relationships too though it happens more rarely imo) need to become more aware of the sunken costs fallacy, we all need to expect more from our relationships, that way we stay long term with/marry the people we're best suited to, instead of high divorce and split family rates.

homeiswheretheginis · 17/05/2016 22:42

I wouldn't see him again. mrsterrypratchett is right, if he does this when he's supposed to be impressing you, how's he going to treat you down the line?

falange · 17/05/2016 22:48

The fact you are even asking means you know. He's an arse. Do not go on another date.

Bogeyface · 18/05/2016 00:10

And yes he is very laid back which is something I find fairly attractive, to a point. Mostly because the EA ex was very full on, pushy, intense, strong willed etc so I'm pretty much looking for the opposite of that right now which is laid back, relaxed, KIND! All of which he seems but we'll see.

But the worry there is that you go too far the other way. "Cant be arsed" looks very much like Laid Back at first....

Baconyum · 18/05/2016 00:16

Yea I made that mistake, intense full on ex fiance, CBA ex husband.

Alidoll · 18/05/2016 09:14

I'd be inclined to give him another chance. If he messes up that however...

He didn't plan for his mates to turn up, and they were rude for not at least attempting to speak to you - even if it was only small talk.

However he did apologise for being late (granted the reason is pretty poor given he knew he was meeting you the next day).

If he doesn't pull out all the stops at the next date then sod him. Plenty more fish in the sea as they say.

Lindsxxx · 18/05/2016 09:45

Gosh.
People on here are very judgemental without the full facts. could be that this fella is in another forum saying should he have a second date with a girl who met his friends for the first time and didn't join in with the conversation lol
Anyway. What I would say is, if the rest of the date was good and you got on where is the harm of a second date. You just never know, he could be the man of your dreams - people have had much worse first dates than yours and gone on to marry them.
I met my husband online dating, his picture looked like he was a rapist lol it was awful and blurry, and we were chatting at least a month before I finally decided to meet him (so that I could tell him I didn't fancy him) we met in a public place, he was faaaaaaar better looking than his picture and 6 years later we are married with two children ;-D
I could so easily have fobbed him off and never met him because of his godawful profile pic!!

Lindsxxx · 18/05/2016 09:47

Oh, and I was terribly late for our first date - but I kept him up to date with proceedings - he ever held it against me :-)

magicboy79 · 18/05/2016 12:00

Yes that's rude but not rude enough to write him off just yet. I'd give it 1 or 2 more dates and see what you think. If there was a bit of a spark there see how it goes. Maybe he was nervous about the date and had the friends for safety or maybe his friends are his life and when he meets the right girl that will phase out

Toddzoid · 18/05/2016 12:21

I can be awkward and I am pretty introverted however have overcome social anxiety that I had in my late teens and now am fairly good at getting involved with social situations. Before I would have sat there quiet as a mouse even if they were discussing something I could get involved with but now I'd definitely jump in where appropriate. There just wasn't any room for me to jump in at all. It just wasn't that sort of conversation. I think his friends were as rude as him but that none of them thought anything of it. It's possible the friends didn't even realise it was a first date. They all seemed very laid back, it's probably normal for them to jump in when they see friends at a bar or whatever, it probably didn't even occur to them not to.

It wasn't a blind date. We met at our mutual friends birthday party which was lively so we could only shout at one another for about ten minutes before exchanging numbers and we text a bit for a couple of weeks before arranging the date.

He's been really lovely with texts since and I'm looking forward to the weekend to see what he's like not hungover Wink. I mean if I got along with him so well in that sort of state I'm assuming it can only get better when he's feeling better but we'll see. I'll definitely be on my guard and if he's late again or cocks it up in any other way it's game over.

OP posts:
iMogster · 18/05/2016 15:26

Give him one more chance.

DixieNormas · 18/05/2016 16:58

This reply has been deleted

Message withdrawn at poster's request.

blitheringbuzzards1234 · 18/05/2016 17:44

Yes, it was poor for a 1st date. Being late is one thing but to not include you in the conversation is worse. Do you think he was playing a psychological game? Apparently some chaps give some attention to their dates, take it away, then give attention again - like playing with a fish on a line. It comes under the 'playing hard to get' routine so it leaves you wanting more, ultimately you can get hurt. Is he worth it? Personally I'm not into game-playing and I don't think a decent person like you is either.

blitheringbuzzards1234 · 18/05/2016 17:47

On the other hand he may have asked his pals round just in case you stood him up and he didn't want to waste an evening. Perhaps they are his 'safety net' against shyness? Only you can decide if that's the case. Just hope he's on time next time.

VioletSunshine · 18/05/2016 18:43

Well if you can work through all the people here pressuring you to do what they want you do, OP, maybe you're not doing so bad after your EA ex after all :) you seemed to be going back and forth between doing what you wanted to do, and what some of the more insistent posters were telling you to do for most of this thread.

PassiveAgressiveQueen · 18/05/2016 19:50

I'd give him another chance, the friends bit wouldn't bother me but the lateness would

I am the reverse, not the lateness, but the friends would annoy me.

ToDuk · 19/05/2016 05:58

Same here Passive. Maybe they're used to him having a continuous string of girls so don't bother making any kind of effort now as it will be a different one next week.

Toddzoid · 19/05/2016 07:08

He's been on three (failed) dates this year since his last relationship ended in December. This is what he told me. It might not be true however our mutual friend seems to think this man is a decent man, not the player type. Well he saw us talking at the party and came over afterwards to ask what happened, I explained we'd exchanged numbers and friend told me he's one of the good 'uns and I'll do alright with him. I've met and been with players in the past, he didn't give off those vibes BUT you never know do you so like I say, I will be on my guard.

OP posts:
Lweji · 19/05/2016 07:13

He may not be a player but still not good relationship material.
If he is the roo laid back, hardly registers you're there on favour of his hovbies/work and friends, is that what you want?
Not saying you shouldn't. The problem is that it may come a time when you need him to be there for you and he won't.

Whocansay · 19/05/2016 07:19

Not being a player does not mean that he will make a good boyfriend. I can't imagine why his last 3 dates have failed. Could it be that he was rude to them too?

Trills · 19/05/2016 07:53

What happened on these "failed" dates?

Did they just not click? I wouldn't exactly call that a failure, just the most common consequence of a first date.

Or did she climb out of the bathroom window?

Birdsgottafly · 19/05/2016 07:59

My abusive ex is very much regarded as 'a good un' by everyone he meets, because publicly, he does everything right. He's a great friend, he's a rubbish Boyfriend, though.

OP, what gives you the impression that he's laid back? He doesn't sound laid back, he's forcibly pursued you the next day, tried to add you on SM, before the apologies started. He's made the next date all about him being better, not your experience. In other words, he's put himself at the centre.

,"" I honestly don't think this guy will have thought he was doing anything wrong! But he absolutely was, it made me feel so pushed out.
But he clearly wasn't in the zone for a date and I don't think on any other day he'd have been like that""

You don't know him to make that judgement. You've already compromised your standards and are pre-guessing the reasons for his behaviour. The date went in cycles of good/bad. Does that not remind you of the EA?

Just be very open to any other red flags and don't give a third chance.

Also, decide if his lack of consideration towards you, really matters to you and his use of alcohol to get through something, even though he had something important to do the next day (your date).

That's if you want a relationship with a future, living together etc, if not, then dating should be fun.

Just take back control of your boundaries.

Toddzoid · 22/05/2016 12:47

Thought I'd pop back with an update Grin.

He was half an hour early! So had to wait for me this time Wink. He wasn't hungover so looked a lot healthier. Went to see the film which was fab, went for dinner, had drinks. All good. No friends cropped up. It went very, very well and we joked a bit about the first date and how bad it was Grin. Planned a third date for next weekend! Super glad I gave it another shot.

OP posts:
Arkhamasylum · 22/05/2016 12:56

I'm glad it went well! 😃