To think single people get treated worse by society in general?

[DancingDonovan]

I have become single relatively recently after being in a LTR well about a year ago. In that time it's really started to depress me that I am seemingly treated like a second class member of society because I am not half of a couple. A few examples include :

Awkward pauses when I ask for a table for one (not fancy restaurants normal cabin places at lunch) and the odd person looking over/ staring

Friends in couples no longer want to socialise with me as much

People have told me I can't go on holiday on my own as its weird and what will I do

Colleagues asking what I did at the weekend and looking pityingly at me when I say I did X y and X but when hey ask "with who" I say " by myself"

It's so infuriating! I'm late 30s FWIW. Has anyone else experienced this feeling?

Some people need to find a reason to believe they are better than others. Which proves they think little of themselves rather than you. It is more expensive making holiday and travel bookings for singles. Also fewer tax benefits for singles , who are subsidizing those with cc.
Some pension schemes pass on the pension to the surviving spouse which means singles who are paying into the pension plan are subsiding this passed on pension for otherepople'swives /husbands. This has been included in same sex marriages also. It does not pay to be single?

nocoolnames
this had crossed my mind too - especially when the special offers are usually based on two sharing
will try it next time I see a '2 go cheaper offer'

nocoolnames what a brilliant idea.

I totally agree OP.

When I was young, my friend and I hitchhiked around Europe and had many adventures. I didn't think a friendship could get closer and then she got married and suddenly if I got invited to dinner, she would mumble about having to find a man to even up the table and such crap. Never mind I rescued her from her previous husband and gave her a home and cared for her after he beat her up and kicked her in the stomach, resulting in her losing her baby. It was much more onerous for her to find another man to invite to dinner. Cue end of friendship.

The last time i went to a restaurant alone, there were literally 2 couples in the whole place but they chose to put me at a tiny table jutted up against a serving counter. I said no thanks and walked out - there are plenty of restaurants that don't treat you as a leper.

I'm definitely not someone who would enjoy eating alone. I'd feel really self conscious! But I also think that's a culture thing as much as a single thing: in Italy and France they are fine with it. I went to Italy with a friend a few years ago and was very ill and there weren't any shops open and she was hungry so went to a restaurant alone and it didn't elicit any stares or comments.

There's also an assumption from some people have that you have no commitments, no responsibilities, endless money, ability to just do whatever you want. Maybe for some, but not all.

Ok, as a single person for two decades at least yanbu. But a lot of this is what we imagine. (But I say this now as a married, not showing off, person). Nobody cares if you're alone in a cafe, bar, etc, average time for your drink/snack/meal........equals the same time to recall you.