AIBU to try and meet someone in real life rather than online?

[lastnamechange]

Online dating really doesn't do it for me. But how do you meet a partner in real life? My friends rarely go out and if we do it's mainly for dinner or the cinema. I really miss the thrill of meeting a man, getting to know them, the thrill and the spark. I just can't muster the energy or excitement of that online.

And this dearth of men means that I'm obsessively latching on to the very few men I meet in real life even though they're not remotely suitable.

Im starting to wonder whether I should just accept my life of cinema and dinner with my girlfriends and watching Netflix alone.

I say don't close your mind to anything. Perhaps join some book clubs, volunteer, take cooking classes, whatever, and you could meet someone there. You can also keep trying your luck with online dating. Who knows where you'll meet your perfect someone?

Go to sporting events where there's lots of men.
I'm not looking for a man but me and my friends like to go horse racing on the non posh days.
We always get chatted up and some of them are really nice guys. You can chat to guys about form and odds but it's also a good day or evening out. We don't dress up - just jeans and a warm jacket.

Men use to just approach me on the street. Doesn't that happen to you? It doesn't happen often anymore now as I'm always with my kids.

If you want to do this you will need to be proactively approaching men. I can’t remember the last time a stranger chatted me up in a bar...

Online dating while a pain in the ass increased the number of men I was meeting exponentially but appreciate it’s brutal and not everyone cup of tea

Are you in London? I’ve recently started speeddating with some other single friends (we like DatesInADash) and found it to be much more chilled and fun than I imagined. Don’t know what it’s like in other cities though

I don't think online dating is that bad. It's better than "obsessively latching on to men you meet in real life."
I know a lot of happy couples who met online. Just avoid hook up apps like Tinder.

What difference does it make where you meet? I haven't had a relationship since being a teen that wasn't started online (main one not from OLD, but still online).

I prefer it, rarely meet anyone irl I have anything in common with

Dating events? Clubs/hobbies? They do holidays on both those areas too if you wanted a change of scenery.