The ghastly people I've been set up with

[Bustarhymes]

I'm posting out of misery in the hope someone on MN says something nice to cheer me up. I'm single and in 40s. Finding a gentleman friend is no joke. But these are the people my so-called friends have produced as 'ideal for you, darling'.

1. The perfect all-American preppy man. Shame he had a conviction for fraud they didn't mention. When I mentioned it, he said dismissively 'oh that was just old ladies' savings'.

1. The interesting and charming artist. Who was a not-so-secret alcoholic and didn't sell any paintings.

1. The surveyor who was an untreated schizophrenic (he was by far the nicest and friendliest, incidentally)

1. The funny, apparently kind local cricketer. Who's just been done for benefit fraud as he claimed he couldn't walk and was caught playing golf three times a week.

None of these men had jobs or proper homes, it goes without saying. The fraudster couldn't ever work again, by the sounds of things.

Am I doomed? Is there anyone better out there? And am I reasonable to secretly be bit pissed off with my friends that I get dumped with this startling level of dross of the dating world?

Sod getting a man, you need to get some new friends.

How do your friends know all these shady characters?

I rather agree, Fanny and Monkey - my so-called mates seem to drag these people out of the depths of their social lives to dump on me. I've taken to refusing any kind of set up now, with a merry laugh. And the quiet conviction said mates are lining up a paedophile terrorist who is 'so awfully nice'.

I agree, Fanny.

Nice that these are the people your friends think you would be happy with.

Or do they just think a man, a man, any man will do?

I was thinking similar... Have your friends met them on the 'inside' ;0)
I think that perhaps you need to ask your friends to vet any potential suitors more carefully. Or, have you tried OLD, where you can select your own?
It's not easy when you are a single mum (I know as i am one). I keep asking myself "why can't I find a man who is normal?"...whatever that is!

You'd probably be better off hanging around the magistrates. At least that way you know their criminal history when read out during sentencing...

New friends! Yes!

Ha! Do you know anyone else with such bad luck? I feel in need of a bit of cheer, to be honest.

How about looking around the supermarket on a Friday evening, lots of lone men shop then. They will have lots of frozen meals & tins of beans in their baskets.

Sounds less like a string of blind dates and more like the character list for a murder mistery party