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Relationships

Mumsnet has not checked the qualifications of anyone posting here. If you need help urgently or expert advice, please see our domestic violence webguide and/or relationships webguide. Many Mumsnetters experiencing domestic abuse have found this thread helpful: Listen up, everybody

Online dating...... where have all the good men gone? Thread 110.

999 replies

Evilwater · 12/11/2016 21:18

I know these threads have come in handy for many dipping their toes for the first time into OLD. So here we are again ... another 1000 posts down:

  1. The first rule about the dating thread is you don't talk about it with people you're dating.
  2. Develop a thick skin.
  3. Do not invest emotionally too soon.
  4. It's all BS until it actually happens.
  5. Trust your gut instinct.
  6. People vanishing, lying & being generally weird is not your fault.
  7. You are the prize-they should be trying to impress you.
  8. If it's not fun, stop.
  9. Loo update is mandatory.
10. No dating the thread. 11. Read Why Men Love Bitches (aka WMLB), and take from it what you will. 12. Don't serve up moose burgers on the first date (although this is still in debate right now) 13. Matthew Hussey also very useful. And very easy on the eye even if you don't find him any good. 14. IF THEY SAY THEY DON'T WANT A RELATIONSHIP, THEY DON'T WANT A RELATIONSHIP
OP posts:
Bant · 01/12/2016 22:24

Oh I'd get back together with her tomorrow, boxing, if she sorted her issues out. She's married but separated from her husband several years ago, but won't even consider divorce because of what her family would think. So she refers to me as her friend in public, and in private tells me she's in love with me. And suffers from anxiety issues so sometimes gets terrified that I'm going to push her in the canal, even though as far as I'm concerned we're just happily walking along, hand in hand, chatting about life.

She has lots of issues. I was hoping she'd looked into a divorce, because maybe then we could move on. She hasn't.

BoxingHelena · 01/12/2016 22:38

crikey that is a lot to take on Bant.
Is she still living with ex? Otherwise I do not understand how a divorce make any difference to her family

Evilwater · 01/12/2016 22:49

I've talked to mr friend, and told him, that I don't know if we a going to go anywhere, and that I suffer from anxiety. The anxiety seems to be clouding my judgment and it makes it difficult for me to make a decision. It was a very difficult conversation, as I find my ex really difficult to talk about and I couldn't / not ready to give out details. Me leaving was documented on MN several years ago.

I wish my red flag radar, would just quit and and let my enjoy just being with a person. I hate being a nervous wreck, and it would be wonderful not to be permanently scared, of everything.

OP posts:
Bant · 01/12/2016 23:07

No boxing, the ex lives round the corner at his mums. Has done for four years, and has been with someone else for a couple of years now. He's round most days doing school runs, taking the bins out, etc.

We've met a few times, he's actually told her to try and fix things with me when she's called it off in the past. He's not a bad guy.

The family is part of a close Catholic community so it's all gossip and judgement. I'm not a catholic so my perspective would be to tell them to mind their own business, but..

Lilacpink40 · 01/12/2016 23:26

Bant she doesn't sound as though she wants to change and you, sensibly, don't want to be messed around. At least you know that you tried, always good to have fewer 'what ifs'.

Evil my red flag radar means sometimes I'm missing jokes as I'm analysing things that are said in jest (i.e. if said by female friend I'd laugh but with current date I'm concentrating a lot).

What sort of things is your radar picking up on?

sumoweeble · 02/12/2016 02:40

Thank you, Bant. That's v helpful. I feel I haven't behaved very well towards him as have kind of semi-ghosted him because i felt bad about backtracking. Must do better at fundamental human decency...

The ex situation sounds very hard. Sorry to hear that.

Love/attraction is so ironic with everyone lusting and longing for people who they can't have or don't like them back or are bad for them or don't even register them on their consciousness... someone approached me today and greeted me by name, really seemed excited to see me, possibly in a phwooar way and I had no idea who he was at all.

lastnicknamefree · 02/12/2016 07:21

Help meee! Had my date/non date last night and it was the same as last time! ie good fun, we chatted easily and get on really well but I have no idea if we're just friends. I've never had 2 dates with someone and them not made a move. I was up for kissing him to test chemistry, I felt like I wanted to and was attracted to him, though I wouldn't exactly say fireworks. I hugged him goodbye in the car, not just a quick friendly hug and bolt but a longer hug trying to give him signals and he kissed me on the head like a child! I feel like he's friend zoned me but then he asked me to go out again, to see a other film. Why would he keep messaging me and asking me out of he wasn't interested? Do guys even do that? And this sounds really awful, it's not meant to be but being honest, I'm better looking than him so I'm quite offended he doesn't seem to fancy me 😂😂😂

Evilwater · 02/12/2016 08:07

The red flags are;
that he can't seem to get a descent job to live off. He is currently staying at his nans.
He's only been back in the U.K for since October, so even if I did a police search it wouldn't flag up stuff. He's a uk national, come home.
He's very intuitive when it comes to emotional stuff.
I don't seem to get his jokes

OP posts:
pringlecat · 02/12/2016 08:46

lastnicknamefree I would feel the same as you. Did you give him any signals before the very end of the date? Maybe he's just super shy and needed a bit more signposting...

Evilwater October this year? If he's only been in the UK a few months, looking for a job and staying with relatives isn't terrible. What would bother me more is not getting his jokes - I think being on the same page humour-wise is so important.

pringlecat · 02/12/2016 08:57

Guess who's been viewing my profile again? He's gone and got some new photos... yes, he's still tied up and gagged in them...

I WANT TO MEET A NORMAL PERSON.

genuineguy · 02/12/2016 09:23

Most guys are crap at picking up signals, women can be subtle whereas we tend to need be told when we've missed something!! Definitely applies to me!! There's nothing wrong with a woman moving in for the first kiss.
At the end of one date I wasn't sure whether she was interested, kissed her on the cheek and she said "oh, I was expecting a better kiss than that"...2nd kiss was better!
If it feels right and you are interested tell them, if they don't reciprocate then you know where you stand!

sumoweeble · 02/12/2016 09:29

ewww, pringle!! Maybe block him? Unless it's just too amusing to do so?

Could he be playing hard to get, lastnick? Not sure if she's still on here or what's happened with her relationship but there was a lovely woman a few threads ago called Louisa and it seemed to take ages for the guy she met to make a move but all developed beautifully in the end. On balance it seems to be quite a good sign when they're NOT all over you like a rash during the first few dates, I reckon. Slow burners and all that. Of course, he could just be boring with no taste but perhaps worth giving him a chance if you're both interested in another date?

Have messaged bikeman to tell of preoccupation with ex as per bant's suggestion. He seems pleased that I (belatedly) made the effort to be a decent human being and communicate rather than just ghost him- thanks for advice on that.:)

BoxingHelena · 02/12/2016 09:30

lastnicknamefree it sounds as if it is actually going very well,
now you know you can be attracted to him
don't leave it too long to date 3 ;) if you are in the big smoke go that cinema with sofas and drinks ;)

BoxingHelena · 02/12/2016 09:33

morning ppl

Bant tbc it does sound like you have tried your best and you know what you are doing. Pls be delicate and honest with women you meet as you are still sound emotionally unavailable

BoxingHelena · 02/12/2016 09:34

so
can I just say
that
tonight
I may actually
(go and hurt myself)
Grin

lastnicknamefree · 02/12/2016 10:13

Thanks all for the responses and advice!
I think I'll see if he confirms another date or whatever were doing in the next few days or if he was just being polite.
I don't understand why he's so upfront and almost flirty over message but distant in person! He doesn't seem shy? Or that type?
Maybe he genuinely doesn't fancy me and wants to be friends.
Bizarrely him not showing me any romantic inclinations is making me fancy him more than I did!

Itjustdisappeared · 02/12/2016 10:22

I was in here a few threads back. In the OI corner. I've nc. Feeling sad right now as man I've been seeing for a couple of months appears to be fading away. It sucks. He's just gone quiet. I'm telling myself it's nothing I've done, not me, (it might be but im not going to let that ruin my day) etc but it still hurts. I spent a bit of time thinking I might not be ready for a relationship as I have been feeling like I want a commitment and been afraid to push for it. The exclusive convo was kind of sidestepped and I felt if I couldn't be assertive about it I probably shouldn't be in it. So I'm now feeling like it was inevitable. And maybe it isn't that I wasn't ready; maybe he was just wrong man. So we've gone from constant daily messages to pretty much nothing over the last week, and now if he does get in touch I'm a bit unclear about what to do. Assuming he has a good reason for disappearing, do I even want to be with a man who doesn't let me know what he's up to? I bloody hate the waiting. Sorry to be all about me.

ThomasRichard · 02/12/2016 11:05

BoxingHelena the back-to-back date was interesting. First date was with a really nice scientist chap. It was date #2 and we had a very very chaste kiss as we said goodbye. In fact, I kissed him Blush and he was pretty happy about it. Date #2 was a new one with a graphic designer that I'd been speaking to for a while via Bumble and on the phone. Because it was so late I ended up staying at his house and I think he would have liked things to go a bit further but I kept it cool, which he was fine with. I do feel like a bit of a hussy though! I'm going out with scientist chap again this evening so I think we might discuss dating exclusively then.

I've come across a few weirdos so far, including an investment banker who wanted our 'first date' to be at a very swanky hotel Hmm Bet he's married... Nothing like the odd ones some of you have seen!

BoxingHelena · 02/12/2016 11:38

how did you leave it the last time you met or spoke a week ago ? Itjustdisappeared

BoxingHelena · 02/12/2016 12:00

Thomas sounds like you are having a good time ;-) and well done for the chaste sleep over Smile

pringlecat · 02/12/2016 12:03

Well, after a few days of moping and feeling utterly rejected, I have picked myself up. It's a bit stupid, but it may help you too, Itjustdisappeared.

What upsets me is not finding out how it ends. With OLD, it's so brutal, someone disappears and you never see the other person again due to having no mutual friends.

I imagined we went on a few more dates, it didn't really work and we both decided to call it quits. It sounds really silly but finishing the story in my head and ending it in a way that makes more sense to me personally has helped me put him in a box and feel happier.

Interestingly, you can totally manipulate Bumble (now that it's working for me again!) into finding out what sort of men have already swiped right. The answer is younger. Shock Applying the age old rule of divide by half and add seven, there are still quite a few boys who have swiped right who I feel are too young for me...

I wonder if it's because younger men prefer me, there are more younger men on Bumble or because younger men are more inclined to swipe right to everyone? I still haven't met any mind, everyone I've met up with has been either my age or a little older!

Here's to a glorious weekend everyone, with lots more dates, looking for dates and generally feeling fabulous about ourselves. That goes for you too, Itjustdisappeared. You know you deserve better. Finish the story, move on, look for a new iron. And yes, I know that advice is bloody hard to follow when you're still hung up on an old iron and wondering what the hell happened. But even if he replies, you deserve so much better than someone who isn't that keen on you - go looking again!

Evilwater · 02/12/2016 12:14

pringle OMG tied up! I wish I could see so I could laugh my face off!
last maybe he was surprised? Is it going to hurt to see him again?
sumo Wine
itjust don't worry about it all being about you. I hope the days you were happy, were worth it. Sorry to see your back.
boxing good luck Grin
bant Flowers
geniuneguy thanks for the heads up.

Sorry if I've forgotten anyone.

OP posts:
Evilwater · 02/12/2016 12:16

itjust I second pringles advice.

We are the prize!

OP posts:
BoxingHelena · 02/12/2016 12:16

great to read you positive again pringle
I'm starting to feel a bit nervous... smiley nervous though... need some hand holding here

AintThatSomething · 02/12/2016 12:23

Pringlecat- glad you have sorted of semi-cleared your head- it is difficult Sad How do you fiddle bumble to see who has swiped?

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