Dating in lockdown?!

[Meeeh]

So - thanks to a lot of covid inflicted stresses and a family emergency, I am now single and signed up for online dating a few weeks ago.

Given we are in lockdown - some of the guys seem to think it’s still BAU as far as organising dates and I was wondering where all the SINGLE* people in here stand on this. Honestly please.

• if you are not single and living/bubbled with another grown up human, don’t comment as you have no idea

Well, you can still date technically... phone calls, video chat and current lock down rules say you can meet with one person outside socially distanced (I believe, might be wrong or confused....totally plausible to be confused with it all )
I was single during the first lock down, tried OLD but it got very boring, very quick!

I hear you but tbf it’s also keeping me sane at the moment as I’m on my own with the kids and my only other people are my childcare so nice to have the odd chat with a man.

You're not supposed to meet people outside of your support bubble as I understand it, so I would assume that dating in the traditional sense is not going to be allowed.

Lol yes, it was 6 months me and the kids all day every day.... drove me barmy! It was nice chatting to people of an evening, the odd video call. Didn’t feel I was getting anywhere though
You should check out the dating thread on here

From BBC news

‘Meeting indoors or in private gardens will not be allowed, but individuals can meet one other person from another household outside in a public place.’

Cryptic as per usual

The only person I know who is not living with their long term dp is still planning to meet up and presumably not at a SD!

They can't form a support bubble as they live in a flat share.

I work with that person and I'm 100% happy with her doing that.

The house share rules..... honestly! Like housemates will draw straws to decide who can bubble with family/partners

I guess if I were in the North with currently high infection rates - I’d be bit more careful. But in any other area - I’d be dating, yes.
You can meet other people outside even according to rules - and a first date is anyway most likely won’t be in someone’s house.

Single people dating isn’t the hugest public health. And impact of loneliness on people’s lives is invisible but no less important.

I've been single for a while, I wfh and live alone so it's just me 24/7. I used to have a lodger but he moved out as we went into lockdown number 1. As rules relaxed I formed a support bubble with my sister but had to stop that when we went into tier 2 a couple of weeks back as I've had a new tenant for a month. Who will be leaving next month so no support bubble for me this time until at least after that point.
I've followed all the rules and will be doing so again this time because I don't think I can moan about the situation when I'm not doing what I've been asked to. I had an outside date planned for last weekend with a bloke I'd been talking to for weeks because the new lockdown was announced, and as I know I won't be breaking the rules there's no point.
Getting out of this shit, my health and that of my family is far more important to me than dating right now. It can wait another 6 months in my opinion.

I would still chat to people during lockdown but meet afterwards. You can still meet for a socially distanced walk if you want to meet sooner. I think loads of people are on dating sites purely because it's such a hard time.

I met my partner 4 months ago and he was adamant we would stick to whatever rules were there. So I bought a raincoat and prepared myself! Thankfully he has softened his stance a bit but I don't anticipate much more than holding hands for the next month!

I'm totally gutted about the impact this new lockdown will have on my dating life. I'm hoping guys will be up for a walk as a date but that may be wishful thinking

I am going on a ‘date’ tonight and it will be very odd. We are meeting up in a park by the river for an early evening drink... Pissing down with rain now but supposedly dry by then...

@foreverlonely i think there's a happy medium though, dating slowly for a month, maybe socially distanced walks. I was annoyed that my partner wanted to be super strict about the rules initially but actually I don't think I would have liked anyone who flouted them completely when trying to date. Why not just chat to loads and take it slowly?

I've been chatting to someone for a number of weeks. He lives a couple of hours away and we haven't managed a date yet because of other plans - mine mainlu. We were supposed to meet this weekend but I just feel really meh now. What's the point? I don't have anyone else in my bubble so I don't see that I'd be breaking any rules but not being able to do any normal date things makes it all too intense somehow. I don't want to drive for two hours for a walk in the rain and then drive home again.

Chatting fine, even meeting for a walk if that’s allowed but I don’t like the idea of physical contact with someone I had just met as you have no idea where they have been and even if you do, anyone could be carrying the virus so I personally wouldn’t even want a snog at the moment. Also how many others are they meeting and are they hooking up for one night with random strangers?

Yes I’m single and yes it’s hard. I am personally going to grin and bear it and try again after Christmas.