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Original poster

What's the worst start to a date you ever had?

204 replies

OneFancyTealQuail · 16/08/2025 20:30

Turning up 30 minutes late

OP posts:
fivetriangulartrees · 16/08/2025 23:10

Do you fancy going to the pub on Monday? Sure. I turned up in my school uniform with my mum and asked for a soft drink. He looked beside himself with embarrassment. We had an awkward chat and then my mum took me home. Months later it dawned on me that a) I'd had no idea it was a date and b) he'd had no idea I was a teenager.

shellyleppard · 16/08/2025 23:12

Went for a meal at a carvery restaurant. I didn't eat all day in anticipation of a lovely roast.....he ordered a salad!!! I had my roast dinner lol

OverlyFragrant · 16/08/2025 23:13

fivetriangulartrees · 16/08/2025 23:10

Do you fancy going to the pub on Monday? Sure. I turned up in my school uniform with my mum and asked for a soft drink. He looked beside himself with embarrassment. We had an awkward chat and then my mum took me home. Months later it dawned on me that a) I'd had no idea it was a date and b) he'd had no idea I was a teenager.

Oh. My. God.

Ilovemychocolate · 16/08/2025 23:19

Met up with a man I’d matched with on a dating app.
On the dating app his photo was face forward.
In real life he had no chin!
He paid for our first drinks with 20p coins, which he accidentally dropped on the floor and had to pick them all up.
My toes were curling in embarrassment, the barman gave me a pitying look.
We drank our drinks, then left.
The next day he text to ask for a second date.
No.

Hadalifeonce · 16/08/2025 23:19

In the days of personal ads, we arranged to meet for a drink, he told me he was 6 feet tall and black hair, when I arrived looking for someone who fitted his description, a 5'5" balding guy walked up to me, he was my date. He told me how successful he was, what a great job he had.

Eventually he asked if I wanted to go to dinner, he was really rude to the waitress, and asked me to pay half. He 'phoned the next day to say what a wonderful time he had and really wanted to see me again.
That didn't happen.

HowardTJMoon · 16/08/2025 23:23

Arranged to meet at 2pm for coffee. She was stumbling drunk having been at a bottomless brunch with her friends. There wasn't a second date.

Another one: Arranged to meet for dinner. She spent the first 20min complaining about the restaurant, its car park, its menu and the attitude of the waitress who was trying to get a word in edgewise to ask if we wanted to order. Having thoroughly warmed up she got stuck into complaining about her ex, the idiots she'd met through the dating site we'd matched on, the difficulties of finding quality men in their 40s and internet dating in general.

By this point we'd finally been served our food and I'd said maybe 100 words, most of which had been ignored. I ended up fascinated at her limitless ability to find topics to complain about. Even while we were eating and I managed to cram some getting-to-know-you type conversation into the moments when she had her mouth full, she effortlessly went back to finding something/someone new to rail against once she'd swallowed her food.

During the entire meal she asked me exactly two questions - what I did for a living, my answer to which she talked over, and where I was going on holiday, a place she said she'd been to and then went on a 10 minute riff about how badly it sucked.

Not long after that I pretty much swore off dating entirely.

Selfishshellfishies · 16/08/2025 23:24

Guy turned up late, about 5 stone heavier than his clearly old photo, squeezed into a leather jacket and loudly announces, somehow both mildly angrily and ironically to the street "OMG an ACTUAL woman showed up, it WASN'T A CATFISH!" I nearly died on the spot. That was 3 years ago and I haven't done online dating since.

daddysgirlnot · 16/08/2025 23:36

Oh God, between being asked on a date (Sunday) and the actual date (Thursday) he’d had the most awful perm done (1980’s). When I opened the front door I nearly lost my eyesight. Knew in that moment there wouldn’t be a 2nd date but didn’t feel I could back out of the first. My mum laughed about that for years.

Beesandhoney123 · 16/08/2025 23:39

Many years ago, taken out for dinner. He didn't order anything. When the waitress left, I asked why he wasn't eating. Turned out he only ate bits of cabbage picked under a full moon or something like that.

I said perhaps a dinner date was a bit odd then, but he said he was fine with it. I wasn't, very uncomfortable. He was nice, but then asked if he could take a pic of me in my underwear! I said goodbye and that was that.

Another one- bloke seemed nice, first date.. Then moaned on and on about his ex wife, his divorce, couldn't get a word in. Then he told me in massive detail all about his work. It was not an exciting job.
Then when we walked to our respective transport, he lunged to kiss me. I almost fell over backing away. Luckily he laughed, said ' no spark. Good luck' and left.

smallsilvercloud · 17/08/2025 00:03

Agreed to meet a pub, my choice didn’t know that well just picked it off google, I’m waiting for a while then he texts me to stay he’s outside, I looked but hes nowhere to be seen, eventually we discovered there was two pubs within 1 mile with the same name! We were both waiting at the different pubs for each other. We met up but it was a totally boring brief date.

LondonLady1980 · 17/08/2025 00:05

It was my first date with a guy I had been chatting to on OLD.

He turned up at the restaurant dressed from head to toe, including his shoes, in bright orange because during one of our online chats I’d mentioned I liked the colour orange.

I was mortified!

He hadn’t even done it as a joke, he genuinely thought it would endear me to him.

I also went on another date with a guy from OLD and he’d arranged for us to go out for a meal. We got to the restaurant and he seemed perfectly pleasant and normal, very polite and kind and gave me no reason to think he was a weirdo. Then the waitress came up to take our order and I told her what I’d like for my starter and main course, but when it came to him he said, “Nothing for me thank you, I’ve already eaten.”

When the waitress left I asked why he’d already eaten when he asked me to go for a meal with him and I explained how silly and uncomfortable I was going to feel eating alone in front of him. He told me it was all intentional because he gets pleasure from watching women eat and that’s why he likes to ask women out to restaurants. He said he doesn’t eat himself during the date as he prefers to just sit and watch the woman whilst she enjoys her food. I should have left there and then but I just didn’t know how to react. I felt so so uncomfortable whilst I ate my food whilst he just sat there staring at me.

As he walked me to the taxi rank after the date he asked if he could have a kiss and I firmly told him no. When I got home he text me and said, “I had a great time and I really want to see you again. I love a woman who enjoys her food. Can I take you out for another meal?”

BLOCK. BLOCK. BLOCK!!

pinneddownbytabbies · 17/08/2025 00:08

He came round to collect me, I asked him in while I finished getting ready, and he sat on the sofa, looked at my cat and said "I hate cats, if it comes near me I'll kick it".

JockTamsonsBairns · 17/08/2025 00:10

Well over 20 years ago, I got asked out on a date by a (D-List) footballer. Being very young and excited, I couldn't believe my luck.

The date lasted no more than 4 seconds though. I turned up at the agreed meeting place and, without even greeting me, said "I thought you might have at least worn a skirt".

I turned right round and left. Arsehole.

TwistedWonder · 17/08/2025 00:12

Another one that happened to a friend

They met at a cafe/bar and waitress came to take their order. She ordered first then he said ‘I don’t want anything I’m not hungry.’ So she asked why he’d organised a date on a cafe if he didn’t want to eat and he replied ‘oh I had a last minute date a bit earlier and had a roast on that one’

INeedAnotherAlibi · 17/08/2025 00:29

Told this before on MN but..had been messaging with a guy I met OLD for a couple of weeks. He seemed very sweet. In fact, he was a nice guy, but as soon as he started talking I realised his voice was just like Timmy Mallet’s and I knew he’d never see me naked. Got through the date (morning coffee) but just…no! He was VERY keen asking for a second date that afternoon or the next day! He misread my vibes 😬

Whataholiday · 17/08/2025 00:36

I arranged to meet someone outside a country pub for a drink. When I got there there was no sign of him but I received a text saying, I’m here but I can’t get out of the car, I’ve broken my leg. He said we wouldn’t get drinks as he couldn’t carry them. The whole date was spent with me in the passenger seat.

At one point he said, I can still have sex if you go on top. I’d only just met him 😆

He sent me a text after the date asking if I wanted to see him again. I said, Let me know when you can walk. He replied, lol and I never heard from him again.

Weirdly, the next date I had the guy had also broken his leg. He did manage to hobble to the bar though.

Pineapplewaves · 17/08/2025 00:36

I arranged to meet a guy that I’d met at a speed dating night for Sunday lunch, in anticipation of a three course lunch in a nice restaurant I didn’t eat anything all morning. He was getting the train in from another city - he turned up 20 minutes late and said “sorry I’m late, I got here early so I went to McDonald’s”. I said “I thought we were going for lunch?”, he said “it’s okay I’ve eaten now, let’s just go for drinks”. Three large glasses of wine on an empty stomach later I found myself standing at the station where I drunkenly told him exactly what I thought of him and never heard from him again!

HideousKinky · 17/08/2025 01:53

When I was a teenager I was thrilled to be asked out by a boy in my class I'd had a crush on for ages who was quite serious & reserved. We went to the cinema but having bought our tickets and sat down, I promptly managed to smear ice cream down his very nice shirt and then kicked my bag down a gap into a small space some distance below. He gallantly offered to retrieve it and lay down flat on the floor leaning over further & further to reach it and in the end I had to hang on to his legs to stop him falling, at which point I got the giggles. When he eventually stood back up he was bright red with the exertion which didn't help me to stop laughing.... I don't think he asked me out again because I think he felt it had all been a bit undignified and that I was an absolute liability

Meadowfinch · 17/08/2025 02:02

A second date. I was going to his house and then we were walking to the local country fair. I got stuck behind an RTA and was 7 minutes late. (Not 30) He was in his own home so hardly a hardship for him.

And he shouted at me !! 😮 Asked where the f**k I'd been.

I turned around, got back in my car and went home. That was the end of that. A bullet dodged I think.

Crushed23 · 17/08/2025 02:16

He had an attitude towards me over text on my way to the date so I swiftly blocked him and turned back. Technically not the worst start as the date didn’t even start.

PissedOffNeighbour22 · 17/08/2025 02:21

Met a bloke in the nightclub when I was 18. Agreed to go on a date (my first ever date) and he said he’d pick me up on X date at X time. When I got home I realised I’d never told him where I lived, so a week later I got ready but wasn’t actually expecting him to come. He arrived with a pack of breadcakes and when I put my hand out for them and said thanks in confusion, he said no they’re not for you, they’re for your mum. I took them into the kitchen and left him stood on the doorstep as it was all so bloody weird already. My mum very loudly said ‘why the fuck has he brought me bread, the fucking weirdo’ 😂

During the ‘date’ which consisted of us driving around in his shitty Nova, I ascertained he worked in a bakery (hence the bread) and he knew where I lived because he’d been watching me on the bus for years on my way to school. He knew I lived opposite the bus stop as he only lived round the bloody corner from me 😂. Said he’d had a thing for me for a long time and couldn’t believe his luck when we finally met in person and I was 18 (to his 23).

Booksnbels · 17/08/2025 02:33

Pineapplewaves · 17/08/2025 00:36

I arranged to meet a guy that I’d met at a speed dating night for Sunday lunch, in anticipation of a three course lunch in a nice restaurant I didn’t eat anything all morning. He was getting the train in from another city - he turned up 20 minutes late and said “sorry I’m late, I got here early so I went to McDonald’s”. I said “I thought we were going for lunch?”, he said “it’s okay I’ve eaten now, let’s just go for drinks”. Three large glasses of wine on an empty stomach later I found myself standing at the station where I drunkenly told him exactly what I thought of him and never heard from him again!

why did you go along with it? i would not even have entertained him after he cancelled lunch. I would have either insisted we go for lunch as agreed since I was hungry . Or walked off. He could easily have eaten something light like a soup even if he had just been to McDs. And there was no reason for him to eat a full meal at McDonald’s because he was slightly early. Doesn’t make sense. Clearly he just wanted to lure you with the promise of a nice lunch but had no intention of following through. I can’t stand men like that.

bluesunnyskies · 17/08/2025 02:40

He gave me a large jewellery box at the start and it was awkward walking around with it and finally we sat down for coffee. We were not compatible and I tried to give it back a few times explaining I don’t want it (in person and later in a text). He said to keep it. I donated it.

AdaColeman · 17/08/2025 02:50

PissedOffNeighbour22 · 17/08/2025 02:21

Met a bloke in the nightclub when I was 18. Agreed to go on a date (my first ever date) and he said he’d pick me up on X date at X time. When I got home I realised I’d never told him where I lived, so a week later I got ready but wasn’t actually expecting him to come. He arrived with a pack of breadcakes and when I put my hand out for them and said thanks in confusion, he said no they’re not for you, they’re for your mum. I took them into the kitchen and left him stood on the doorstep as it was all so bloody weird already. My mum very loudly said ‘why the fuck has he brought me bread, the fucking weirdo’ 😂

During the ‘date’ which consisted of us driving around in his shitty Nova, I ascertained he worked in a bakery (hence the bread) and he knew where I lived because he’d been watching me on the bus for years on my way to school. He knew I lived opposite the bus stop as he only lived round the bloody corner from me 😂. Said he’d had a thing for me for a long time and couldn’t believe his luck when we finally met in person and I was 18 (to his 23).

Oh I was so hoping your post would end...
"Reader, I married him."

CrocsNotDocs · 17/08/2025 03:17

We sat in a coffee shop and he spent the entire date talking about his old houseshare and explaining which Seinfeld character matched each housemate.

Well almost the entire date. He wanted to play a trivia game where I would name any city in the world and he would list every sporting team from that city.

I saw him again as I was in my late 20s and had been single for years and was desperate. We’ve been married for 16 years and have 3 kids and he is the nicest and most interesting man I have any met. He can’t even remember what we talked about on our first date so I have never been able to get an explanation.