How to get out of a bad first date

We've all been there, on a bad first date wishing we were anywhere but there, unable to laugh at one more stupid band camp joke (yeah, that was funny the first two times!). Whether you met through a friend, at a party, or through an online dating site, there's always a chance of finding yourself the victim of a bad first date. The real skill lies in knowing how to get yourself out of a bad first date (and back onto an online dating site to find someone better!) without having to sit through the next three hours of your date explaining why Velveeta is better than cheddar!

Plan a flexible first date

The best way to keep yourself from being trapped by a potentially bad first date is to meet up just for a drink or coffee and go from there. If the first date is going well you can decide on the spot to grab some dinner. On the contrary, if your date starts yelling at the bartender for putting one cherry instead of two into their drink, you could always cut the first date short (never to have a second date) with a sense of completion. You shared a drink or coffee, which is all you agreed to do on your first date. There are more fish in the sea, through online and offline dating.

Pre-arrange to have a friend call during your first date

In a bad first date scenario, there's no more beautiful sound than the ringing (or buzzing) of your cell phone. It gives you the opportunity to claim your friend needs you to pick them up, console them because their date went bad, or whatever. I would recommend avoiding the, "there's been an emergency," excuse. Anyone whose been on more than one first date will see right through that one. The best excuse for extracting yourself from a first date is to keep it short and simple. "I'm sorry. I really need to go, but thanks for the date," can go a long way. Ditching a first date does not require a long explanation. And it gives you more time to search for better prospects on an online dating site.

Pets and Work are a great way to end a bad first date

Taking a dog for a walk or feeding a cat are very socially acceptable reasons for cutting a first date short. You could even throw in the fact that your designated dog walker or cat feeder was unavailable. If your first date doesn't find taking care of your pet enough of a reason to let you go, then who cares what they think anyway? And hey, if you don't have a pet, perhaps you are pet sitting...

The need to work the next day, true or not, is also a really good reason to go home early on a first date. Working on the weekend, depending on your profession, is generally unexpected and people tend to be sympathetic about it. Why not receive sympathy from your bad first date that you have to leave? Then you can go home, log onto your favorite online dating site, and try again!

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