8 Men Reveal Their Go-To Lines For Leaving A Bad Date Early, So Watch Out For These Lines
I'm currently playing the longest-running game of dating tag with someone I met a few years ago. Every couple months, one of us will resurface in the other person's area and the option to grab a drink together creates more problems than I ever knew possible. Naturally, I've assumed that the person in question probably anticipates it going horribly wrong. So I've taken it upon myself to gather excuses for leaving a bad date early that men have actually used. You know, in case we ever do get a drink and he was right all along.
Like Schmidt on New Girl, some men always seem to know what to say in these situations. For example, on one occasion, Schmidt — a smooth-talking, self-proclaimed bad boy — decides to teach his roommate Jess a few of his go-to moves for getting out of a bad date. He gives her notecards that say mundane, non-specific things like, "A prominent U.S. Senator is trying to contact me," "An important document has gone missing, I need to find it," and "I have an acquaintance who's in jeopardy." And when these don't work, Schmidt himself runs in and yells absurdities like, "Ma called, the bees are back," (complete with a Southern accent) and "They found your son, he's alive!"
None of the abandoned guys ever questions them. In fact, no one ever has the time to because Schmidt's exit strategies are so flawlessly executed, which makes me think that this must be how every guy prepares for a date they're not entirely sold on.
Here are actual ways some guys have ended bad dates.
If someone said this to me in the middle of a date, I wouldn't consider a second date with them, either.
'My mom needs the car.'
— Cody, 24
As the saying goes, teamwork makes the dream work.
My best friend and I have an SOS protocol. He calls me and tells me his tire's flat and I put him on speaker so it's legit. We're actually doing it right now.
— Len, 22
I think someone has actually used this on me before.
I would text someone and ask them to call me freaking out, saying, 'I was walking your dog and he ran away.'
— Agustin, 24
Another mom to the rescue.
'Sorry, my mom just called. Apparently, I died. Have to run.'
— Mark, 19
Although phony excuses might come easy to these guys — and Schmidt — not everyone thinks this is the way to go. Especially not Jess.
And definitely not these guys.
This guy prefers to go with the flow.
I don't know about other men, but if a date is bad I just wait it out. It's pretty obvious when things aren't working out, so not much more has to be said.
— pikkdogs
This guy won't make the first move.
I've never ended a date prematurely, but when given the first out by the woman (it's usually realized mutually that there isn't chemistry) I take it.
This guy has a way of avoiding the bad date altogether.
For first dates I always (married now) brought a girl out for coffee. If things go downhill quickly it is still the same forty-five minutes of time, and I just do not contact her again.
This guy is very strategic.
I usually just ask, "So, what are you doing after this?" If they are having more fun than me, they suggest we go somewhere. Otherwise, they usually say something along the lines of, "Actually, I should probably get going."
Getting out of a bad date isn't as difficult as you might think. Maybe you've realized there isn't much chemistry between the two of you or maybe you determine early on that you both want different things out of the date. Either way, no one should feel obligated to prolong a date they're not enjoying. Just don't be a snob about it.
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