Everyone’s had a weird first date. And if the date itself wasn’t weird, chances are the person you went out with was a little strange. They might have thrown out a red flag or two on the date that were enough to make you ditch the idea of going on another date with them. They might have just seemed a lot more interesting before the actual date. Or, an even worse fate, you could have been catfished. No matter what went down on your date, there are ways to navigate it and possibly turn it down a better, less awkward path.
One of the biggest red flags I’ve seen my friends experience has been guys who only talk about themselves. I know this may not constitute your idea of “weird”, but come on, isn’t it weird that some guys feel the need to talk so much about themselves? Sure, it’s more uncomfortable than it is weird but it happens so frequently that I think it’s okay to classify it as part of a “weird” first date. If your date will not shut up about himself, there are things you can do to determine whether he’s a prick or just nervous. Sometimes, it’s as simple as being a little bit nervous. A friend of mine went on a first date with a guy and definitely didn’t enjoy it, but it turns out he was just very nervous and now they’re very much in love and he doesn’t drone on about himself on every date! One of the easiest things you can do to check if he’s the absolute worst is to steer the conversation away from him and onto yourself. If you relate to something he’s saying, offer up a story or observation and see how he reacts. If he brushes it off and continues to talk about himself every time you try this move, it’s likely that he’s only interested in talking himself up. Unless you have a strong feeling he’s nervous, now is the time to accept the fact that he isn’t the one for you.
Recently, I came across a Twitter thread chock full of horrifying and weird first dates. One girl said she went on a date at a fancy restaurant and as soon as they sat down her date handed her a condom with his face on it. So strange. So uncalled for. Another girl told the story of how she went to a guy’s house and was forced to watch him blow vape clouds through the aboriginal Australian instrument, the didgeridoo. I was particularly tickled at the idea of going to a guy’s house and having to listen to him cry to “Every rose has a thorn”, “Eye of the Tiger”, and “Thriller”. Granted, crying to “Thriller” could make sense, considering Michael Jackson’s horrible crimes, but I’m sure this particular sob sesh didn’t start out that way. My first instinct when reading these, and so many other stories, was leaving. If I were in any of these situations, I’d definitely wind up leaving before the end of the date. Of course, that’s easier said than done. The easiest way to get out of uncomfortable situations would be to make up a quick story or excuse and leave. Normally, I’m all for telling the truth and being honest about why you have to leave. Unfortunately, some people don’t take criticism or the truth well and could become angry and possibly even violent. To ensure your own safety in certain scenarios, it’s probably best to make up a plausible excuse and leave. If you don’t think your honesty will incite anger and violence, feel free to tell the whole truth and if he takes it the right way, he’ll work to make his future dates less uncomfortable!
Sometimes, weird first dates can be like car accidents you pass on the freeway; they’re horrible but you can’t look away. If you’re compelled to stay out of pure curiosity over how weird the date could get, you should stay. This could be the funny story you tell at parties or on first dates that are actually going the way a first date should. You’ll love recalling the time you went out with a guy who picked you up on his motorcycle—which you knew he’d do and planned a hot outfit for— and it wound up having one seat and a sidecar that you had to ride in the whole time.
At the end of the day, you have the ability to change the course of a weird date. The only thing you can really do for a weird first date that you want to be over is to end it yourself. How you do that is up to you and can be determined based on the person you’re with. Gauge the experience and figure out what you want to do from there. We’ll all have weird first dates under our belts, but we get to decide how they end.
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