Dating: there are apps for that now. But, just because it’s easier to get a date than it’s ever been, has the awkward and stressful practice of dating really gotten any better? Well, just in case you felt singled out as the unluckiest single person in Georgia, we’re here to show you that no, in fact, there are a lot more dating nightmares happening around you than you think!
For example, James, a 40-year-old Augusta resident, experienced an evening he would never forget while in his early twenties. He decided to go out on a date with a slightly older man and while he thought dinner was fine, it was the events that unfolded after dinner that left him speechless. After finishing their meal, his date’s sister called and informed her brother that she was getting fired from Burger King and needed to be picked up immediately. Unfortunately, the Burger King in question was forty minutes away. Normally, that’s when you would say thank you and call it a night, but that was impossible for James. “My cell had died and he had picked me up for the date, so I was pretty much trapped with him from the get-go,” he admits. So, he had to tag along. Now, this all sounds innocent enough, but apparently, James’ date was really upset with the manager at the Burger King for firing his sister, so much so that his attitude became more threatening. “Along the way, he told me of the tire iron and heavy chains in the back of his pickup truck that he was going to use to beat up his sister’s manager.” Now, before you go looking for a true crime podcast detailing a tragedy that befell an Augusta Burger King, thankfully, the date calmed down and picked up his sister without incident. But the drama didn’t end there. “It was on the way there when he decided to tell her that she was actually an aunt, as he had gotten a girl pregnant several years earlier while in high school and she began crying that she had missed out on seeing her nephew for so long”, James recounts. That was quite the bombshell to drop while on a first date! Don’t worry about James though; he has a happy ending. “[I am] really thankful I have a boyfriend now to not have to worry about weird first dates like that.” James is also the Augusta Pride President, so kudos to you James!
According to a recent study by Wallethub, Atlanta ranked as the top U.S. city for singles in 2019, which isn’t hard to imagine since Atlanta has great nightlife, plenty of things to do, both indoors and outdoors, and fantastic eateries all around it. And also, in case you didn’t hear, Georgia Voice shared the news earlier last year that the South has the largest LGBTQ population in the nation, which leaves plenty of room for thousands, if not hundreds of thousands of dates that can go horribly wrong.
Aaron Arzate, a 29-year-old marketing research professional from Atlanta, had a memorable evening out as well, for all the wrong reasons. His story begins with a guy that he met while at a club. Apparently, the guy really liked Aaron and kept pestering him for a date. “Against my better judgment, I agreed to go on one,” Aaron recalls. But, things were bumpy from the get-go. “Long story short, I arrived and began to look for my date and didn’t see [him] anywhere so I sent a text. [I] waited 30 mins and no response. I thought to myself ‘I got stood up!’.” First impressions are always key, but in this case, the date messed up the first, the second, and probably the third impression by the end. Aaron’s date finally showed up, spouting excuse after excuse as to why he was late when something indefensible happened. Aaron says, “that due to rushing he forgot his wallet at home.” Facepalm. At this point, Aaron felt he had given his date ample chances and signed off. “I pulled out a $50 [bill] from my wallet and said ‘I hope this covers some of your meal, if not then good luck’.” Aaron also shares some words of wisdom to those who would try and follow in his forgetful date’s footsteps. “Moral of the story is don’t be late, it’s disrespectful to the other person, and then [don’t] assume they’re ok with paying for your food on a date YOU invited them on.”
I personally want to thank James and Aaron who were kind enough to share their dating horror stories with us, which should not act as a deterrent, but only as a lighthearted commentary on the unexpected twists and turns one might encounter on their road to coupled bliss. Happy Dating!