I recently had the unfortunate luck to go on a terrible date. It happens to the best of us. We either get sucked into it or make the awful decision to go on a date that ultimately make us feel like we want to pull the hair out of our heads…one by one. The entire date, I wondered how I could politely pull a Harry Houdini and disappear. I told some of my friends about my date from hell and they had plenty of advice on how to 007 my way out of my next bad date. Here are a few of their tips, compiled with a few ideas of my own, that will you get out of your next bad date!
Photo by Josh Klute
Come up with your own secret code: If you are foreseeing that your upcoming date has the potential for awkwardness come up with a code that you can text your friends if things are going badly. Once you text them the code, have them call you and fake an emergency. You can pull the “good friend” card and make a quick escape. You can always fake your own emergency.
Fake sick: Tell your date that you aren’t feeling well, but the key is to not cancel the date completely. Invite your date over to your house to watch a movie and keep you company. Don’t get dressed or put on make up. While you’re at it, skip the shower too. If you look hideous and act miserable chances are they won’t ask you on a second date. If you are actually out on a date, and it’s not going well, this tactic will still work. Claiming you have a mysterious (and disgusting) stomach ailment will definitely get you out a date, no questions asked.
Surprise!: So you didn’t have the guts to reject the person who asked you out? I know someone who used to come up with ridiculous errands to run before the date. For example, they once said that a relative had surprised them by coming into town and they needed a ride from the airport, of course, right at the time of their scheduled date! They gave their date updates on their faux relatives flight arrival time and the status of their luggage off the conveyor belt. Eventually, the date offered to reschedule because the date had been pushed back by hours.
Party Hardy: One way to get out of a date is by saying that you partied hard the night before and you aren’t feeling well enough to stay out. If you accompany this excuse with slamming a drink or a shot, your date will probably think you’re a lush and lose interest quickly. I am not condoning this move, but hey, desperate times call for desperate measures!
Be Upfront: This can be tough, but sometimes it is better to just be honest with your date and let them know that things just aren’t working out. If you can’t bare to sit through an entire date with someone, but they seem to be a nice person, be honest and upfront about why you are leaving and a second date is out of the question.
What excuses have you used to get out of a bad date?
