# I have a train wreck, I mean blind date **URL:** \ **Category:** Miscellaneous and Personal Stuff I Must Share\ **Created:** [November 21, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580 "2003-11-21T21:46:55Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 17\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 9:46pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/1 "2003-11-21T21:46:55Z")
Once more into the breach I go dear friends. A friend of a friend set me up with a friend of hers and tonight’s the night. Little wrinkle. In addition to the two of us, there will be four other people along, at his insistence. His friend and three of my friends (it was going to be two of my friends but one of them against my expressed wishes invited someone else). What kind of a lunatic wants to deal with the high pressure of being set up and then add to it by dragging along four other people who know he’s being set up? I’ve never heard of such a thing! ---
**Author:** ![scout1222](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/34f0e0/32.png) [@scout1222](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/scout1222)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 9:52pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/2 "2003-11-21T21:52:42Z")
Well, look at it this way: if the match is a bad one, you at least won’t have to sit there in awkward silence. I guess it’s the theory of safety in numbers. Or something. ---
**Author:** ![Asylum](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/a/53a042/32.png) [@Asylum](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Asylum)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 10:04pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/3 "2003-11-21T22:04:36Z")
I’ve been on a blind date that was just the way you describe, and it worked out great. I played it as more of a group of friends going out as opposed to an actual date which relieved a lot of the pressure. Going with a group of people helps to avoid the awkward silences that are almost surely going to occur on a first date, and lets you get a feel for the person your friends are trying to get you to hook up with without having to worry about incompatible personalities. Don’t like her? Don’t talk to her beyond what politeness dictates. Don’t think of it as a romantic exercise, it’s not, think of it as a group of friends hanging out with a getting-to-know-potential-love-interest chance thrown in. BTW, I’m still dating the girl I met on my “blind date”, and we’re rapidly approaching the two year mark in our relationship. ---
**Author:** ![Ferret\_Herder](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/f/e47774/32.png) [@Ferret\_Herder](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Ferret_Herder)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 10:11pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/4 "2003-11-21T22:11:34Z")
Coincidentally, today’s “Worst Case Scenario: Page-A-Day Calendar” has as its topic, “How to Escape a Bad Date.” > [@](#): > > 1. Locate a usable window and attempt to open it. If you cannot open the window, find an implement you can use to break it. > 2. Strike the center of the glass with the implement. If the hand holding the implement will come within a foot of the window as you break it, wrap it with a jacket or sweater. > 3. Punch out any remaining shards of glass. Cover your fist with a jacket before removing the glass. > 4. Make your escape. Do not worry about any minor nicks and cuts. Just run. (This is accompanied by the line drawing of a man in what appears to be a public bathroom, raising a metal trashcan above his head to break out a window.) Hope this helps! Or rather, I hope you don’t have to resort to this. ---
**Author:** ![superstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@superstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superstar)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 10:20pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/5 "2003-11-21T22:20:51Z")
Have some fun with it **Otto**. At least you’ll get to see how she interacts with other people, and especially your friends. Plus you won’t be expected to pay with 4 other people around, nor should you be expected to drive her home. (assuming your date is a she and you are a he) See every opportunity and a possibility. Hey at least you are getting out I say!!! ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 10:32pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/6 "2003-11-21T22:32:49Z")
> [@](#): > > (assuming your date is a she and you are a he) He is a he and I am a he. So I suppose we’ll have at least one laugh (he he). Shoot me now. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 10:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/7 "2003-11-21T22:44:14Z")
Woo! GET SOME! ---
**Author:** ![bump](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/b/7c8e57/32.png) [@bump](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/bump)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 11:24pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/8 "2003-11-21T23:24:50Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*Once more into the breach I go dear friends. A friend of a friend set me up with a friend of hers and tonight’s the night. Little wrinkle. In addition to the two of us, there will be four other people along, at his insistence. His friend and three of my friends (it was going to be two of my friends but one of them against my expressed wishes invited someone else). What kind of a lunatic wants to deal with the high pressure of being set up and then add to it by dragging along four other people who know he’s being set up? I’ve never heard of such a thing! \*\* Geez… quit whining and think about it from her perspective. She’s about to go out on a blind date with some guy she doesn’t know, her friends \*\* AND \*\* two more people she doesn’t know. I’d imagine she’ll be more uncomfortable than you are! Just act confident- she’s just a girl, and it’s just a first date. If it tanks, then nothing happens. If it goes well, then hey- it’s a big bonus! ---
**Author:** ![Giraffe](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/giraffe/32/129_2.png) [@Giraffe](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Giraffe)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 11:39pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/9 "2003-11-21T23:39:50Z")
Yeah, **Otto** , just focus on making the girl happy and you’ll be fine. Women are different from men, being from Venus and all. Try to understand things from the unique feminine perspective of your female date, especially the baggage that comes with having a vagina, like menstruation and childbirth. 😃 ---
**Author:** ![jackelope](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/j/a6a055/32.png) [@jackelope](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/jackelope)\ **Post date:** [November 21, 2003, 11:55pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/10 "2003-11-21T23:55:53Z")
**Giraffe** , that’s hilarious. And somewhat mean, which makes it more hilarious. **Asylum** ’s got the right idea here, I think. Treat this as “going out with some new friends” rather than “blind date with third, fourth, fifth, and sixth wheels.” Oh, and sorry **Otto** , but I’m going to out you: \*\*ATTENTION, EVERYONE: OTTO IS GAY. HE IS A MAN AND HE IS GOING ON A BLIND DATE WITH ANOTHER MAN. THAT IS ALL.\*\* ---
**Author:** ![Horseflesh](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/horseflesh/32/7502_2.png) [@Horseflesh](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Horseflesh)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 12:07am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/11 "2003-11-22T00:07:08Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > **He is a he and I am a he. So I suppose we’ll have at least one laugh (he he).** Wouldn’t this be the time to share all your big dick jokes? The gender alignment on this date would be better suited for it than in mixed company. > [@](#): > > **Shoot me now.** To quote a wise animated woodland creature: “You keep out of this, he doesn’t have to shoot you now.” Of course, you could always _demand_ that he shoot you now, but you’d probably run into pronoun trouble before that. ---
**Author:** ![Doomtrain](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/d/0ea827/32.png) [@Doomtrain](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Doomtrain)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 1:10am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/12 "2003-11-22T01:10:36Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by jackelope \* > \*\*\*\*ATTENTION, EVERYONE: OTTO IS GAY. HE IS A MAN AND HE IS GOING ON A BLIND DATE WITH ANOTHER MAN. > > THAT IS ALL.\*\* \*\* Maybe dating all them men is why he doesn’t know his way around the womenfolk! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Briny\_Deep](https://sea3.discourse-cdn.com/straightdope/user_avatar/boards.straightdope.com/briny_deep/32/17188_2.png) [@Briny\_Deep](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Briny_Deep)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 4:18am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/13 "2003-11-22T04:18:02Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*I’ve never heard of such a thing! \*\* Good heavens, woman, this is War, not a garden party! 😃 ---
**Author:** ![Eats\_Crayons](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/e/278dde/32.png) [@Eats\_Crayons](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Eats_Crayons)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 4:46am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/14 "2003-11-22T04:46:54Z")
> [@](#): > > \*Originally posted by Otto \* > \*\*His friend and three of my friends (it was going to be two of my friends but one of them against my expressed wishes invited someone else). What kind of a lunatic wants to deal with the high pressure of being set up and then add to it by dragging along four other people who know he’s being set up? I’ve never heard of such a thing! \*\* Egads! I’s feel like I was in an experiment. Like Mutual Omaha’s Wild Kingdom. "Yes, we shall introduce the new male to his potential mate… (Must be in a neutral territory, you know how males are, if they get territorial, not only will they NOT go on a second date, but they may start peeing on things). The panel will observe the interaction as the two males are introduced… " Letsee, it almost midnight and Otta hasn’t checked in yet. A good sign? Success? ---
**Author:** ![superstar](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/s/f4b2a3/32.png) [@superstar](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/superstar)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 5:06am UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/15 "2003-11-22T05:06:15Z")
So **Otto** I don’t know what time it is in your neck of the woods, but I’m guessing it’s late. That’s a good sign. How did it go??? ---
**Author:** ![Otto](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/o/bbe5ce/32.png) [@Otto](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/Otto)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 6:50pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/16 "2003-11-22T18:50:15Z")
Meh. It was all right. First place we planned to meet was busy and noisy so we went to another smaller neighborhood place instead. There ended up being four of us (one friend each). He’s a nice-loking guy, ten years younger than I (not a problem) and a smoker (points off for that). It didn’t feel like a date. He and I didn’t get any time really to talk to each other one-on-one. As he and his friend were leaving (about three hours in) I asked jokingly “so how do you think the set-up went” and he was non-commital. I asked if he wanted to exchange phone numbers and he hesitated for several seconds before saying OK. So, I’m not sensing a great deal of interest on his part. I’ll call him next week but I’m not expecting anything. ---
**Author:** ![indecisive1](https://avatars.discourse-cdn.com/v4/letter/i/41988e/32.png) [@indecisive1](https://boards.straightdope.com/u/indecisive1)\ **Post date:** [November 22, 2003, 8:44pm UTC](https://boards.straightdope.com/t/i-have-a-train-wreck-i-mean-blind-date/214580/17 "2003-11-22T20:44:45Z")
Blast! I was hoping the sparks would fly. Is it the weather or something? I just feel like we need a good love story around here.