There are plenty of success stories about online dating but there are also plenty of disasters. The old adage that "it's either going to be a good date or a great story" definitely applies. We rounded up some of the craziest online dating fails, from strange locations to stranger questions, that we couldn't help but laugh (and gasp) at.
1.
"I met a guy online. Saw him for two months, but then I found out that he already had a girlfriend. I ended it immediately but found out years later that he was seeing three other girls besides me at the same time. And is now engaged to one of those three."
2.
"I once went on a first date at McDonalds. Even though the location was his idea, at one point my date poked my stomach and asked, 'What's that about?'"
3.
"The last Tinder date I went on, I had to pick the guy up from the Gautrain because his car was in for repairs. Then he told me he had only ever been in one relationship before, with a woman 10 years older than him, who was bisexual and had a girlfriend at the same time. I think he probably asked me about three questions about myself all night. And then he had to stay over because he obviously couldn't get home until the next morning."
4.
"I met a guy online who told me about growing up in England. He said he was in town on holiday. We met at his hotel bar, had a few drinks and really hit it off with one another. He even told me about the British children's book he was writing. It wasn't until the waiter asked him which room to charge the drinks to that I noticed his accent change -– turns out, he's from Pretoria and I'm pretty sure I was accidentally part of a period-piece fantasy role play."
5.
"I went on a date with a guy who was the poster child for too-much-too-soon. After chatting for a while online, I arrived on the first date to find he had planned a full day and night of activities, including a hired boat for a cruise, all 14 hours planned. It was a lot, and luckily I managed to make a swift escape after dinner -- thanks to a fake emergency phone call from one of my girlfriends."
6.
"After a few drinks and some online flirting, I agreed to meet a guy at his place downtown. I couldn't help notice how jumpy he was when he opened the door, and thought he was just super nervous. One glass of wine later and he confessed his recent obsession with cannabis oil – and wouldn't let me leave the apartment until 'we had cuddled just for a few hours, please'. I was totally creeped out. I pushed him off me, promised to call in the morning, and fled."
7.
"One of the weirdest first dates I ever had happened over coffee on a Saturday afternoon. In the middle of a typical 'What's your favourite food' type of conversation, he casually asked if I was into 'light choking'. After trying not to choke on my sip of coffee, I found the first opportunity to leave and never heard from him again."
8.
I met an Australian guy online and met up with him at his hotel. We slept together and I told him I had to leave. He joked and asked if there was someone waiting for me at home. I joked back and said 'Yes, my husband'. Then he pulled a wedding ring from under the pillow and said, 'No ways, I'm married too.'"
9.
"There was one guy who used what I was sure were photos of Sergio Ramos on his online dating profile. I got suspicious and reverse Google image searched them to find that they were definitely photos of Sergio Ramos. We carried on chatting and he said he wanted to bring me a McFlurry at work (this would have been our first meeting) and I thought it was a bit weird. I asked him about the photos and he blocked me. I've never heard from him again."
February is the month of love. At the Huffington Post South Africa, we take a look at how South Africans are finding and holding on to love. Author Shubnum Khan tells us about how cross-border romances are made or broken, tech journalist Nafisa Akabor looks at how social media replaced your meet-cute and lifestyle editor Sarah Koopman has some advice on how to get away from that tired old dinner-and-a-movie setup. Find them all and more here, or try these.
- 23 Years Into Democracy Interracial Couples Still Face Discrimination
- For South Africans Married To Foreigners, There Are More Than The Usual Hurdles
- Is Finding Love Easier In The Digital Age?
- Ditch The Dinner Date And Charm Your Fave With Something A Little Different
- Going From Hookup To Relationship -- It's Complicated.
- Yes, I Married The Man I Met On A Dating App
- Love in the Time of a Surgical Residency Is Not Easy, And I Am Lucky To Have It
- 11 WTF Things Black Women Have Heard When Dating White People
- If You've Ever Had A Crush, You'll Get These 29 Memes and Gifs
- Can You Ace Our Quiz On SA Celebs' Views On Love?
- Watch: From DMs to Old School Courting: 11 Unexpected Ways To Find Love