There is nothing more nerve-wracking than a first date. The nerves, the anxiety, the downright fear that the person you're meeting might be a weirdo is intoxicating. What if you have nothing to talk about? What if they're not who they say they are? What do you do in this situation? Do you run or do you grin and bear it?
For the majority of people, a bad first date simply ends up with you sharing an awkward hug a peck on the cheek and you walking away, hands in your pockets and $40 down. But, for one unlucky woman in Australia, her first date was a whole lot worse.
According to one Sydney restaurant, they witnessed the ultimate dating sin when a woman was left with a $100 bill to pay after her date "did the runner." Christian Avan, who owns to burger joint Milky Lane, shared the story on Facebook, saying that the woman was left by her date who claimed that he was going to get some cash out.
The manager took to his profile to share the story, which has since been liked more than 600 times by people on Facebook. Christian wrote in the post:
"If you think your Sunday’s bad, a couple just came into ML Bondi on a first date, ate and drunk heaps, he said he was going outside to get some cash out then did the runner, leaving her with the whole bill
"What a piece of s**t.
"Part of me wants to post his head from the CCTV but I won’t. Being single is fkn tough in a world full of so many immoral humans Ps. We comped the whole bill. Her days been bad enough."
The post has garnered hundreds of responses, with the majority of people expressing their outrage at the man and sympathising with the woman in question.
Speaking to The Edge, Avant revealed that once he realised that the date wasn't going very well, he gave the pair a free cocktail in order to ease the awkwardness. “There was no vibe, no energy or connection,” he said, “but even still, it's just polite to pay your way and go separate ways and say ‘Thanks for the date’".
Avant said that his staff pooled together to help the woman, who was clearly upset at being stood up. He said that after 20 minutes or so of waiting, the situation became obvious.
According to the restaurant owner, the woman tried to phone the man but realised that he had blocked her number shortly after doing the runner.
Seeing that she had a rough night as it is, the restaurant let her off from having to pay the bill and offered her a $150 voucher to return. Not only this, but one host apparently did a round of tequila shots with the unlucky woman and then took her out for drinks later that evening.
Even if your date is going well, running off is never the answer. Not only is it a coward's way out, it's also embarrassing for the person who has been stood up.