How To Handle Running Into A Former Bad Date
LatestWe’ve all been there: You go out on a date, it’s meh, someone doesn’t follow-up, the end…and then you run into each other. Without the drama of a hookup, the pain of an ex, how to handle this quotidian awkwardness?
Writes the WaPo, “With Washington’s interconnected social and professional circles, running into someone you’ve dated can be more than a bit awkward. Especially when one, or both, of you don’t remember each other.” With all due respect to the capital city, this is not an issue with geographical limitations: city, country or commuter train, there’s opportunities everywhere to come face-to-face with that barely-remembered OkCupid dinner partner, the friend-of-a-friend who got food poisoning, the business contact from the out-of-town office. A few of the most common responses:
The Direct Approach: When it’s a mutual-friend situation, a coworker, someone on your train, a fan of the exact same music you are or someone else whom you’re likely to encounter – repeatedly – many go for clearing-the-air. Those of us of this school often employ jokes that fall flat, “honesty” that comes off as weirdly aggressive, and self-deprecation that verges on TMI. The good part is, you’ll rarely need to take the initiative in ending these conversations.