Bad date? 3 sneaky ways to escape from this uncomfortable situation

Going on a date for the first time can be daunting. It can be stressful, from panicking about what to say to concerns about your safety.

Sometimes, you may even want to leave the date as soon as you meet the person because they don’t look like you imagined.

You don't have to be rude to the person if you are feeling frustrated, but it's better to be alone than torture yourself with a bad date.

Some situations call for tact while others just require you get yourself the hell out of there ASAP.

Here are 3 things to do to bow out of a date that has gone wrong:

Get a friend to call with an emergency

The oldest trick in the book, but it works like a charm. Shoot a friend a message while you’re in the bathroom asking them to call in a few minutes with a made-up crisis so that you can escape. Apologise to your date and say that you wouldn’t normally answer, but it’s strange for your friend to be ringing when they know you’re on a date. Pick up the phone, act shocked and shaken, and say you’ll be right there. Apologise again, say you have to go because there’s been an emergency and make a run for it.

Be honest

Most of the time, the person we’re dating isn’t the worst in the world, but they’re just not the right person for you. They might not be particularly offensive, but more likely just mildly annoying or boring. If this is the case, you might be best off just simply telling your date ‘thanks, but no thanks’. There’s nothing wrong with simply saying “Thanks for inviting me out, it was good to meet you in person, but I’ve got to head off now.”

Set a time limit

One of my top dating tips is to put time constraints on your first dates. This adds an exciting sense of urgency to your dates, but also conveniently gives you a definite way out if it’s not turning out to be what you’d hoped for. Let the person you’re dating know before you meet up that you’ll have to leave at a specific time.