h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

Have you ever been on a blind date? How was it? How did it come about? Was it good? A disaster?
Sadly, no. It sounds like the sort of experience that everyone should have at least once.

Have you ever been stood up? Have you ever stood someone else up?
Happily, no. Terribly rude, without sufficient reason, what?

How long is the right time to wait for a 'date' to turn up before going home with your tail between your legs, metaphorically speaking? They might just be fashionably late, after all.
Depends on whether you suspect some kind of prank is afoot, and whether you arranged to meet somewhere that you might've gone alone in any case. Stay, have fun, and see what happens.

Do online dating services make things easier? Or do they just add to the general complexity and anxiety of the whole thing?
Not a clue. I can't imagine trying them. Too many interesting people to meet in person without including the blinders of internet contact.

Is there something to be said for arranged marriages?
I have no experience on which to frame an opinion.

As to the original question of first dates, I can't even remember anything that I'd call a first date. My relationships have normally just grown from an introduction and occasional social contact, and progressed through group activities to the odd meeting without a dating agenda. It's only after a time that I might look back and ask myself, 'when did we start dating?'

I'd like to think that dating shouldn't be hard or stress filled, or filled with drama like being 'stood up'. Perhaps I'm just old and/or naive.

>>I can't even remember anything that I'd call a first date. My relationships have normally just grown from an introduction and occasional social contact, and progressed through group activities to the odd meeting without a dating agenda.<<

Same here. There may have been a few situations which could be considered as 'dates', but that thought definitely didn't occur to me then.

[B'Elana: So, no relation to Torres?]

Glad to see I'm not alone!