‘He showed up in… a fedora!’: 20+ women share real-life reasons why they walked out on a date

Author image for Elna McHilderson
Elna McHilderson • Managing Editor
Oct 20, 2025 3:00 PM EDT

Ladies, have you ever been on a date where the man boasted about how he kept getting black-out and into fist fights with bouncers? I have, and I didn't walk out, I ran!

 

Wouldn't you? I am not the only woman who has experienced such an absurdly bad date that they had to simply walk out. There is a stark difference between giving someone a chance versus lowering your boundaries and self-worth for a date. If you have a gut feeling that something is wrong or just know things are not going to work out, go on, get! You owe it to yourself to leave a bad date. You can call it the ick or instinct, whatever you want, just don't ignore it. Women below give very specific and unique reasons to why they walked out on a date never to look back. From poor aesthetics to atrocious manners, they are legit reasons. Sure, one woman's ick is another woman's awe, but some of these really just make you want to say, "omg are you serious?!"

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  • "What’s the biggest ick you’ve ever had on a date?"

    bad date, women get the ick
    via Unsplash+ (and Kateryna Hliznitsova)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • anxious_dwarf I went on a date with a literal police officer who told me that multiculturalism doesn't work, and that women shouldn't be allowed to take leadership roles or fight in the army because their periods affect their emotions. When I disagreed with him he said 'I didn't expect you to be so political.'
    via anxious_dwarf
  • brittanydude He gave me a sample of his beatboxing skills at the table. I did not ask for the sample.
    via birttanydude
  • fake_tan He told me my scarf color didn't go with my skin tone. Then he proceeded to lecture me, loudly, on the history of cholera.
    via fake_tan
  • Sophiede Rie The entire night we were just talking about him, his past relationships and his family business
    via SophiedeRie
  • Affectionate Law1287 He....meowed and patted my hand. Like a cat? He said he liked to give "cat pets." I am not much of a cat person. And even less of a guy acting like a cat person. Oof. The moment was so off putting cringe I had trouble typing it out. This was a first date.
    via Affectionate_Law1278
  • Serendipitas Went out once with someone who had abysmal table manners. Like, so bad I thought, OK, you are overemphasizing your chewing intentionally for some reason, right? Nope. That was just his normal. Never saw anyone cut into their food with such intensity the entire table shakes and water glasses spill.
    via Serendipitas
  • gimmemyjjajiangmyeon Bro asked me if we can sit side by side because it would be awkward if we sit face to face and look at each others faces...
    via gimmemujjajiangmyeon
  • bad date, women get the ick
    via Unsplash+ (and Curated Lifestyle)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • Before I left that very bad date with the guy who loved to drink and fight, there were many more red flags. That was just the last one that told me to get out of there. He also took me to a cheap mac 'n cheese place, then to a bar where he said he “knew everyone who worked there so the drinks would be free”; he did not, and they were not free. Plus, I had to pay because he recently went through a bad break up with a “crazy” ex and was broke from having to move out. 

     

    The best part of this comically bad date, however, was when I was figuring out how to make my exit, I befriended a random woman at the bar who said she'd help me. However, before we could devise a plan, my bad date found me, put his arm around me and said, “why are you talking to my ex-girlfriend?” It turns out the random woman I was plotting with was the “crazy” ex-girlfriend. LOL Yeah, I literally just told him it wasn't happening with me and left. Basically ran all the way home. (Who am I kidding, I ran to a bar my friends were at nearby to debrief them on the ridiculous journey I had just endured.)

  • No_mans_time That one guy was so eager to get me on a date, but did not even want to know anything about me. He only stared at my breasts while talking and talking and talking about himself. He did not even recognize that I did not say something :D My friends were at a bar nearby so I said goodbye and joined them. He messaged me I'd be the woman of his dreams - and I answered "why?" He could not answer :D
    via No_mans_time
  • aggressively_baked A guy took me to Olive Garden and on the way remarked, sorry my car is dirty my mom didn't have time to clean it. Like dude you're 30 clean your own car.
    via aggressively_baked
  • cirivere Trying to figure out what interests and hobbies he had. Basically he just picked a generic study course with finances because it seemed a safe option, didn't enjoy any sports or crafts or video games, but did watch netflix series. It was like I was pulling teeth to get any conversations and getting to know him going. Edit: as for the netflix series, he just picked whatever was trending but no specific genre interested him
    via cirivere
  • bluefootedboob He smelled like a dirty hamster cage and farts. And was condescending. Another one told me was a cop and straight edge. Another had really weird feet and toes. Had a third date with someone where we did dinner and a movie at his place. It was obvious he expected to get laid but I wasn't feeling it so went home - he told me on the way to my car if we watched another movie we were in fact having sex first. Another couldn't get off his phone and pounded 6 drinks in 90 minutes.
    via bluefootedb*ob
  • IndividualSecurity94 Went on a first (and only) date with a man who volunteered, unsolicited, that he was banned from Uber because he was using Uber pool to hit on the poor unsuspecting women sharing a ride with him. On multiple occasions. And he still didn't understand why it was such a big deal.
    via IndividualSecurity94
  • glr09209 He blasted his music really loud in his car. Every time I would try and talk to him. he'd turn the volume down for a second to respond and then turn it back up again. Worst part is that the songs were his own songs. Our first and only date.
    via glr09209
  • According-Cover-4596 Guy took me to chipotle and paid with a gift card and said I was lucky he had a gift card or I'd be paying for myself
    via According-Cover-4596
  • bad date, women get the ick
    via Unsplash+ (and Kateryna Hliznitsova)

    Image is representative only and does not depict the actual subjects of the story.

  • cattyb1 Texted his mom throughout the first date and even answered a call from her (it wasn't a medical emergency). Needless to say I made an excuse to leave after one drink
    via cattyb1
  • eatbuttsdingdong One of my friends set me up on a blind date with a guy she knew. He showed up to dinner in a white cut-off sleeve (that he had done himself judging by the haphazard lines) t-shirt that had stains all over it. And he brought me a ziploc bag of his "mama's famous frog legs". Needless to say, there was no second date.
    via eatb*ttsdingd*ng
  • channelka He was telling me about his siblings, and out of nowhere, he added, "I dont think there is such a thing as marital rape." There was no second date. This was 10am at a coffee shop.
    via channelka
  • nothoughtsnosleep He showed up in knee-length, Hawaiian print bermuda shorts, a button down black and white checkered print shirt, and a fedora. Bro.
    via nothoughtsnosleep
  • cancerbabyyx I was reapplying my lipgloss after dinner and he asked me if he could smell it. So I gave him my lipgloss and he LICKED THE APPLICATOR
    via cancerbabyyx

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boyfriend manners first date relationship advice relationship the ick funny love bad dates girlfriend How To funny dating love dating dating advice
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