When Meeting Someone New Goes Bad

Aug 31, 2009 4 Comments »

The internet has a reputation for being a dangerous place to meet people. Meeting singles online is one of those things that will probably always have a bit of a risk attached to it. For instance, sometimes Sexy4U, a 29 year old single female with long dark hair, is really a middle aged man with a few remaining patches of gray, and sometimes the middle aged man who’s finally looking to settle down is really a couple of preteens goofing off in the computer lab.

Aside from finding out you’ve been talking to the figment of someone else’s imagination, there are some pretty lousy things that can result from a bad online hookup. Stories abound about crimes that started off with a flirtatious email on a dating site. Just the other day the news reported on a man suspected of tricking his online dates into investing a few thousand dollars into something that proved to be little more than his bank account.

Now, as much fun as it is to blame the internet for all of the world’s most tragic dates, the bad guys are hardly limited to the web. A few months ago a woman met a great guy at a Casino in Detroit and a short while later went on a date with him. They had a nice dinner and probably shared a few laughs. The gentleman probably offered to pay for the meal just before realizing he’d left his wallet in the woman’s car. He asked for the car keys so he could get it and the woman obliged. Not only did he then steal her car, but he left her with the bill.

So these lousy situations crop up here and there no matter where the date originated, yet some people still only to the net when thinking of the scary places to meet. That’s why the last time someone on a dating site messaged me with “I’m nervous about meeting people online,” I coyly replied “All the more reason to meet in person.” In the end her fears were eased, but that’s just because I’m such a great catch.

Fortunately most of my dates have come and gone without any instances of stolen cars. The worst thing I can think of that happened after meeting someone, online or otherwise, was after a date that didn’t go so well. Well, I didn’t think it went so well and really hoped I’d be able to politely bow out and then never hear from her again. But like I said, I’m such a great catch.

Shortly after the date though, she phoned me. And then texted. And then phoned. And then texted. And texted. And texted. And phoned. I can’t really complain too much about a little cellular stalking. It never got to the point where anyone was following me when I shopped or sneaking into my home at night—that I know of. It was also quite short lived. I think. I still get the occasional text from a number I don’t recognize and can’t help but wonder if it’s still her.

Surely that little happening won’t top anyone’s list of worst things that resulted from a first date. How about you write in with one of your stories of a first date gone bad. Just add a comment below and share your thoughts.

Alternative Ways For Meeting Singles Online

Aug 28, 2009 11 Comments »

Meeting singles online should be easy, and why not? We’re all over the net. What else do we have to do between dates? Typically the online singles pickup scene is limited to dating sites, which makes sense. That’s where all us eager-to-get-out-there singles are congregating. All you have to do is log onto one of those sites, post a profile and then start the window shopping.

Stories about guys and girls meeting singles that way abound and some dating sites like to boast high numbers of love-connections or even marriages resulting from their services. Because of that, and the general ease and intrigue of the thing, there are few single people left who haven’t tried out a dating website. Most of them can even boast at least one or two dates resulting from the experience. While dating sites are naturally the main way people find dates over the internet, it’s certainly not the only way. Virtually any website or internet tool with any kind of social networking aspect can and has been used for dating in one way or another.

Stories abound about people meeting through websites like Facebook. Sure, they have tons of singles groups of their own that people join and browse, but that’s not what we’re talking about here. Just like the olden days when you’d go out for dinner only to end up getting close with that friend of a friend who’d been making eyes at you all night, people are hitting on their friend’s friends virtually now. Have you ever received one of those messages, the ones from a man or a woman who’d apparently been browsing down a friend’s friend-list only to fall in love with your picture?

It’s apparently more common than most of us think. Chances are, if you know a few avid Facebook users, you likely know someone who’s tried this out. Still, that’s hardly where the limits of meeting singles online ends. People are meeting and hooking up through online gaming, message boards, blogs and who knows what else. Remember when ICQ ruled the social web? Surely you at least know someone who got lucky after hitting the find random user option.

As for myself, my successes have all been limited to dating sites and the occasional grocery store aisle. That’s not to say I haven’t tried testing my luck by flirting with people playing against me in some virtual Scrabble setting, it’s just that it’s never worked out. More and more though, couples are taking the chance at moving their virtual connections into the real world from sites like Second Life or the apparently romantic world of World of Warcraft.

So to ask if you’ve ever tried meeting singles online would probably be a bit of a no brainer, but to ask if you’ve ever met someone online through any unconventional means is something else altogether. For a full list of Single Events visit, http://www.meetmarketadventures.com. Share your own story or spread some gossip by clicking on the comments link below.

Ring-Ring: Anyone Out There Actually Using Telephone Dating Services?

Aug 27, 2009 4 Comments »

Are there any good people out there meeting singles through those telephone dating services? Frankly the whole idea frightens me a little and brings back nothing but freakish memories of days past. That’s not to say these things don’t work. There are dozens of them floating around out there and they all claim to have relatively high success rates, but success for whom?

The commercials for these phone services all feature gorgeous women who probably represent the smallest fraction of actual clientele. The models who appear in the ads, all claiming their Friday nights are best spent by pressing 2 to hear a profile and 3 to leave a greeting, all while lying around in their undies, are in all reality spending their nights at parties, in clubs or in their boy friends’ Mercedes.

So who are these people who are dialling their nights away? Well, personally I have images of an old roommate who’d get home around 5:30 every day, plant himself on the couch and then pick up the phone. When I was around, my evenings were spent listening to the soundtrack of incessant touch-tones and a guy who’d place somewhere behind Homer Simpson in a beauty contest describing himself as fit and attractive.

Always I’d wonder who was on the receiving end of those messages. Is the mix equal to that of a typical online dating site? Are the telephone diallers basically the same bunch, and what is it that’s keeping them from posting a profile online? Is it the lack of computer or internet? Is it the fear of being asked for a photo? Maybe meeting singles that way simply feels right to them.

As far as I’m aware, my roommate only ever managed to meet one girl off the phone service. She also would have placed somewhere behind homer in a beauty contest, but I like to think that she was nice. Of course, my well established bias against said roommate makes it hard for me to imagine any woman of sound mind and pleasant personality settling for him. And settle she did; the last time I saw her she was sporting an engagement ring.

Those memories are only some of what keeps me from trying the phone thing out. There’s also the fact that I’m just not all that good on the phone, not to mention that other means of meeting singles seem to be working out for me. Surely there are people other than me trying those services out, otherwise they wouldn’t be in business and my old roomy would have needed a new hobby.

Have any of you ever given telephone dating services a try? If you were exploring nightclub alternatives a decade ago before online dating really took off then it’s likely that you have, but it’s the more recent users that are most intriguing. Why the phone and not the net? Do you use them both? Did you ever manage to score a better catch than my old roommate? Let’s hear some stories; just click on the comments link below.

Blogging Down the Road to Meeting Singles

Aug 26, 2009 6 Comments »

A lot of topics have already been covered in this MMA singles’ blog, with lots of articles dealing with everything from making a good first impression on a date to cooking a good meal when you’re living alone. There’s been a lot of great feedback and some good comments made along the way, but for the next while we’re going to try to remain a bit more focused and have entries dealing with more specific topics that can be explored over a longer period of time. What topic should be explored first? Well, naturally that’ll have to be meeting singles.

That is why we’re all here, isn’t it? Either we’re having trouble meeting singles during our regular routine or we just aren’t meeting the ones we want to meet. So we come to the World Wide Web in masses, attend singles events, go to parties and wink at our best friends new office assistant and hope to meet the man or woman of our dreams—or at least someone to hang out with for a while.

No matter how we go about doing it though, meeting other singles just doesn’t seem to be an easy thing to do. First you have to find someone who lives up to what you want in a significant other, and then you have to figure out if you live up to what they want. Oh, and at some point you also have to approach the person, say something nice and even ask them on a date. And then plan the date. And then survive the date. And so on.

While living it can sometimes be stressful, reading about it can sure be fun. With the help of some anecdotes and a little friendly gossip, we’ll take a look at all kinds of things from the ways of meeting singles online to the strangest things people say when meeting someone new.

All the while, make sure to keep the comments rolling in. Not only do they make this blog a lot more fun, but they help with exploring each idea and can inspire more entries down the road. Sharing your thoughts is as simple as clicking on the comments link below, or by responding via one of our alternative RSS feeds.

5 Easy Ways To Improve Your Social Life

Aug 21, 2009 1 Comment »

Gone are the days of meeting random singles that you have absolutely nothing in common with. With dozens of opportunities to get out and share experiences with other singles, there is no reason to sit home waiting for “the one” to ring the doorbell. Here are 5 easy tips to improve your social life:

1. Get Focused – Find people who share your interests by joining a networking website that matches you with others that share your interests for friendship, travel and networking.

2. Sometimes 1 + 1 = 1 – It’s ok to go out and have a great time and not come home as part of a couple. Find activities and events that spark your interest and enjoy yourself. You will have a fabulous time and feel liberated when you stop expecting the outing to produce a date. The pressure is off when you are learning something new or doing an activity you love.

3. Network, Network, Network! – To get the best results, you need to get out there! You never know who you may meet, or who they may introduce you to!

4. Be Motivated – Pick two events or activities each week that you will do to meet new people and maybe learn something new, pen them into your calendar and hold yourself accountable for going. After you’ve gone and had a great time, sign yourself up for additional activities right away and live the life you deserve!

5. Expand Your Horizons – Always wanted to learn how to sail, make sushi, dance, hike or cook French cuisine? Find an opportunity to do it with other singles where there’s no “third wheel” stigma.

At Meet Market Adventures, we make it easy and affordable for you to get out and experience amazing events. Visit our website at, www.meetmarketadventures.com or give our offices a call at 1 (800) 239-0542 to register for any of the exclusive events and adventures!