Merrick Andrews,
Youth Writer
EVER HAD one of those can't tell your friends how it went dates? What happened? Did you spill orange juice on her lap or did you forget that you actually had a date with her?
Whatever the reason, you blew the moment.
Careful planning and timing is the best way to having a problem-free date, says 21-year-old 'date expert', Nicholas Wright.
Having blown several dates since he first started dating at 17, Nicholas believes he is now a veteran.
It was after his last 'disaster date', which robbed him of his fourth girlfriend at 18, that he realised that he was not planning carefully.
"You might dress wonderfully, but something wrong always pops up when you don't plan carefully," he said. "You don't have to be properly attired to please or impress your girl, she will watch how you co-ordinate things at the critical moment."
He knows.
His biggest disaster occurred on his second date.
He was looking 'bashy'. His girlfriend Sheree was impressed. They went to eat at a popular restaurant in Kingston, instead of stopping over in their home town, Linstead, which he thought was 'boring'.
The food at the restaurant was expensive as he had expected. After sampling the more than $2,000 worth of food and drinks with Sheree, he searched his pockets for the money.
He couldn't find it.
"I only found $5 worth of coins," he said. "I then remembered that I'd left it on my bed before I left. That was embarrassing."
Sheree who ended up footing half the bill was very upset, and he had to give his telephone number and address to the restaurant manager. What's more, the angry boss cursed at top of his voice, further embarrassing the couple.
"The other customers in the place did not stop staring, giggling and whispering until we left," Nicholas remembered.
Shortly after leaving the restaurant, he and his girlfriend had a quarrel and she called it quits.
He did not learn his lesson there. He ruined three more relationships.
But that was quite a while back.
Nicholas is now a pro and can give advice.
"Girls are always prepared, mentally and physically," he said. "I have never seen a girl cause a bad date, teenagers on a whole are inexperienced on dating and they may become nervous, overexcited and forget to plan carefully," he added.
If only I had known...
Tanya, 22:
One Valentine's night I went out with this guy who had been begging me to date him for years. Since I had no other plans, and couldn't be alone on that day, I consented. He came to pick me up wearing a pair of red pants, white shirt and white shoes. I ducked each time I saw one of my friends at Carib, he looked like a mascot and I couldn't enjoy the night after that.
Michelle, 19:
I met this guy on the bus when I was in high school. He looked cute and we talked every morning. He always wore a hat. One Saturday he came to pick me up and I saw him hatless for the first time. He had drippy jherri curls. I saw a school friend that night, by Monday my family and friends were calling me 'jherri curls'.
Tika, 17:
I allowed my friends to set me up on a blind date. We were supposed to meet at MacDonald's. I told him I'd be wearing a red shirt. When I arrived I saw this short guy in gym wear - tights, shirt and sneakers waiting. He asked if I was Tika, I looked him up and down, and said no. I couldn't do it, I'd laugh too hard.
Lori, 19:
This guy picked me up once in his cousin's car to take me to Asylum. I was dressed hot and the car was UGLY. They had me driving around Kingston for half of the time, then they stopped at a vendor and offered to buy me cane. He then offered me a drink and I saw the relief on his face when I said no thanks. I realised then that he had no money and he took me home with some flimsy excuse that his cousin was tired.
Diane, 26:
I remembered my first date at high school. I was 18 and my boyfriend had a car. While we were on our way the car wheel punctured and while fixing it he got his clothes all greased up, so we had to cancel the date.
Marlene, 21:
Two years ago my boyfriend and I went out to enjoy ourselves. We were having a grand time, but he ended up drinking too much liquor and he got drunk, vomited all over me and in the people's place. I felt so embarrassed. On top of that we did not have any bus fare to go home se we had to beg.
Jeff, 17:
My worst date was when I went out with this girl at 15. Before our date, she told me at school that she would be treating me, so I went out with her, carrying only my bus fare. When she asked me for a drink I could not buy her any because I did not have enough money. She didn't have any money herself. She told me that she was joking and never spoke to me from that time.
Melichia, 18:
My worst date was last year, when, on the day of my date, when I went to meet my boyfriend at the bus stop, I saw him talking to another girl and they kissed. From that time I have never been on another date because young boys are too giddy-headed.
