American woman was gushing over her great 'first date' — until the 41-year-old man's PayPal request revealed his true colors

There is an unspoken rule about first dates — the one who proposes the date covers all expenses. Hayley Lena (@hayleylena_), an American based in Germany, experienced quite the opposite after her first date with a 41-year-old man. On March 25, she shared the bizarre text he sent her two days after their museum date. Lena's post has since gone viral, receiving over 3 million views on her TikTok.

Dating is weird

Lena had gone on a date for the first time in two years to "test the waters." The date went well, but two days later, she received a text that left her bewildered. Well, the man admitted he thoroughly enjoyed their date at the museum. But the next sentence was too strange to be true. "Do you want to PayPal me the cost of your ticket?" the man asked Lena, leaving her speechless. Disheartened, Lena said she would return to her turtle shell because dating is "weird." Moreover, she asked viewers whether she was right to block the man. 

On April 3, Lena shared another video, joking that she is glad her parents are proud of how she dealt with it. She shared a screenshot of when she informed them about her weird date and how it went viral on TikTok. In response, her parents said, "Omfg... we are so proud of you."

Who really should pay for a date?

Although gender shouldn’t play a role in deciding who pays for the dates, a study presented at the American Sociological Association suggests that there is no fixed answer. In this study, researchers surveyed 17,000 unmarried heterosexual men and women, and found that 84% of men and 58% of women reported that men mostly cover all dating expenses. While 57% of women said they offer to split the bill, 76% of men said they feel guilty for accepting money from women.

Just say 'no, thank you'

Meanwhile, viewers flooded the comments section with similar dating experiences and jokes about the 41-year-old man that Lena went on a date with. For instance, @diginoo said, “Just reply [that] my expenses for going on a date: Hair £95 ($126.28), makeup £75 ($99.70), outfit £168 ($223.32). Perhaps you’d like to contribute to half of that?” Similarly, @sarahgreenstories wrote, “He wouldn't even get a response from me. Just a block.” @m1lla99 came up with a brilliant way to deal with such dates and suggested what Lena could have responded with: "'Thank you for your interest. After careful consideration, I have decided to move forward with another candidate. I wish you all the best in your future endeavors.'"

You can follow Hayley Lena (@hayleylena_) on TikTok for more lifestyle content.

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