Woman ate and left after date stood her up over parking issues. 10 minutes later, he returned with a strange apology and offer
'I'd told him already that I left, so that surprised me,' the woman said
Online dating is no stranger to odd encounters, but what happened to one woman (u/KaitieLoo) is incomprehensible. She matched with a guy on an app, hit it off over voice, and agreed to meet him at an Irish pub later that evening. She got there early, ordered a pint of Guinness, and waited. First, he texted to say he was running late. Then, 45 minutes later, he told the woman that he couldn't find a parking spot, so he drove to a dive bar on the edge of town and expected her to follow him there. She refused, finished her beer and sandwich, and headed home. 10 minutes later, the man texted back with an apology and an unusual offer. She posted the incident on Reddit on October 16, 2026, racking up 11,000 upvotes since.
An instant digital connection
The two connected on a dating app, quickly bypassing the dry small talk to swap voice notes throughout the day. The banter felt effortless, prompting the woman to agree to meet later that evening. He eagerly took her up on the offer, and the pair settled on a 7 p.m. drink at a lively Irish tavern nestled right in the center of town. Wanting to beat the evening rush, she arrived at the venue 15 minutes early and claimed an open table. Knowing the downtown layout, she had already cautioned her date that parking might be a problem. Nonetheless, with time to spare, she ordered a pint and waited.
The delay and location switch
Seven o'clock came and went with no sign of the man. At 7:15 p.m., he finally checked in, claiming he was en route and would be walking through the doors within twenty minutes. Realizing the wait was dragging out, she let him know she was ordering dinner. "Go for it," he told her, revealing that he already had dinner anyway. So she ordered herself one, and while she enjoyed it, another message arrived minutes later, completely catching her off guard.
"I get a text message from him saying that he actually ended up going to a super shi**y dive bar that was on the outside of town because he wasn't able to find parking at the pub," she recalled. He seemingly expected her to abandon her meal and follow him there. Refusing to chase a stranger across town, she replied, "Then you won't be meeting me. :)"The woman resumed her dinner and settled the tab. Rather than turning into a frustrating bust, the evening had essentially become a relaxing self-care outing.
The final scramble
She calmly walked back to her vehicle, satisfied that she had held her boundary. But about ten minutes later, the man's name flashed across her phone screen again. In a sudden reversal, he claimed that he had miraculously secured a spot outside the pub and was walking inside, despite her already having informed him she was leaving. "I'd told him already that I left, so that surprised me. THEN he offered to pay me back for my meal/drinks if I gave him a second chance. By then it was already 8:15 p.m., and I was just done," she said.
Online dating's negative experience
It's weird date nights like these that make up for the bad reputation of online dating. According to a Pew Research survey, 46% of American adults who have used dating sites or apps have a very negative or somewhat negative experience with them. Of these people, women are much more likely to have a poor online date, with 51% of them reporting having a negative experience compared to only 42% of men. At the same time, 30% of women confessed to being overwhelmed by the sheer volume of messages they get on these websites.
Assuming the worst
The actual reason behind the man's weird behavior remains unknown, but people had their own theories. u/Responsible-Job6001 noted, "I’m going to assume the worst of him and say that he may have double-booked and figured one of you would wait around for him to be late because of “parking." On a first date, basic communication and being on time are like the bare minimum requirements someone should give you!" While u/ButterscotchBubbly13 commented, "Funny how he magically found parking after you cut him loose :)."
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