From an overbearing dad to a comedy of errors, readers share their worst, weirdest and most memorable dates

Seattle Dating Scene features readers’ thoughts and stories about what it’s like to date in Seattle.

For our next feature, follow this prompt: 

What are the most memorable or unusual breakups or rejections you’ve dealt with in the past? And do you have advice for others for how to get over them?

By Thursday, April 22, please email your submissions to dating@seattletimes.com or submit them via Instagram direct message to @dating_in_seattle, and they may be printed in a future edition of The Mix.

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Best Date/Worst Date

We asked readers to submit stories about the best, worst and weirdest dates they’ve been on. Here’s what they said.

WORST: “Years ago, I met a woman on a dating website. We exchanged messages for a few days and I honestly thought she was ‘the one.’ Intelligent, funny, beautiful, great family (so I thought ), common interests across the board, etc. …

We met at a bar for drinks and there was instant chemistry. Best first date I had in years.

She excuses herself to use the restroom and I notice, ‘Wow, she’s been gone for a while now.’ I started to worry, and asked the waitress to check on her. Waitress came back and said she was fine, but on the phone. ‘Weird,’ I think to myself. She rejoined me soon after that.

Something had definitely changed. She was pale, looking around, nervous — and suddenly the check arrived.

I guess one thing that I hadn’t quite vetted was that she had an overbearing dad who meddled in every date or relationship she ever had. He asked her for my cellphone number to run a background check on me.

According to his ‘background check,’ I had been arrested twice for armed robbery and was wanted by police … even though I have never been arrested in my life.

She gets up without warning and runs across the street. I follow her, asking what’s going on. She tells me her dad is a block away, he has a gun, has called the police and to get away from her. Her dad pulls up, stares me down, peels out while flipping me off.

The finale: I text her asking, ‘What the hell just happened???’ She doesn’t apologize for her dad, his information being wrong or leaving without explanation. All she said was, ‘My daddy is always right and you obviously have issues.’”

— Dan

MEMORABLE: “In the late ’80s I went on a terrible and comedic first date with a guy who lived in my dorm at Seattle Pacific University. He picked me up late for a movie, forcing us to climb over annoyed people in a dark theater. We watched enough of ‘True Believer’ to be frustrated and confused. After leaving, we drove over a median, and high-centered the car (in fairness, it was hard to see as it was covered with sand).

The car belonged to a friend, which only added to the stress, since high-centering seemed a bit rough on the car. A few moments later, we ran out of gas. It was a stormy Seattle evening and these were the days of high-maintenance permed hair held with Aqua Net, so I was not happy (I kept that to myself though).

After walking to a gas station, he spilled gas on himself. Then (God only knows why), he somehow got gas in his mouth and spit on himself trying to get it out. He was now so mortified that he dropped me off at the dorm without offering to take me to a party he escaped to after. He wasn’t a good communicator back then, so I was left confused and a little hurt by the entire evening.

After he overcame his embarrassment, he asked me out again, and I decided to give him a second chance. I don’t remember our second date — but, since we are still together, we definitely had one. We’ve had many beautiful dates since to make up for the first one. We have now been married 30 years and still laugh about that awful beginning.”

— Autumn

WEIRD: “‘John Somebody from your choir called,’ my mother told me as I walked in the door.

‘No way, Mom! What did he want?’ I replied.

‘I don’t know, but I think he wants to take you on a date.’

I stood there dumbfounded and thrilled. Even though we were both in college choir, I did not think he knew I existed. He was the star of the music department, and I had only DREAMED he would ask me out.

The next day, sure enough, John approached me and invited me to watch him give a concert and then have dinner together. I could not believe what I was hearing, and my answer was, ‘YES!’

That Saturday, when John picked me up and we drove the 25 miles to the college venue, I had butterflies in my stomach. John came from a very prominent family, and he seemed like such a gentleman. I felt like Cinderella with this senior prince stooping down to take out a mere freshman. I could have listened to him sing all night!

Later, we were finishing our pizza and salads; I was feeling on cloud nine with this man I admired so much … UNTIL … to my utter surprise … he picked up his empty salad bowl and asked me, ‘Do you mind? I hate to leave all that good dressing,’ and proceeded to lick the bowl clean. My shock and embarrassment were profound, and as you can imagine, THAT was the last date I ever wanted with him.”

— Margie

Here’s the monthly “Seattle Dating Scene” lineup:

• First week: “Dating Question of the Month” — Readers respond to a dating-related question we’ve posed.
• Second week: “How We Met” — Have the perfect meet-cute story? Or a great first date? In under 500 words, tell us how you met your significant other, and send in your story and a photo.
• Third week: “Best Date/Worst Date” — In under 250 words, tell us an anecdote from the best or worst date you’ve been on.
• Fourth week: “Ask Marina” — Marina Resto, who runs the lively @Dating_in_Seattle Instagram account, answers reader questions about dating — or finds a special guest to answer the ones she can’t!