Seattleites share the best, worst and weirdest dates they’ve been on

Editor’s Note: Welcome to Seattle Dating Scene, featuring readers’ thoughts and stories about what it’s like to date in Seattle.

For our next feature, follow this prompt: Is it possible to have a healthy relationship with someone who has opposing political views? Do politics factor into your relationship?

By Thursday, Oct. 1, 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.

(Answers have been edited for spelling and clarity.)

WORST: “Was madly in love with a guy I’d been dating for five months. He took me out on his sailboat on my birthday. We were drinking and made love on the boat, THEN he proceeded to tell me how he wanted to pursue a relationship with another woman. How do you get off a sailboat out in the middle of Puget Sound???? And couldn’t he have told me this PRIOR to our activities?”

— Anonymous

WEIRD: “He had a list of puns typed on his phone. He read me ALL OF THEM. I don’t like puns. I think I left my body, it was so awkward.”

— Allie

BEST: “When I was in high school, a girl who was a casual friend that I didn’t know very well decided she wanted to go out with me. This was unbeknownst to me. Back then, girls didn’t ask boys out, but she had a plan. Soon, I started running into her in all kinds of places. I was too naïve to realize these meetings weren’t accidents. She was a cute cheerleader with a great smile and personality, so I decided I’d ask her out once. I had stayed in touch with a girlfriend in another city we had moved from, and I wasn’t looking for a new relationship.

We went to a school dance on our date and had a really good time. When I took her home, she invited me in and we talked for a long time, getting to know each other better. She was so comfortable to be with, and so easy to talk with. I realized she was very special.”

— Anonymous

BEST: “What a rom-com experience! For our first date, he planned an evening picnic on Kite Hill at Gas Works Park, so we could watch the sunset and see the city glow in the night. He made us delicious caprese sandwiches and we chatted for hours as we followed the moon’s journey over the Seattle skyline. We slowly leaned toward each other and kissed as the moon landed over the Space Needle, when out of nowhere we were interrupted by sprinklers! Thankfully they missed us, but our attention was now focused on seeing if the sprinklers were rotating. After a few seconds of panic, we realized they were indeed moving, so we made a mad dash to pick up all of our gear and sprint to where the sprinklers wouldn’t get us. We had an exhausted laugh afterward and acknowledged that while it was unfortunate at the time, it would make a great story in the future!”

— Maria

WEIRD: “I suggested a few outdoor date ideas and a midpoint location, since I wasn’t eager to go all the way to Kenmore for a first date. She shot down coffee and walking around Green Lake, kayaking on Lake Washington was [nixed] as well.

We exchanged numbers and she kept texting, A LOT. Normally I don’t text back a lot, but I’ve been quarantining, so I did. Usually she would ask how my day was, and send me pictures of artwork or things she’s interested in. After trying a good number of times to set up a date, she told me to come over in the morning to have coffee, so I said sure. (Mind you I was tested before and after for COVID-19, negative both times.)

She said 10:30 a.m.; I told her I was running late by a few minutes, and she said no worries. My first impression was that it looked like she [had] just woken up, in pajamas, no effort, and I had my hair done, plaid shirt and jeans. I asked her how her morning had been, and she said she’d been up for the past two hours. She went from the girl who blew up my phone, to absolutely quiet during coffee at her apartment, with no effort. Eventually I gave up trying, I was like ‘Oh I gotta go,’ and never contacted her again. Hard to have a conversation when the other person isn’t even trying …”

— Octavio

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: “Happy Anniversary, Tell Us Your Story” — Have an anniversary coming up this month? 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!