The guy who brought his mom on our first date at the zoo

So I matched with this guy named Kevin on Hinge, and we agreed to meet at the city zoo last Saturday. I got there on time and saw him waiting... with a woman who looked about his age. I thought maybe it was his sister, but nope, he introduced her as his mom. She said, 'I just love the penguins, I hope you don't mind I tagged along!' The whole two hours, she walked between us, asked me about my job and if I wanted kids, and even bought us all ice cream. Kevin just smiled like this was totally normal. I was so thrown off I just went along with it. After that, I made a new rule: first dates are coffee only, in a public but neutral spot, for exactly one hour max. Has anyone else had a date bring a surprise third wheel?

3 comments

3 Comments

king.eric2d ago

What, you've never brought your mom to a job interview?

aaronsullivan2d ago

My cousin Linda had a date show up with his best friend last year, said it felt like a job interview with two managers. It seems like some people just have no concept of normal social boundaries. They treat a first date like a family outing or a group hang, and it completely kills the point of getting to know someone one on one. Your coffee rule is smart, it sets a clear limit before things can get weird.

margaretramirez2d ago

That "job interview with two managers" line is painfully accurate. Did Linda ever find out why he brought a friend? I'm stuck between two theories: either he was so insecure he needed backup, or he was trying to make it a casual group thing to avoid real dating pressure. Both are pretty bad.