We asked for your dating app horror stories. Here are your 18 best (worst?) stories

The most noteworthy evening was with a guy who brought me drinks all night and even got us several rounds of shots (which I didn’t ask for but drank because I was 26 and a champ). After he left, I remembered I had to close my tab. That’s when I realized that he had not bought us any drinks; he had, instead, put $100 worth of drinks on my tab and then left.

Sure, that guy was a jerk, but after reading some of your stories, I got off easy. In a love survey sent out pre-coronavirus, we asked readers, “What’s the worst experience you’ve had from a dating app?”

From the guy who invited his mom on the date to the college kid who I’m pretty sure just needed a ride to Zaxby’s, you guys did not disappoint.

Here are Charlotte’s worst dating app stories, as told by you:

(1) Momma’s boy

“First Bumble date. He was an hour and a half late to pick me up because he ‘took a nap.’ Finally he picked me up, and we went to the Whitewater Center for a concert. His mom ‘surprised us’ and met us there, and they didn’t seem to catch onto my awkward confusion at all. Turns out he was in on it and had invited her.” — 20-something female

(2) Drunk in love

“First date, dude got drunk off of three beers and proceeded to vomit all over me in the parking lot, and then asked to go to my place.” — 20-something female

(3) An episode of Cheaters

“The guy’s wife or girlfriend followed him because she suspected him cheating, and while we were out having a drink on my first date with him, she confronted him. I’m thankful she confronted him and not me, as I wasn’t aware he was in a relationship.” — 30-something female

(4) Vanishing act

“Went on a lunch date and halfway through she just up and left! No excuse just boom, gone.” — 40-something male

(5) Young, hungry, and broke

“Went on a dinner date, the guy said he wasn’t hungry. Yet he proceeded to eat off of my plate the entire night. The bill came when I was in the restroom, and he had placed it at my seat. Never saw him again.” — 30-something female

(6) Speed dating

“I ended a date after less than ten minutes because he had terrible B.O.” — 30-something female

(7) “Cocaine friends”

“Second date, she offered to pick me up. When I got into her car, I realized I had made a huge mistake. She had been drinking all day and was now speeding me through the streets of Charlotte. We arrived in one piece, but not before barreling up an exit ramp in the wrong direction. We got to her friend’s apartment, and I was offered a choice of bourbon, beer, or lines of coke. I’m not a prude but I was a little taken aback by that last option. My date, on the other hand, was not. Without a word she went over to the mirror on the coffee table and started chopping up lines with a credit card. I poured myself a glass of bourbon while she snorted the lines with a rolled-up dollar bill. I think a warning of, ‘Hey these are my cocaine friends’ may have helped ease me into that situation. Never saw her again.” — 30-something male

(8) Aspiring makeup artist

“I went out with a guy who worked at a funeral home. We went out twice. On the first date he bragged about how much money he made. On the second date we went hiking, and he told me that he did makeup for dead people and could help with my makeup sometime. I made a lame excuse as to how I forgot I made plans and needed to get home immediately. We never spoke again.” — 30-something female

(9) R.I.P. chihuahua

“I met someone on Tinder and after a couple days of conversation, we decided to meet for dinner. After we ordered our food, we were having casual conversation when he proceeded to tell me about the death of his chihuahua who had passed away five years prior and started CRYING! It was extremely awkward and killed the mood.” — 30-something male

(10) The guy who just needed a ride to Zaxby’s

“When I was in college, I started talking to this guy on Tinder. He lived close by, so I planned to go to his house to hang out. When I got there, he came out to my car, got in and said he wanted to go to Zaxby’s. When we got to Zaxby’s, we both ordered, and he told me I was paying for it. Then I dropped him off and went home.” — 20-something female

(11) Diaper play?

“Went on a date with a girl who ended up having a boyfriend who was into diaper play.” — 20-something female

(12) “Hi, Mom? I’m drunk.”

“Hung out with a guy for two weeks from Tinder. Things were going well so I invited him to my best friend’s birthday party. He got drunk, jealous, and yelled ‘f**k you’ at me in front of all my friends. Two of my friends and the bartender threw him out of the bar. He came back inside and asked to use the phone to call his MOM to come get him.” — 20-something female

(13) Life is not Love is Blind

“He proposed on the first date. Never saw him again.” — 30-something female

(14) Texting with the ex

“I met up with a guy once who had just broken up with his partner of three years. They were in an open relationship, but I guess it didn’t work out. On our date, he was texting his ex and eventually asked me if I wanted to hook up with both of them…” — 20-something male

(15) Horror movie in the making

“We met at a bar with a loveseat in front of a fireplace. Things were going great until he asked weird stuff, like ‘When watching a horror flick, have you wondered what it would feel like having a cold blade touch your warm neck?’ I said I have to use the bathroom and ran out of there fast!” — 40-something female

(16) Stranger danger

“We were walking back from the bar and he stopped someone and bought drugs off the guy. Needless to say, if you’re going to stop and buy drugs from an absolute stranger without references, that’s above my risk tolerance.” — 20-something female

(17) Whatever floats your goat

“Went on a tinder date and met the girl’s goats. Yes, the animal goats. They all had names.” — 20-something male

(18) This one was submitted as a bad date, but I think this guy sounds awesome and I hope he found his balloon soulmate

“A guy I met was a balloon animal artist on the side. He sent me numerous (like 20-30) pictures of the different animals he’d made.” — 30-something female

Related Agenda stories: Charlotte singles use FaceTime for video dates — and it’s working for some; and Charlotteans were asked to describe the moment they fell in love — here are their answers