At a recent social gathering, I asked if anyone had any dating disaster stories that they were willing to share. I was regaled with cringeworthy tales of dates gone awry. Many of the incidents revolved around car troubles.
The first tale of woe involved a young man with a problematic automobile that had intermittent issues but seemed to be running fine at the time. So, he dismissed any lingering concerns and optimistically embarked on his date. As the couple drove up a scenic canyon road, the car began to sputter. And then it died altogether. He called his father for roadside assistance. No answer. He called his mother. No answer. Ultimately, he was forced to call his date’s mother to come rescue them. It was not his finest hour…and not the good impression he had hoped to make on his date…and her parents.
The next story involved a high school boy who had just received his driver’s license. The novice driver unwisely agreed to chauffeur his crew to the school prom. He donned fancy attire and picked up his date with high hopes for a memorable evening. When they arrived at school, car packed tight with friends, he discovered that parking spots were limited. He tried to ease into a narrow slot between two parked cars. He slowly crept forward, only to hear the screech of scraping metal. “Stop!” shouted the backseat drivers. “Straighten out!” So, he cranked the wheel – a bit too much – and took out the car on the other side. It was a memorable evening alright, just not the one he’d anticipated.
The final automobile escapade involved a college kid who was trying to impress a cute girl. He cleaned and buffed his car but forgot to fill the tank. When the car ran out of gas, his date was skeptical that his oversight had been wholly inadvertent and wondered if he had an ulterior motive in mind. She jumped out of the car and started pushing. Luckily, a police cruiser stopped and bailed them out. His date must have eventually forgiven him, because she ultimately married him.
