DINNER

PRO: You could (quite possibly) get a free meal.

CON: If you know you don’t like the guy by the time appetizers arrive, you’re stuck with him for the long haul, forcing very forced conversation. Add to that, a sense of guilt when the check comes and your conscience tells you to split the bill but your recession-minded frugal nature lets him cater to his sense of manhood when he insists on paying.

MOVIE

PRO: A night out at the movies is always fun – even if the movie sucks. Secondly, if you don’t like the guy within a few moments of meeting, you don’t have to talk much throughout the rest of the date.

CON: If you like the guy, it’s pretty hard to talk at the movies, especially when the guy behind you repeatedly tells you two to, “Shut the fuck up!”

COFFEE

PRO: Even when you meet up with a friend you haven’t see in a while, “coffee” implies a short rendezvous to get the catching up essential out of the way. Meeting a date for “coffee” is similarly, a lighthearted encounter where you basically have until you finish your cup to part ways.

CON: Sometimes meeting a person for the first time requires that additional kick you can only get from a stiff cocktail. You’re uptight and caffeine only amplifies that. Another no-no is, if you do coffee at your local haunt, you risk running into people you know. The baristas may think you’re a total slut or perhaps accidentally blow your cover and inform your new date you’re a girl about town when they inquire, “Weren’t you here an hour ago with another guy?” Rule of thumb is to choose your coffee shops wisely – that’s the way around this con.

WALK AROUND TOWN

PRO: If the date sucks, you get to window shop for the afternoon. Furthermore, you get to check out what kind of guy you’re on a date with. What kind of stores does he like? What’s his general style – not just how he presents himself at face value upon meeting.

CON: If the dude turns out ugly, that’s the man on your arm for the hour.

NIGHT CLUB:

PRO: What can go wrong at a night club when there’s loud music playing, you’re dancing and dressed your best? Plus a few martinis doesn’t hurt.

CON: If he dances like a dork and dresses like a dork, then you’re out with a dork. Even worse, that dork may want to grind against you like a brick of Parmesan against a cheese grater.

What are some of your most and least favorite first date spots?