The date that set a new low for deal breakers
ONE woman’s recent romantic outing ended in complete disaster, but her first date horror story has given us a deal breaker we can all agree on, writes Victoria Hannaford.
FIRST date horror stories can make for entertaining tales traded between good mates.
Even so, there’s a woman probably not quite ready to regale friends with the hilarious yarn of her most recent romantic outing.
Sarah Wylie was unceremoniously ditched on a recent first date, after she took a tumble down a mountain on the Sunshine Coast. On the supposedly romantic climb up Mt Tibrogargan, 23-year-old Wylie lost her footing, fell and grabbed a sharp tree stump that left her with deep cuts to her hand. Her man friend decided that the best course of action wasn’t to get her to hospital, but to leave the injured Wylie high and dry — as he was apparently running late for work.
As the saying goes: comedy equals tragedy plus time. So Wylie, who went on the date just over a week ago, might need a spell before she starts dining out that particular disaster.
What’s more certain, however, is that Wylie’s date, who she has not named in reports, has set a new low for deal breakers.
In the early stages of dating, particular scrutiny is given to hints of habits that are deal breakers, and to signs that they’re a keeper. With one swift fall down Mt Tibrogargan, one lady most certainly has her answer — on both counts. Deal breakers are not always universal, but they are absolute. A potential paramour who wants to discuss the plot points of a Dan Brown novel, for instance, will face instant dismissal from some (OK, from me).
However, a person who would leave you on the side of a mountain with deep lacerations to your hand — so deep that they require surgery — is nobody’s romantic hero, and should count themselves lucky if they ever score a first date with another human ever again. In these divided times, it’s the deal breaker we can all agree on.
Signs that someone is a keeper are more difficult to detect. They might not be apparent, especially on a first date, where distracting twinges caused by Tinderitis of the thumb might prevent you from presenting your best self.
They’re more subtle acts that indicate someone has a lasting relationship in mind.
A friend knew her bloke was in it for the long haul when he put her surname into his phone — a sign of commitment in itself — as “Amazeballs”. Thankfully it was at a time when that was a compliment, not an embarrassing vocabulary throwback. And so, apart from linguistically carbon dating the genesis of their relationship, this friend (OK, I’m talking about myself again) knew she was on to a winner. Who knew such an annoying word could say so much?
Thankfully for Sarah Wylie, and the reputation of all humanity, all was not lost on the face of Mt Tibrogargan. There were off-duty firefighters nearby, who recognised she was in peril and promptly rescued her via abseil.
And for the starry-eyed among us, well might we wish for a rom-com worthy twist in this tale, featuring one of the heroic firefighters as the romantic lead. Because those guys are most definitely keepers.
Victoria Hannaford is a writer and producer for RendezView.