Who is the Sydney man looking for a BFF and a hot date on Sydney lamp posts?

SARAH sees a poster attached to a lamp post from a man looking for a “hot date”. So who is he? And could this be a new way to find love?

While taking this picture I was approached by a 60 something smoker who said he had ‘loads of girlfriends’ as they told him all Aussie blokes were ‘gay or idiots’, but then he said all Aussie women were “dykes” anyway. Nice.

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JOURNALIST Sarah Swain has been single (but dating) for longer than she cares to remember. That’s because it’s tough out there, as any single will tell you.

So to bring hope to others across the city, she’s sharing her no-holds-barred adventures on the Sydney single scene every week.

THE LAMP POST DATER

IF, like me, you’ve deleted all your dating apps for a break from the frustration, and are staying away from bars to save both money and calories for your holiday, how can you get a date?

By posting a notice on a lamp post, of course.

Yes, you can tape a poster with those little tear-off slips to your local street light with half a roll of sellotape, just like people used to do when they wanted a flatmate before the internet.

Well, at least that’s what one guy did in my neighbourhood.

Here’s what it said:

“BFF’s wanted, tryouts ongoing. Idealist, late 20s seeks the perfect BFF

■ Why settle for less?

■ Meek and mild male, introverted, unpretentious, NOT dangerous.

■ Let’s go on a hot date,

■ Shoot me an email, [e-mail]

■ Responses to all.”

There’s a poster man in town and he’s meek and mild and NOT dangerous.

I took a photo and posted it on Facebook of course.

My friend Jules replied right away saying; “it was meant to be” and I should “call him!!!”

“NO! Freak! Hasn’t he heard of tinder?” I joked.

I mean, it wasn’t the fact that he’d made a poster — it was what he said.

I bet Hannibal Lecter said he wasn’t dangerous.

And a BFF (which means, Best Friend Forever or Big Fat F*** according to the Urban Dictionary and I think he meant the first, though can’t be sure), is something only Paris Hilton used to say in the 1990s.

And you wouldn't go on a “hot date” with your friend, would you?

So is he looking for a mate, or a date?

Another pal told me off in a comment.

Paris Hilton had a think for BFFs. Picture: AFP PHOTO / CHRIS DELMAS

She wrote: “Maybe like the rest of the world he’s fed up to the back teeth of the utter bullshit that online dating is.”

I agree with that — so I emailed Melancholic Loner.

Not asking for a “hot date” but to ask WHY?

And Melancholic Loner replied, as promised.

He told me he put up the ads because not only does he not want to pay to do internet dating (though most of the sites are free) he said “it attracts a wider variety of people than if you use the internet to find people.”

Anthony Hopkins as Hannibal Lecter. said he wasn’t dangerous too, I think Picture: Supplied

He also said he liked that people who wouldn’t usually have liked him actually did once they got talking, which is something which never happens online.

However, Melancholic Loner is a bit confused about the difference between a date and a friend.

He told me he “tried online dating to meet people (friends mostly), but found it to be absolutely useless.”

Well, that’s possibly because people aren't looking for friends.

Anyway.

He clarified: “I’m looking for a local BFF — I actually have a BFF already but she lives in Sweden.”

Great. Another man who already has a woman, but wants another.

And I asked what a BFF actually is.

“Well fyi there are different categories of BFF. Overseas and local. As much as I love my overseas BFF, a few messages everyday is no substitute for irl BFF fun!”

Right.

Melancholic Loner is clearly looking for a friend with benefits. A FWB. Not a BFF.

Other insights he offered were that Balmain was the best place to advertise for a BFF, and that

many blokes got in touch thinking he was a girl, despite clearly stating he was a male.

Would you do it?

“Some men mistook me for a sexy lady and they were very forward and I had to disappoint them,” he said.

Typical.

Well, Melancholic Loner seems quite nice really.

He even said he’d help if I wanted to make my own lamp post poster.

I declined.

Lamp posts are things dogs wee against.

Not places to find love. Of whatever kind.