When you use a dating app, you never know what type of person you’ll find, or what kind of experience you’ll have with them. Finding out is part of the thrill, but sometimes that can lead you down a slippery slope.
This is what happened to TikTok user @_johnnyamerica, who made it a point to share his wild dating story on the platform. When he invited a woman on Hinge to have lunch with him as a date, he expected it to be a casual, ordinary meal. It would be their first time meeting in person, so the focus should be on getting to know each other over a bite of food. That plan went down the drain when the woman decided to have a friend tag along for the date.
In this day and age, it’s normal for women to feel unsafe meeting strangers they matched with online. To show up with a third person without giving your date a single word of warning, though, makes the situation a little awkward. Despite his suspicion, the TikToker accepted the friend’s presence, but it didn’t take long for things to go sideways. As soon as they sat down, the two women began ordering numerous drinks and appetizers, before deciding to have surf and turf for their main course. If you’ve had this, you know that it’s typically among the more expensive options on a menu, but hey, to each their own.
By that point, though, Johnny could see where the date was headed, and his suspicions were confirmed when the waiter asked how they would be dividing the bill. The women wasted no time claiming that everything would be paid by one person, so the TikToker took that as his cue to leave. Instead of going to the restroom as he claimed, he got in his car and drove home, leaving the women to handle their own mess.
Johnny has since posted a couple of follow-ups to this video, answering some of the questions people had about the situation. In case you’re wondering, the entire meal added up to a total of $190 before tip, and no, the two women didn’t pay it either. After the TikToker left, they had another man show up at the restaurant about thirty minutes later, and he paid the tab for them.
Naturally, this story is making waves online, as people express their sympathy for Johnny. “Nothing more disrespectful to me than taking advantage of someone’s kindness. I’d dip out too,” one person wrote, while another said “Good for you! She was crazy for ordering all that and bringing a friend.” “Nahhhh, she knew what she was doing,” a commenter pointed out, making us all question whether or not this was the woman’s first time pulling such a scheme. It surely feels like she had some experience.
Unfortunately, using apps means having an easier time connecting with other people, but that doesn’t always lead to a happily ever after. According to Forbes Health, online dating remains very popular in the U.S., but 28% of folks who use such services have not been lucky enough to get romantic relationships out of it. It’s tough out there for all of us. Perhaps it’s time to try getting dates through other methods.