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OMG we’ve all had them that horrible Meet & Greet – notice I don’t say first date. When you arrange a “Meet & Greet” be clear and define what you mean. Here is how that online conversation can go:
Potential 1 ~ so would you like to go out on a date?
Potential 2 ~ no, but I would be interested in a “Meet & Greet”.
Potential 1 ~ is that not the same thing?
Potential 2 ~ no, actually for me it is quite different. A “Meet & Greet” is a CASUAL meeting between two people who have been corresponding online. We meet as friends, for lunch, coffee or desert. A date, implies a romantic connection and that may certainly may follow ~ but initially I would rather meet as friends.
Potential 1 ~ I didn’t realize there was a difference, but I’m cool with that. So, want to “Meet and Greet”?
Potential 2 ~ Would love to 
Quick Interjection - I hate to say this, but I generally know within the first 5 minutes of meeting someone whether there is any romantic potential or not. You can let the person know this ahead of time and set a mutal 5 minute signal, this has worked really well for a number of readers. Personally, I have been in a "Meet & Greet where we both immediately agreed that there is no romantic chemistry, laughed about it and become great friends instead.
Trying to find a partner means you are going to go on a lot of dates. There are going to be times you are plain bored, other times you just won’t understand why the chemistry is so different in person than it was online – it happens. Now that we have that cleared up – onwards and upwards – how do you get out of a bad “Meet and Greet” otherwise defined by some as a “first date”?
There are a number of different scenarios here:
There are times that either the timing is wrong, or the location sucks. If this is why you are thinking of escaping, think about why you are not enjoying yourself – does it look like it is a case of nerves on either part? If this is the case talk about it, let the other person know how you are feeling, it will help both of you relax. If it is the location – try going somewhere else.
Is it that the person has misrepresented themselves (lied) i.e. the picture they posted is 10 years old and 50 pounds lighter? You are well within your rights to end it on the spot. Let the person know that you are looking for someone who is honest.
The person is loud, obnoxious, disrespectful or nasty leave immediately – you don’t need to explain yourself, chances are it will fall on deaf ears.
If the person was honest in their profile, but you don’t care for them – try to finish your coffee, desert or lunch (can be done within a half hour). Seriously, they’ve not done anything wrong, and besides they made the effort to meet you. At the end, be honest and say that it was nice to meet them; however, you don’t believe you have enough in common to go forward. If they ask why, deflect the question as your answers could be hurtful. If you are not comfortable doing this in person, send them an email that day. Do not lead the person on, and don’t say that you want to be friends unless you truly believe you could be.
Avoid the “fake” emergency phone call, illness, or work excuse. If you use these, you are telling the person that you are not honest ~ no one fell of the turnip truck yesterday.
Ladies — having someone call you to ensure everything is ok – is good. Thank the person calling and assure them you’ll call when you get home. Explain to the guy that was your check in call – they’ll understand and respect the fact that you take your safety seriously.
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