Man pays for $741 meal and $42 Grab fare on first date, says he’s now ‘scared of going on dates’
A man said he is now “scared of going on dates” after a woman ordered a $741 meal on their first date, let him foot the bill, and requested that he book a $42 Grab ride home for her.
On Oct 12, Reddit user @vagli shared the experience in a post on the Singapore speaks subreddit, claiming that he had met the woman on a dating app and decided to go on a date at a restaurant of her choice.
She opted for Imperial Treasure Fine Teochew Cuisine, a one-Michelin-star Chinese restaurant located at ION Orchard.
On the day of the date, he booked a private-hire car and stopped by her workplace to pick her up at her request.
At the restaurant, she apparently handed him her bags and asked him to carry them. The woman also ordered food for both of them, choosing dishes he described as “expensive things”:
- Poached Live Prawn
- Australian Lobster
- Braised Sea Cucumber in Oyster Sauce
- Double-boiled fish Maw soup with Shark Cartilage
- Sautéed Seasonal vegetables with crab meat
- Steamed Rice
- Orange Juice
- Pickles
- Pu‘er Tea
As it was his first time at the restaurant, vagli was unfamiliar with the prices and went along with her choices.
The bill amounted to $741, which the man paid for.
She then requested a Grab ride home, which cost $42 as her destination was “very far” from the restaurant.
Despite it being the “most expensive first date ever” for him, he said it “still didn’t feel bad” and wrote it off as her “enjoy(ing) expensive stuff”.
Woman ghosts after man’s request to reschedule
For their next date, vagli suggested watching a movie. However, the woman suggested watching it at what he described as the “most expensive cinema hall” and even requested a Grab ride from her home.
The pair agreed on a date, but vagli fell sick two days before and asked to reschedule.
She stopped replying after that, he said.
“At what point in this story did I become a simp who just listens to everything she says?” he asks.
In the comments section, he added that he is now “scared of going on dates”.
“I didn’t know how to say no when she asked. It was so awkward. And I was thinking I should be a gentleman,” he reflected.
Netizen encourage man to set boundaries
In the comments section, several netizens shared similar experiences with first dates.
One netizen pointed out that the woman’s behaviour was expected after dating for a year, and not on the first date.
“You didn’t become a simp, it’s just no one taught you how to set boundaries,” the netizen wrote, suggesting that he could excuse himself and leave the venue if it happened again.
“Someone who feels entitled to your money and time before the relationship has even progressed is like the biggest red flag,” the commenter added.
Another highlighted that the menu items she chose were expensive items, urging him to “say no to ridiculous things”.
However, some offered encouragement, saying that it was a lesson to be learnt.
“I wouldn’t beat myself up too much if I were you... This is beyond shameless and we usually don’t keep our guard up because we don’t think people would stoop so low,” one netizen said.
Stomp has reached out to vagli for more information.
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