Dating apps can produce the most truly baffling experiences, as TikToker Jessica (@jessica_sparkle) found out firsthand. She went on a first date with a man whom she matched with on a dating app.
He lived about an hour away from her, but she asked him to come to the town she lived in for the date because she was having issues with her vehicle.
He agreed, and they confirmed their plans to meet up at a restaurant for drinks. Everything seemed perfectly normal leading up to the date.
When she arrived, she texted him, saying that she would meet him at the front of the restaurant. A few moments later, he walked up, and they shook hands and introduced themselves.
The restaurant was unusually busy for a weeknight, and they were told it would be a 15 to 20-minute wait. They sat on a bench and chatted while they waited for a table to open up. They talked about driving, traffic, and the cities they had lived in.
Then, out of nowhere, he got up to grab something from his car. When he didn’t return after a few minutes, she sent him a text about how they were next to be seated. He never responded.
Once their table was ready, she tried calling him, but it went straight to voicemail. Her text went through, but he didn’t reply. She waited another five minutes before canceling the reservation and leaving the restaurant.
She drove home, wondering what on earth had just happened.
“That was a first for me,” said Jessica. “I’ve never gotten stood up on a date. But the weird thing is, he drove an hour down, showed up, met me, and then left. Like, what would have happened if there wasn’t a wait and we had been seated right away?”

In the comments section, some TikTok users tried to make sense of the situation. Others offered advice for next time or shared their own stories of being unexpectedly stood up on dates.
“It’s very important to FaceTime before meeting. That way, any wrong impression can be clear,” commented one user.
“Once, I got stood up at a movie theater. You will definitely find better!” exclaimed another.
“I used to do one-hour predates the first time because there were times I immediately didn’t feel the connection, and there were times the other person didn’t feel the connection, and then we’d meet for a quick appetizer or something, and then afterward confirmed if we wanted to continue or not. Seemed to work well,” suggested a third.
“Something similar happened to me; it was so crazy. Dude said he’d be back, and he didn’t return. Why not just say that you want to go?” added someone else.
Sign up for Chip Chick’s newsletter and get stories like this delivered to your inbox.