The Top Ten Excuses You Can Use to Cancel A Date

How to ditch a date!

Have you ever had to bail on a date when you realized the person was total garbage? You realize you got yourself into a situation with someone you’re not even interested in.

People will tolerate an average of 51 minutes of a bad date before making their excuses to leave, according to research.

Daters were also asked about bowing out ahead of time with 44% of people saying they have done that. On average, we’ll cancel 19 hours beforehand.

Here are the ten most common excuses we’ve used to get out of a date.

10. “I’m not feeling well.”

This one will work, but it might not prevent you from getting a call or text after you’re ‘feeling better.’

9. “A family member is sick.”

Be careful with this one. You might just be asking for a follow-up. “I was wondering how your kid/grandma/brother is doing.

8. “I’ve got a work emergency.”

Someone’s always calling in sick and you’re the one who has to save the day

7. “I forgot.”

Ouch. This one’s going to make your date feel extra special.

6. “There’s something important I have to do.”

Things come up, right?

5. “I realized I’m not ready for a relationship.”

It’s only your first date, but it could turn into something so why not plan for it.

4. “My car broke down.”

This one could backfire. “It’s no problem, I’ll pick you up.’

3. “I have a deadline at work.”

There’s always a deadline for something.

2. “A friend or family member showed up unannounced.”

We can’t be rude, can we?

1. “I got stuck in traffic.”

This one worked much better before we got the new I-74 bridge.

Honorable Mentions “My Pet is Sick.”

Here are a few that just missed the top ten:

  • “My pet is sick”

“I can’t find the place”
“I forgot we were grabbing food and already ate.”
“You look like my sibling, and I can’t get past it”
“I got arrested”