Sometimes it just doesn’t go as planned. That goes for life in general but specifically for the realm of hookup dating. Even under the best of circumstances, a date can take a turn for the worst and end up in the john. Maybe she’s just not close enough to her profile picture when you finally see her in person. Perhaps one of you says the wrong thing or makes a wrong move and the whole vibe of the night turns sour. Chances are, if she’s not feeling it any more than you are, she’ll take a hint easily and be happy to end the as well. Things don’t have to get uncomfortable or ugly though. There are several good tactics to employ to end a bad hookup date gracefully.
 

The Old Emergency Call

Everyone has pulled this one a time or two and that’s because its reliable and it works. You give a friend the emergency code and once you text it to them, they know they need to call you with a fake emergency. This new APP can also do the trick! The dog got ran over, grandma had a stroke, water pipes busted in the basement, whatever you need to say to get you out of there. You don’t want her to see you send the emergency code though. So wait for her to run to the ladies room or do so yourself. Make sure your friend knows to use his or her best acting skills in case your bad date is within earshot. If she knows your friends or family, make sure they know the story too in case she asks later. This is a tried and true technique that never fails. Just don’t go at it half-heartedly if you expect her to believe it. Approach it like you’re going for an Oscar.
 

Set the Time Before-Hand

If this is a blind first date your best bet is to set an early end time before you ever head out the door. If things turn out good you can always extend the time. It’s the times it turns out bad that your glad you used this tactic. Decide when you ask her out, where you’re going and when you will be back. If she looks more like your cousin Freda than her profile picture, you can end the date in a no muss-no fuss manner as soon as the movie is over. If she isn’t feeling a good vibe from you, she probably not in the mood to prolong the date any longer than need be either. Setting an end time in advance is a great technique to use to end a crappy date.

Work Comes in Handy Sometimes

Use your work as an excuse to end a bad date. If it’s feasible, say you just remembered you didn’t finish something for work that absolutely has to be done by morning. Beg off but if you don’t want to see her again, don’t say you’ll call. This is a great time to explain that this is exactly why you don’t date much and how very demanding your job is. Give her a dry kiss on the cheek and thank her for coming out. Mission accomplished. Alternately, you can mention how early you have to be up for work in the morning and that you’ve been up since XX o’clock in the morning and really just can’t keep your eyes open another moment.
 

Dogs and Pets

Pets are a great excuse to use in the emergency call but they also work well on the spur of the moment. If things just are clicking and you two just aren’t feeling each other, suddenly remember you haven’t walked Spot since this morning and he has bladder issues. Act embarrassed and ashamed and whatever else it takes you get you out the door and onto greener pastures. Another tactic is to suddenly remember you are watching your neighbor’s dog and forgot to feed him. Then immediately excuse yourself, citing a fear Cujo with escape or destroy the home.
 

Alien Abduction

Last but not least, you can disappear into thin air. If things are just horribly unbearable you can simply exit stage left. If you chose this route there are a few things you have surreptitiously take care of beforehand. You can’t leave her stranded, so make sure she has direct access to her car or leave her cab fare. You also can’t leave her holding the tab. Take care of the check before you leave. Once you’re sure she is safe and can get home, slip out the back door and pray that karma isn’t the bitch everyone says she is. Maybe she will think aliens abducted you.

There are plenty of ways to end a bad date. The best option is keep it as honest as possible. Most often, if a date is bad, you both know it and ending it is easy.