Modern dating can be so strange that one woman says she didn’t even make it past the first few minutes before calling it quits.
Rachel Anderson, who’s single and hoping to meet someone serious, shared the story in a TikTok that’s now gone viral, pulling in more than a million views. The video lays out a simple point: she’s open to dating, but she’s not interested in entertaining anyone’s games.
Anderson said she was told ahead of time to dress comfortably — like it was going to be a “lounge day at home.” So she went with sweatpants, a sweatshirt, tennis shoes, hair in a bun, and no accessories.
Then she arrived and realized the plan didn’t match the instructions.
Instead of a casual, low-key spot, the date was set at a fancy restaurant — the kind of place where “comfortable” doesn’t usually mean sweatpants. To Anderson, it felt less like a misunderstanding and more like a setup.
She said she turned around and left.
Her reasoning was blunt: if someone meets you for the first time and puts you in a situation where you’ll feel underdressed — especially after telling you to dress down — it comes off like an attempt to “humble” or embarrass you.
Anderson said she blocked him right away. In her view, the message was clear enough the first time.
The comments section quickly filled with support. One commenter wrote that, as a grandmother, it was powerful to see women draw boundaries so confidently. Others suggested the date was a “test” meant to see how much she’d tolerate. Another summed it up as leaving at the first red flag.
Her story also touched on a broader shift in dating attitudes. Some younger women say they’re walking away faster from situations that feel disrespectful, opting out of casual hookups, and questioning whether marriage is even worth it.
Mandana Zarghami, 29, argued that hookup culture — amplified by dating apps — has damaged intimacy. She said it doesn’t benefit women, and that it can dull the significance of those early, meaningful moments when you actually meet the person you want to build a life with.
