Never Try, Part Infinity

I'm on Tinder, because that is the best way to try and meet new people outside my regular social circle. Since my 'regular social circle' extends to work and the gym and my married friends, the fact that Tinder is the least-worst option is not a ringing endorsement, because it is the internet, and the internet is Bad.

And yet! I figured if I am on Tinder then there are maybe also some other people like me on Tinder. As in, not Bad. That's the hope, anyway. In actual fact, well, it's a mixed bag. It is possible there are a great many very nice people that I am not interested in trying to meet because they don't take a very good picture and/or have any understanding of what may constitute a good picture. Put your best foot forward and all that. (Tinder as anything but a clearinghouse for superficial disposable interactions is gross and depressing, so let's accept that as a fact for now and revisit it in detail later.)

Sometimes you meet people, you sit down with them, and maybe, if you're lucky, you want to see them a second time. Sometimes, if you're even luckier still, they will insult you to your face so egregiously that you will, in so many words, tell them to fuck right off, and they will write you an apology afterwards. Like I said, people are Bad!

So I meet my 'date' (possibly the most generous use of that word in the history) and we do the trivia at the bar place, and it's fine. We aren't even drinking, just having some food and doing unsurprisingly well at trivia (unsurprising to me, anyway, because I am the shit at trivia). It's fine. No issues. She's kind of a snob, but I am also a snob, so we connect on that level. At least I can't judge it, because glass houses and all that. We finish that up and are talking more and she mentions a 'famous place for live music' outside Joshua Tree.

Dear reader, on the long list of things I don't give a fuck about you will find "live music" and also "Joshua Tree"; additional items listed include: "the WNBA" and "your NCAA bracket", and much else. Point is, so what? I have managed to live a (relatively) rich and full life without knowing these things. Weird, but true. She says, "you've been to Joshua Tree, right?"

"No, never been," I replied.

"Wait, where are you from? How long have you lived here?" she said, incredulously.

"High school in San Jose, moved here about 17 years ago," says me.

"Like, what do you do?"

Me: begins to describe hobbies until I am interrupted by...

"Those don't sound interesting. Did you have a whole second life where you were a different person?"

Freeze the scene here good citizen, and consider your reaction to this level of condescension from someone you do not even know. What do you do?

My reaction was to communicate that her remarks were rude and condescending, and that I would not be condescended to by anyone. It led to a frank exchange of views (from me) and an immediate apology (from her). She excused herself shortly thereafter and I finished my crummy dinner alone.

When she got home she texted an apology, which did not surprise me. 'Only joking', after all. Ahh the lulz I felt when she insulted my lifestyle, hobbies, interests and place of origin. Such jestful repartee!

She was not so dumb that she did not recognize her word choice and tone could be construed as insulting once she had some time to reflect. She was just too much of an asshole to notice before it came out of her mouth.

Dating is bad and people are bad. Don't do it.