Interview By Holly Barry
We caught up with the woman who hit the headlines after her date requested she paid back the £3.50 coffee he brought her when she politely rejected him for having no connection. Lauren Crouch, 28 now blogs about dating for the Guardian and Metro and keeps her readers up to date on her interesting date stories over on her blog…
Has dating become harder since you have been in the media?
To be honest, it’s been a bit mental really, I haven’t really gone on any dates since it happened. I’ve had lots of people ask me to go on dates with them and I’ve had people messaging me on Twitter and Facebook. I kind of just said no. I think I’m going to take a break from dating for a while.
What is your pet peeve about dating?
I think now people who meet on dating sites are more disposable, it used to be that you would talk to people over a couple of weeks but now you go on a date with someone and even if you really like them, they’re a bit shade down with other women on their phone. I think it’s just greed where you meet someone amazing but there’s that idea that you might meet someone better. I think that’s possibly the hardest thing at the moment with regards to dating.
What was the most romantic gesture that someone has ever done for you?
You know what, I’m like really a hopeless romantic. With my ex, on our 3rd date, he gave me a lottery ticket and it had written on the top of it ‘You’re one in a million’. It was only our 3rd date and I thought that was a really out there gesture. Although I hate to say it, he actually did something right.
What was your most awkward date you’ve ever had when you were student age?
I had a boyfriend whilst I was at uni so I didn’t really have any bad experiences. Although, when I was in my first year, I was seeing this guy in my halls and we were sneaking in and out of each other’s rooms and I remember one time I was at his and his fire alarm went off and we were evacuated so then we got busted.
What advice would you give students when it comes to dating?
I would say, be yourself and don’t take rejection personally. For me, I think a lot of people have that someone who they would like to see again but they don’t. You can’t take it personally as such if you’ve only met for a couple of hours for a drink, they don’t really know you and if you don’t get on and you’re arguing then you’re not really right for each other.
Got any tips to help first date nerves?
Yeah. I don’t really get nervous on dates anymore. I kind of think it’s a bad idea if you’re going to go on a date if you’re thinking ‘OMG this guy might be my boyfriend’, you should go on the date thinking ‘this guy might be really nice and incredibly funny’. You know I’ve been on dates with people who have been incredibly interesting… You should think of it as a chance to meet someone new and as an opportunity.
Any suggestions for good date places for a student on a budget?
I would never have a dinner on a first date. Go somewhere where you feel comfortable and laid back. I always like cosy pubs on a Sunday afternoon.
Do you think online dating is a better way of finding partners compatible to you than offline dating?
I think if it’s online you’re more likely to disregard someone who otherwise might be really attracted to you. If you meet out you could completely fall for them. I think it’s better to meet someone you know in real life, you can get that attraction. Sometimes when you meet someone online, you can talk for weeks and weeks and think they’re amazing and you meet them and you haven’t got that spark.
You can find her blog here.
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