Mad Atoms

Meeting up with dudes I meet on Craigslist to buy or sell concert tickets has been some of the best mini-dates I've ever been on. The whole process is already like a blind date anyway, just a whole lot shorter. All blind dates, in fact, should only revolve around exchanging something. That way you actually have a purpose of meeting, as opposed to just getting laid. Of course getting laid is its own purpose, and can also be considered an exchange of goods and services. But at least if it's not a match, you don't have to fake your way through an entire meal.  

You need to bond over a common interest – you’re both obviously into the same bands and what brings people closer together than a shared taste in music? This leads to brief emails back and forth and then comes the awkward "this is my voice" phone conversation, to finally waiting outside their apartment so you can meet face to face. But that’s when the drawn out part of the dating process ends. You make few pleasantries, exchange money and tickets, and leave. There’s no moment where you’re obligated to kiss anybody, no giant pause at the end of the night where you’re forced to decide whether this person is worth your time or not. But, you’re still being social, introducing yourself to new faces, putting yourself “out there” without feeling like you’re supposed to put out.

And hey, if a connection sparks in between taking his money for your general admission Fall Out Boy tickets, you can always tell people you met in a less embarrassing way than “online”.

Because seriously, no matter how great and not-crazy the person you meet on Match, JDate or eHarmony is, it never stops being humiliating admitting to people how you met. That’s why I’m going to start my own online dating service called throughafriend.com. That way when people ask how you met, you can honestly say “Through a Friend” without providing more details. drunkataparty.com and atabar.com are also viable options.