Dating Agencies,

[OverWyreGrower]

My mum internet dates (I know, don't go there!) and has done for a while....

We have a system worked out. She lets me (or my sister) know who she is meeting, and where, plus reg number if they are driving.

At a pre-arranged time, one of us will text her and she will text back. If she is ok, we'll leave it; however if she wants a get-out, we provide an 'excuse' (illness, trauma etc) and she can leave without too much hassle. That way she can let the guy down by email afterwards also.....

[Two_Sheds]

the likes of Facebook etc has brought the socialising in to a safe environment

With the caveat of "people aren't always what they seem", ie it's very easy for a 48 year old man to pretend to be a 13 year old girl, online

companionship type of relationship and i'm convinced that can be had purely online at least to start with.

I have a network of friends online that I would never have met with the internet: people who share my interests (sewing, cycling, gardening etc). When I socialised with (real life) work colleagues I was so bored! They just weren't my types

[di]

With the caveat of "people aren't always what they seem", ie it's very easy for a 48 year old man to pretend to be a 13 year old girl, online


I have a network of friends online that I would never have met with the internet: people who share my interests (sewing, cycling, gardening etc). When I socialised with (real life) work colleagues I was so bored! They just weren't my types

A real worry, and no matter how much schools try to educate, the message doesn't seem to get through.
There's not many people I can chat horse poo and mulching with without them switching off.

[Mikey]

I can feel my wellies warming just at the thought...I was stood in a hot bed Yesterday mind.

[snohare]

t's very easy for a 48 year old man to pretend to be a 13 year old girl, online

Do they even share a common language ? !

As regards texts for safety, I have a salutary tale.
Once upon a time I asked a female volunteer colleague out. She said no. Later on she was going hillwalking overnight in the area where I was housesitting, I offered her accomodation. But she assumed (on no evidence !) that I was proposing a dirty weekend, and freaked out at me, saying it was sexual harassment. (I have never really forgiven her for that, she should have known me better.)
This weekend I was chatting on the phone to a mutual friend, who told me that said lady had texted her to say that she was going away for a weekend to a man's house (a distant member of both their social circles) and she would text back once home. Time was up and then some, no text had arrived, what to do ? I texted the gallivanting quine, saying, "Call your Aunty -----, she is getting worried about you !"
IMMEDIATE response: "I already texted her ! What did she say ?"
So her "dirty" weekend away - not that that's how I think of it, she was hoping they might click, I wish her happiness and romance - is now known about by the last guy she ever wanted to hear of it ! I tried to pretend that I hadn't known it was an overnighter, but as I texted her, "Can you hear me laughing ?" !
Moral of the story: Don't rely on texts arriving promptly.

[di]

Do they even share a common language ? !

Sadly, it would seem they can

[Mikey]

Dude, that confused the hell out of me?

[snohare]

I can feel my wellies warming just at the thought

I think the confusion is mutual mikey ! Which thread did you think you were replying to ? What thought was that ?
Sorry if I'm being slow, I think I have mild hypothermia.

[Mikey]

I think the confusion is mutual mikey ! Which thread did you think you were replying to ? What thought was that ?
Sorry if I'm being slow, I think I have mild hypothermia.

Well it does look odd there now I must admit, I was replying to Di's comment which she seems to have removed, not sure why, about horse muck and mulching. I have been making a hot bed on the allotment and when your wellies are deep in muck they tend to be nice and warm.

Sorry Snohare, I wasn't trying to be odd, but I didn't really understand why you were texting the woman that had spurned you.

[di]

It's still there...now I'm confused!

[Mikey]

It's still there...now I'm confused!

So it is....D'oh.

Age don't come alone bach.

[veggiechicken]

Its OK Mikey - you're not losing the plot - this is what Di wrote and its still there:
"There's not many people I can chat horse poo and mulching with without them switching off."
Sorry Snohare, but you lost me too!

[snohare]

Yes, I got the hot bed thing - you have no idea how appealing that idea is to me right now ! - but once past the envy, I wasn't sure who you were talking to.
I'm still in contact with Spurning Girl because we both still volunteer and are on the same committee. We're friends, there's just often a bit of...niggly irritation...between us. When our mutual friend Aunty that she was due to text again freaked out, I thought I'd better text as well, just in case. Storm in a teacup, but a bit embarrassing all round.

[snohare]

I'm typing s l o w l y veggie...do keep up...
either Aunty's phone was not receiving texts for some reason
...or something had gone amiss deep in the countryside where this bloke had taken S.G.
...or S.G. was having such a good time that she had forgotten to text Aunty to say she was safe next day.
In case it was the second option - this being 24 hours later, and S.G. being an uberefficient kind of gal - I also texted. Next step was going to be the police. Would've been even more mortifying !

Horse poo is a much easier subject to understand, isn't it..I'm not sure about mulching though.

[Mikey]

As a man, muck is a much easier subject. For one you don't have to second guess it, or remember what its told you, when you've switched off.

Relationships on the other hand, well they are harder to follow than latin.