Link: Tango: Dating Red Flags.
Michael Schnayerson offers his "12-step program for avoiding romantic tragedy" on Yahoo Personals. Michael is convinced that he has developed "clear, specific warnings which mean Danger Ahead."
Most of them make sense to me, like avoiding people who wear dirty underwear and socks. Or those who describe their divorces as being entirely their partner's fault. Or dates where guys won't pick up the tab for first or second dates and women who never make any offer to pay for anything.
I think he's a little harsh on people who put ketchup on eggs. I don't do it but I wouldn't recommend automatically dumping someone who did. On the other hand, mayonnaise on a pastrami sandwich is a little tough for me to handle.
Also, I think that he is too tough on the woman who interrupts sex with him to comfort her dachshund. She may be embarassed by the dog's behavior or may simply be not as engaged in the sex as he is. Perhaps it's more of a reflexion of her lack of response to him than it is of an exaggerated response to her pet.
I also think he's too tough on "demon children". He apparently has his own little princess but he's never raised a boy. I think his bigger mistake is bringing children into new relationships on the second or third dates. He seems to have no concerns about the feelings of the children involved and can't fathom the anger that some of them display. Perhaps there wouldn't be as much anger if they weren't involved in mom or dad's revolving relationship door.
I wish he had gone back and applied his red flag warnings to his own marriage or to his longer relationships. Surely, a set of rules like this can be most valuable if it helps us to avoid long term doomed relationship. Also, I think that many of these things can be ferreted out before an actual meeting-- through emails and calls. I think that he must not put much effort into his pre-date screening process.
Do you have your own set of "red flags"? I'd be curious to hear them.
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