As a female in her late 20’s, I have been through my fair share of bad dates. Just the other day I had this exact conversation with my mother:

Jane – “I went on this date with this really hot guy, and he had the personality of a fly. Seriously, he took me to this super dingy little bar, with sticky floors and grubby walls, and then expected me to go home with him at the end of the night!”

Mother – “What did you do?”

Jane – “I kissed him on the cheek, thanked him for a lovely night and deleted his number from my phone the second I got in the cab!”

There is no denying that women are unforgivably hard to please some times, but at the same time, there must be a point where you guys realize you are doing something wrong! If you have ever taken on a girl on the following dates, there is a good chance that you didn’t get a call back:

1. The movies. There is something so impersonal about the movies. You can’t talk, you can’t see each other; you can’t do anything. How are you meant to get to know someone in a dark room, surrounded by a bunch of other people, staring at a large TV screen? This is a third or fourth date thing, not a first date.

2. A horrible bar. We have all been there, and sometimes it can be a complete accident; we ladies appreciate this. If you genuinely like the bar and she doesn’t; you guys are not going to get along. If you didn’t realize the bar was so bad, just tell her and head somewhere else. Accidents happen; it’s not a big deal. You should probably just avoid alcohol on the first date – not only do you look nervous/alcoholic/unable to relax without booze of some sort, but it is very easy to get terrible drunk and make a complete fool out of yourself.

3. A bad restaurant. Restaurants can be difficult for first dates. Unless you have had the restaurant/food conversation, you don’t know what she does and doesn’t like. This can make ordering food a nightmare. At the same time, make sure you do some research to the restaurant before you take her there. If in any doubt, just stick with the places you have already been to.

4. A strip bar. Enough said.

5. The gym. Unless you met in the gym, never suggest a gym date. We ladies hate going to the gym at the best of times, and there is absolutely no way we can look sexy in the gym. Unless you’re looking at Angelina Jolie or Victoria Beckham, of course, but we are not them. Don’t do it – you are heading for a fall if you do.

6. The swimming pool. Unless you guys have discussed this in great detail beforehand, don’t take her to a swimming pool for a first date. It’s hard enough picking an outfit for a first date, without having to pick an outfit plus a bikini that doesn’t shown off our cellulite/flabby tummy/sagging chest/unshaven legs/etc. We don’t want to spend the entire first date sucking our tummies in; don’t make us.

7. Any adventure sports. Again, this has to be something that is discussed before you actually go on the date, but if you think that most girls are going to appreciate you turning up in your hiking/outdoor gear and dragging her along for the ride; you are very much mistaken.

8. Anything that involves more than just the two of you. This first date is meant to be the time that you get to know one another, and you are not going to be able to do this when your friends or her friends are around you. This is a no-no!

9. Anything to do with your parents. This is even more so important than anything to do with your friends. No one wants to meet the parents this early – not even forward girls want this kind of commitment!

10. Anything that involves an overnight stay. This is not only very forward, but also very presumptuous and you are going to find that it is a very long night indeed if the two of you don’t get along as much as you had first hoped!