Her date turned into a nightmare: ‘He counted calories, kept checking his phone, then the waitress chased us’

A date arranged through Hinge became viral content for New York creator Margot Lee after she described an evening that kept getting worse. Her TikTok video attracted more than 1.3 million views and prompted a wave of reactions from users.

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The date that just kept getting worse and worse.

Lee, who founded a stationery brand and hosts a podcast, said her date counted calories, constantly checked his phone and refused to order food, claiming he had eaten a late lunch. Commenters compared his behavior with what they called “red pill” tactics in modern dating.

The evening also included his boast that he had attended Burning Man six times, which many commenters called a red flag. But the most awkward moment came when the pair left the restaurant. Lee wrote that her favorite part was “when the waitress chased us outside.” Users quickly concluded that the date had not left a tip.

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My favorite part was when the waitress chased us outside.

One commenter said she had been sitting at the next table in the small French restaurant. She said she and her boyfriend had heard part of the conversation and thought it might be the most uncomfortable first date ever. Her comment helped confirm that Lee’s account reflected what other diners had witnessed.

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These are ‘red pill’ tactics to see how much you are willing to tolerate.

The story encouraged users to share their own bad dating experiences and support a warning to leave when an encounter feels wrong. “Strangers don’t have a right to your time,” one commenter wrote.

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Ladies, let’s normalize leaving immediately when the vibe is bad. Strangers don’t have a right to your time.