What is your opinion on responding to a date request text/voicemail you're not interested in?

[charlie and algernon]

This has been a discussion topic amongst my group of friends lately.

Let's say someone texts/emails/leaves a voicemail to you either asking you out for the first time or asking you out on a second date. You're not interested in dating this person. You have nothing against this person, they just don't strike your fancy in a romantic way. If you went on a first date already, there just may not have been any chemistry or you found you two didn't have anything in common.

Do you respond to said text/email/voicemail? Or do you ignore it and hope they get the message that you're not interested?

Again, this isn't someone you've been seeing for six months and had relationship with, just someone you've maybe seen once or twice.





I think you respond back, if just to simply say "I'm sorry, just not interested." But I admit that I'm also guilty of not responding and ignoring a girl's message asking if I wanted to go out with her.


What say you?

[NYC_SKP]

1. You respond back, IMHO.

Texting is both the most immediate and the most recipient friendly form of electronic communication.

A text message allows the recipient to read it discretely and reply easily, without need of email application, or needing to answer a ringing phone or play back a voice message.

I like texts, and I think the right thing to do is to respond honestly and in fairly short order.

[loli phabay]

4. this. its only good manners

[Xyzse]

2. I don't know... I tend to make friends so...

A lot of the time, I end up just making a friend out of a person I met.

I mean, I want to be active and busy, so even if the person becomes just someone I can bring for dinner or watch a movie, I think that would be great.

[mythology]

3. While I'm no expert on the subject

I would say that responding would be good, but I would respond either via email or vocally. Texting may be quick and easy, but if you're letting somebody down, you should give them something more than 140 characters.

If you like the person, give them feedback on something good about them. Getting turned down sucks and it's a nice thing to try to ease the pain if you can do so without sounding like you pity them or that you're being condescending.

But as I said, that's coming from somebody who's too ugly and introverted to be asked out, so I could be completely off-base.

[loli phabay]

5. yup I think you are. dont do the its not you its me thing

Just be plain and blunt so there is no misunderstanding lest you find your pet cooking on your stove.

This is from experience as I get literally hundreds of requests weekly. If you do the let them down gently approach eventually you end up going the blunt route eventually.

[Trascoli]

6. easy answer

you're dating someone