Dating. It can be a breath of fresh air that surrounds your otherwise drama-fueled daily routine, or for others, it has become a staple for mixing a hectic job with quiet social life. But for others, it has become the benchmark for reviving that otherwise disappointing romantic side, which at some point earlier in life defined the happiness that made life that much easier to enjoy.
So while the social scene and people in your town may have changed, the dating offenses that we have all come to either violate or witness haven’t. We asked members of our community in helping us point out the 10 reasons to f@#k up your chances of getting a second date while on a first date.

1. Staring at the dinner bill.
This is something that can speak volumes without a single sound. If you are taking a date to a restaurant to grab a bite to eat, why on earth should the bill matter? Maybe in the 1980′s this is acceptable, but dating on a budget is not the option in today’s society.

2. The ‘reminder’
This can also lead to a grim outlook beyond a first date. Telling the person that they either resemble, remind you of, or have tendencies of a prior relationship/dealing is not only awful, but depicts you as a narcissist. And when was the last time a narcissist became appealing to the average person?

3. Wallet Matters
Discussing financial woes, whether via sarcastic joking or general conversation can automatically stamp your ticket to a not-so-happy ending. By griping about having more lint in the wallet than dollars says that you aren’t willing to keep up with the rigors of a regular romantic relationship. And despite what you may want to think, relationships cost money.

4. Leave the hood at home
We all have our own tendencies that tend to not exactly fit in with the cordial way while out in the much cleaner streets. But to bring the non-traditional personality into a traditional setting doesn’t exactly mean the other person will “buy what you are selling.” It generally means you were single for a reason, right?

5. Stat-padding
It’s one thing to brag and boast during a first date, although it’s not always the ticket-puncher to a person’s heart. But to purposely ‘pad the stats’ (if you are an offender of this, you know what this means) just to impress only depresses the date. Furthermore, even if it progresses into a second date, what happens for an encore? The instances of a 5-star restaurant outing on the first date down to a corner diner on the second date are way too many to even discuss.

6. Resting in the Room
Spending more time in the restroom than at the table/area of interest is definitely a no-no in anyone’s book. But if making a phone call or sending text message date updates is your cup of tea, just make sure you know you are heating the cup alone next time.

7. Spray if you can, but not the whole can!
We all have to smell good when walking out of the door, regardless of if it’s to a date destination or even to the laundromat. But when applying any form of ‘smell goods’ is more obsessive than impressing the date, it becomes a scent that is too much to whiff into a second go-around.

8. Going half on a bill without prior arrangement.
Inviting the other person to dinner, but then proceeding to ask for half after getting the bill is downright a crime. Nobody cares about a bill that has to be paid as the reason for reneging on picking up the full tab, because if that is the case, there shouldn’t have been a dinner date in the first place (see #1).

9. Wanna-be Red Carpet Analyst.
By continuously talking about/making fun of other patrons in the establishment, that not only tries a horrible attempt to cover up your lack of confidence in getting through a first date, but also portrays you as a person who does not have enough self-esteem to even walk past a person who can easily draw a look back.

10. Those Friends?
Any form of bragging or deep discussion that centers around social network websites like Myspace says an awful lot about what matters more and how many friends are within reach. Friends who can be moved around on a top list doesn’t count either.