Just Hear Me Out: It’s Perfectly Acceptable To Cancel A Date If The Weather Is Bad

Picture this: it’s raining and super windy. Your windows are rattling. Out on the street, umbrellas are turned inside out, littering the pavement like broken dreams. And you’re meant to go on a first date in a couple of hours.

Chances are, you probably don’t want to leave the house but you worry it’s going to be rude to bail on the date on the day it’s meant to be.

The thing is, I’m here to say it’s totally OK. In fact, I believe you’re better off bailing from the date if it’s shitty weather. If this is the sign you needed to back down, let it be. Send your date this article.

“But isn’t it romantic to kiss in the rain?” you ask.

NO. IT’S NOT. Have you ever tried it? Movies make it look fun! The reality is it’s just wet, cold, and confusing. Are you holding umbrellas? Are you not? Has your nose started running? Can you feel your hands?

Anyway, that’s another article. Let’s get back to the original point.

6 reasons why it’s OK to bail on a date if it’s shitty weather

1. You could die.

This is the biggest reason. Bad weather makes everyone act like total maniacs so, really, leaving the house to go on the date would increase your chances of dying. Think about it: if you just stayed at home, inside and protected from the bad weather, you probably wouldn’t die. If you leave to go on the date, you could get into an accident and die!

People drive like lunatics when it’s raining, lightning could strike you down, one of those pointy end umbrellas could fly from its owner’s hands and stab you in the heart before you even had the chance to hear Jay-Z go ‘Uh huh, uh huh’.

It’s dangerous out there. Sure your date could be pissed off if you cancelled, but the guilt could eat them alive if you died.

2. You could get stuck on public transport.

Now, I don’t know about every other city in Australia, but when the weather turns bad in Sydney, the entire transport system loses its goddamn mind. Every Sydneysider has a story about being stuck on a train in the middle of Central and Town Hall stations for 45 minutes because it sprinkled for 10 seconds outside. If you use public transport to be able to get to your date, chances are you would’ve been better off rescheduling it and staying in with a face mask on while watching a bad Netflix thriller, instead of wasting two hours trying to go 15 minutes by train.

3. Rideshares will be surging, so it makes your date more expensive.

A first date is all fun and games until you factor in your $14 Uber there now costs $47, with no chance of the price plummeting for the rest of the night. And sure, first dates can be fun but is it worth that kind of investment when you could just reschedule and do it for cheaper later? Be frugal, friends!

4. You could ruin your whole look before you step into the venue.

Let’s say the other points haven’t deterred you so far. “I really like this person,” you’re telling me eagerly, eyes shining with the promise of the future. OK, but have you thought about making it from the car/train station/etc. to the venue of choice? Have you thought about what would happen if your umbrella flipped inside out and you got saturated on the way? Have you thought about what would happen if you made it to the door in one piece, only to have one, large, fat raindrop comically drip from the awning above you straight down the middle of your fringe and into your eyeball on the day you’re not wearing waterproof mascara? No? Just me?

5. Your date would probably also be relieved.

I mean really, none of us want to go out in shitty weather, right? We’re all doing it out of manners and overall politeness, RIGHT?

6. It’s called rescheduling: if they can’t handle one cancelled date, then how are they ever going to handle you?

So you decide the wind really is too manic for you to go out and cancel the date and your date gets mad. If they’re getting mad about that, then they’re not the one for you, mate. Because there’s going to be a lot worse things that happen in life that are out of all our control, so cancelling one measly date isn’t the end of the world.

If they’re totally understanding and keen to reschedule then yay! They’re a normal, decent person.

Now go forth friends, if it’s rainy and windy — cancel those dates.