There are so many ways to meet new people these days. Sure, there are the old standards like a bar or club, but now we also have apps. You can learn to navigate the modern dating world by searching online.
Even though there are a bunch of places where we can get our flirt on easily, some people insist on choosing the most inappropriate places imaginable to hit on others. Here are a few places where you may want to think twice before flirting.
At your job
Even though there are tons of couples who meet their partners at work, it’s not a great place to flirt with other people. Most companies have strict policies on sexual harassment in the workplace, which means that any sort of sexual conversation or flirtation is heavily frowned upon.
Things can be easily misinterpreted, especially when there are different levels of authority involved. Limit your flirtation to after work if you can’t stop thinking about them. Or, even better, if you find that you’re interested in a co-worker, wait until one of you transfers or leaves the company to approach them.
At their job
There is something really creepy about people who hit on people who are serving them. In restaurants, this happens all the time. If a waiter or a cashier is being nice to you, chances are they’re just trying to do their job well. They aren’t flirting with you.
If you suddenly get the urge to flirt with someone who’s just trying to do their job, remember that they are getting paid based on how happy they make their customers. If you really feel a connection, slip them your number and let them make the next move. But try not to take it personally if nothing happens.
At a job interview
There aren’t many situations where lingering eye contact isn’t seen as interest from both parties. Unless you’re at a job interview, where prolonged eye contact is almost mandatory. You can’t always rely on the sparks that may fly in this situation. Sure, the fact that you might never see them again could bolster you enough to make a move.
But what if you do get hired? Then you’ll have to navigate the perils of a new job with someone who you might have behaved inappropriately with, and there’s the very real possibility that they do not share the same emotions. Stick to your best professional behavior, and if you get the job, then you can figure out where to go from there. Go for lunch with the person and see if there actually is a connection, and whether or not it’s worth disrupting the atmosphere at your new job for.
In a religious building
If you’re visiting a mosque, synagogue, church, or other place of worship, the last thought on your mind should be flirting with someone. You’ve come somewhere to pray and give thanks, not to pick yourself up a spouse.
Sure, piety is an attractive quality, but you can find this in people without having to go to a place of worship. Go to a church gathering or become a member of your religious community to befriend new people first. Start slow and work your way up to flirtatious advances.
At the gym
For some, the gym is their place of worship. Their body is their temple. Many people attend a gym religiously, which makes it easy to notice the hottie who also comes in every Monday, Wednesday, and Friday. Working out gets the blood flowing and increases the feel-good hormones pumping through your veins.
But not everyone is as comfortable at the gym as you may be. Keep that in mind next time you go up to flirt with someone and they stare at you in red-faced horror. They might feel very unattractive with sweat dripping out of every pore. Keep your flirtation to yourself until after your crush hits the showers.
At the doctor’s office
We’ve all been there. You walk into the doctor’s office feeling lousy, until you see that attractive guy or girl sitting in the corner of the waiting room. That usually lifts people’s spirits immediately!
While it’s ok to admire them from afar, and daydream about taking them to bed and giving them a hot … cup of soup (get your mind out of the gutter!), you probably shouldn’t approach them. Depending on what they’re getting treated for, the doctor’s office can be a painful and humiliating place to be, so chances are they aren’t feeling very attractive.
In a change room
A clothing store change room is a vulnerable place for many people. You’re forced to get out of your comfortable clothes in public, and try something on that you’re hoping will fit you. Sometimes, it fits, and you look awesome, but other times, you can’t even get it over your thighs, or the buttons don’t close all the way. The sensible thing is to get in and get out as quickly as possible.
Don’t prolong the experience by waiting to see if the hottie trying on clothes two rooms down is also checking you out. It’ll just make them feel weird, especially since most change room walls don’t reach all the way to the floor.
In a bathroom line
Nobody feels sexy when they’re hopping from foot to foot waiting to use the washroom. The next time you spot someone beautiful in the bathroom line, give them a chance to use the facilities and maybe freshen up a bit before approaching them.
Every woman has experienced the uncomfortableness of being ogled at while standing in line for the bathroom. Especially because women’s restrooms tend to have much longer lines than the male ones.
At your kid’s school
The schoolteacher fantasy is a real thing. From X-rated movies to naughty schoolteacher costumes that pop up every Halloween, everyone has seen this fantasy come to life. In real life being a school teacher is a much less sexy job than it appears, and most teachers don’t appreciate being hit on at their place of work — especially if they’re teaching your child.
Keep the relationship professional, and if you just can’t get them out of your head, wait until your child is out of their class. Otherwise you risk jeopardizing your child’s ability to learn if things go sour.
If you’re on a date (with someone else)
Everyone’s heard stories about people who went on a date with a dud only to meet the love of their life at the same bar that very night. While those stories are romantic to the extreme, it’s not always a win-win for all parties involved. Sure, if you have a bad date and are alone at the bar after, chatting with someone new is a great idea.
What’s not a great idea is if you’re flirting obnoxiously with someone else while your date is still there. There’s nothing more humiliating than being out on a date while the other person decides they want someone else. Not only will it hurt your date, you come off looking like an insensitive jerk.
At the police station
There’s no telling why people are at a police station. Maybe they’re there to give a statement on their neighbors break in, or maybe they’re there to be questioned in connection with a recent murder. Flirting with someone at a police station is just foolish. Even if you do make a legitimate connection, you may find yourself an accessory after the fact if you make friends with the wrong person.
At a funeral
This pretty much goes without saying, but there is literally nowhere more inappropriate to flirt with someone than at a funeral. Even if people aren’t visibly upset, that doesn’t mean that they aren’t experiencing deep feelings of sadness.
The last thing people want is someone attempting to flirt with them over the finger sandwiches at the back of the church basement. This even goes for people who aren’t part of the mourning family. You never know what the relationships were between the deceased and people at the funeral, so don’t assume that someone isn’t upset just because they aren’t family.