What is your best or your worst date?

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It’s the season of love and we asked attendees at WBHM’s most recent News and Brews community pop-up event to tell us their stories of love or lack thereof.

Some answers have been edited for clarity

John Tice

My worst date was back when I was in the Marine Corps. I took this girl on a date, and we were driving to a restaurant. And on the way there, the car in front of me stopped and we had a rear end collision. The whole date ended. That’s my worst experience. 

Tim Ryan, of Oak Mountain

The best date was when I made the heart-shaped meatloaf for my wife, I think, before we were married. And I don’t know if it was desperation or imagination or if one kind of feeds on the other. I haven’t replicated it, but that was my best.

Mac Wagstaff, of Birmingham

My best date story I have is when I had to drive out to Tuscaloosa for this date. The planning was kind of intense because it was the first date and we didn’t know each other. We went to this bar called Nocturnal when it first opened and they were like, “Hey, can I see your IDs?” And I had just recently renewed my license and so I had the temporary, printed one, but not the permanent one. It hadn’t come in the mail yet. They would not accept it. And so the first time that I met this person, five minutes into it, we had to leave and find a different bar. Luckily, she had a plan B. I forget the name of the place, but it was really good. And because the bar had just opened, we got free drinks. We honestly got a lot of complimentary stuff from the bar. The server was very nice and honestly, it was better than Nocturnal was in the first place. So it was a good thing that I didn’t have my ID with me.

Camille Smith, of Birmingham

My worst date was in college. I went with a guy and I got carded because I was under 21. And so he sent me home. And then he went back out afterwards and met another girl. 

Emily Salamon, of Maryland

My worst date ever was probably when I went on a date with this guy. I mean, it was fine. Like he was nice. But then one of my exes actually found out I went on a date and it was kind of like a recent breakup. And he showed up and dragged me out of the establishment. And I blocked him on everything and never spoke to him again. 

Ben Rostin, of Virginia

When I was in undergrad, I was in a long-distance relationship with my now partner for eight years. She came over and I had just started learning how to cook, in the sense of not going to McDonald’s for everything. And I was so excited to share with her some of the things that I’ve been doing. And when the time came to offer her a snack, I said, “Don’t worry, I got you.” And I went downstairs and I put together what I thought was an amazing meal. And I brought up, no joke, two pieces of bread with eight pieces of salami in the middle and nothing else. I was like a kid showing off their first drawing to a parent. And she was naturally disappointed and kind of just reminded me that sandwiches tend to come with things like vegetables and sauce. It worked out. We’re still together.

Judy Collins, of Hoover

Back in 1984. I was attending business school. And a man that I knew from another place that we had in common had asked me to lunch to discuss a business issue he was having at work. And I ended up working for him and solving this problem. Six years later, we were married and 35 years we’ve been married today. 

Jessica Smith, of Birmingham

I would say my best date and my worst state are maybe a combination. In college I went on a blind date and I had never shot a gun before. The guy picked me up with guns in the backseat and took me to do the shooting things out in the middle of the country. And I was texting my friends like, “if I don’t come home, you need to come find me!” Because I was so nervous. It was a fun time, though.

Shannon Young, of Birmingham

My worst and best date were actually on the same day. So I was on a blind date. That was the worst date. But my now-husband was our waiter. It was hard because my date and I just had nothing in common. It was a blind date, so it was not going to work. And then whenever my husband came to the table, I was like, “this fella’s way more interesting. I’d rather hang out with him.” So it worked out. He left a note on my car and the rest is history.