CrazyBlindDate is a fairly new dating site, active in seven cities right now (New York, L.A., Boston, D.C., San Francisco, Chicago and Austin), that lets you set up blind dates very last minute (like for tonight). There are no profiles, no photos--hence the "crazy." Their target market is "really fun, adventurous and spontaneous people...who are trying to get out of a dating rut or just want some kind of 'crazy' night out." We were skeptical (even though
we kinda recommended it a few months ago). So we sent some impertinent questions to founder Sam Yagan, the guy behind behind SparkNotes.com, TheSpark.com and OkCupid.com:
Blind dates are notoriously consistently bad. Why the hell would anyone want to do this?Simply put: most singles don't go on as many dates as they would like. CrazyBlindDate.com offers singles the opportunity to go on a date by doing a minimal amount of work, and unlike blind dates set up by a friend, you'll probably never run into your date again.
One of your frequently asked questions (in the form of a statement) is "I want sex on short notice..."--we would think the percentage of members explicitly hoping for sex out of the date in their date request is pretty high. What is it?It's very, very low--so low that I've never bothered to count. If you want sex on short notice, there are plenty of other sites that get you what you're looking for.
Since there's no exchange of pics or any communication prior, we'd guess CrazyBlindDate would attract those who can't get a date with typical online dating, because they're socially inept or, to be frank, a bit hard on the eyes. Is that true, and if so, how can you ensure a potential user that you won't set them up with a psycho supernerd who's a 35-year-old virgin with bad hair and a goiter?...
Ah, quite the contrary. CrazyBlindDate.com tends to appeal to the more adventurous & outgoing--your typical supernerd is going to be horrified by the prospect of meeting a stranger! We do extensive rating of our users on both physical and personality axes, so we're often able to match more attractive people with other attractive people. Here are some stats from a survey of the first 1,000 dates:
Did you feel a romantic connection with any of your CrazyBlindDates?
- Yes/Somewhat: 37.9 percent
Have you spoken to friends on the phone or in person about your CrazyBlindDate?
- Yes: 86.5 percent
Which of the following best describes your opinion of CrazyBlindDate?
- Top 2 on a 5 point scale: 85.2 percent
We understand it's a new site and you probably don't have many success stories, but on the Successes page you just have people's names paired up. WTF? Where are the stories, the graphic details, the juicy bits?
Here are some testimonials:
- We had a great time! We could definitely be great friends. There was not much of a physical connection. I have to say I have never felt so unflitered with anyone else on a first date. We had so much to talk about because we knew literally nothing about each other.
- I am currently dating someone I met through CBD.
- I have met a couple of really great guys that I will hang out with again. I primarily wanted to do this to meet new people and expand my horizons so mission accomplished.
- I met a really cool, fun guy and now we're really good friends!
- I had a SUPER romantic kiss with one of my dates at the Bart station
- I had a great conversation with an interesting person. Nothing came of it romantically, but it was still a fun way to spend a Friday night!
- My VERY picky/selective friend had a fantastic date her first time with CBD. I think it's because she couldn't actually pre-screen and therefore gave a great guy a chance who she would have otherwise passed over (if he had an online profile or something that she could have learned about him from).
- Jokingly, I challenged my prospective date to Google everything they could about cranberry bogging. My first blind date showed up with a bag of cranberries.
- The very first CBD lasted for about 5 hours of talking and getting to know the other. We are still dating.
You must get some pretty funny horror stories. Obviously it's bad for biz to post those, but could you please please please share one with us? Pretty please?Here's a bunch:
- My date took two Viagra while we were out (even after I told him I wasn't going home with him).
- One guy called his bank for 20 minutes on our date.
- The guy said that he would get the beers. (We each had one). He ordered chicken wings, knowing that I am vegetarian, and then he told the waitress to split the check in half.
- Text messaged me the following, two minutes before the date: "Sorry, death in the family, can't make it! Call me!"
- My date described himself as Matt Damon. He looked like a bloated Bill Gates.
- The crab fisherman who missed our date cuz he was out at sea. I am pretty sure he was not kidding.
- Girl showed up in workout clothes, and waited until the end to say she's not looking for anything serious...and never wants to see me again.
- On my first date I texted ahead that I was wearing a white cardigan. AJ & I met up and he said, "I'm glad I found you, I didn't know what you meant about a white cardimon." I said, "Cardigan. I'm wearing a white cardigan." He said, "Yeah, I had no idea what that was." I said, "It's a sweater." He said, "I don't know much about women's fashion." That really set the tone for everything we talked about. EVERYTHING.
Photo via Splash
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