Recently, I was witness to a conversation between guys about whether or not a woman should make the gesture to pay on a date. One guy insisted that in order to maintain his interest, a girl must reach for her wallet when the check arrives. He said that he never accepts the offer, but he appreciates the gesture. The other three guys partaking in the conversation agreed that a guy should just suck it up and pick up the bill. Interestingly enough, the guy who insisted on the gesture was younger and much more single than the other three.
At the risk of being lambasted by all the “modern women” out there, I admit that I really appreciate when a guy picks up the bill without the charade. If he is going to pay anyway, why play that game? It’s very similar to my distaste for encores. I don’t understand why I have to clap and cheer for a band that I paid money to see so that they will come back out and play. But I digress.
I get the whole feminist sentiment that a woman can make her own money and doesn’t need a guy to pay for her. However, I don’t believe that allowing a guy to pay makes any of that less true. If a guy asks a girl out, why shouldn’t he pay? Call me old fashioned, but I still believe in chivalry, and I refuse to believe that expecting it diminishes my strength or independence. In fact, I think that it bolsters a woman’s freedom because the reluctance to pick up a check says a lot about a guy. As the metaphorical gatekeeper, I want to be wooed.
Maybe it’s just me. Even so, if I go out on a date with a guy who wants to go dutch, we probably won’t go out again. In a whole sea of fish, why opt for one who doesn’t pick up the bill?
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