On a Date and Feel Unsafe? ‘Ask for Angela’

In all of my life, I've only ever been on two blind dates. One of the dates ended well while the other one ended horribly.

I don't even remember the horrible blind date guy's name but I remember that we met at the mall and had dinner before seeing the movie "The Mummy," so this date happened back in 1999 which is completely irrelevant, but it does make me feel ancient.

The date was awful, to begin with. The first thing the guy did was make a really rude comment about the size of my chest. Then, during dinner, he smacked the waitress on the rear end and ate his food with his fingers rather than silverware. I wished that I could escape right then and there, but friends had dropped me off at the mall and my blind date was my ride back to my car. During the movie, the guy tried to get handsy even though I kept pushing him away. Again, I wasn't comfortable with this guy, but the date happened before cell phones were really a thing, so there wasn't a way for me to call or text someone to help me bail.

The guy drove me back to my workplace, where my car was, and proceeded to push me up against my car and forcefully attempted to throw his tongue down my throat. I kept trying to push him off of me, but he was determined to get what he wanted.

Suddenly, my boss came flying out of the building, screaming. He hit the guy and shoved him to the ground, hands balled up in fists and told him to leave and never so much as look at me again. My boss put his arm around me and for the first time since the blind date started, I felt safe. I don't know why my boss was at work on a weekend and in the middle of the night, but I definitely believe that somebody big was looking out for me.

It can be totally terrifying when you're on a date and feel unsafe and don't know what to do, so I think this is amazing. Lincolnshire County, United Kingdom has just launched a code phrase for anyone who's on a date and doesn't feel like they're in a good situation.

Anyone on a date who feels like something isn't right, can approach any bar or restaurant staff and simply "ask for Angela." The staff will instantly remove the person who asked "for Angela" by helping them escape without being noticed, or by calling a cab.

Obviously, this brilliant idea has received an incredibly positive response and advocates believe that this simple phrase could be adopted worldwide.

I'd like to offer a word of advice, if I may. Until this phrase or one like it makes it's way to where you live, here's something you can do. If you're going on a date, arrive a little early and give one of the restaurant staff the heads up and give them a code word. That way, if you need out, you can say the word and they'll know to help you.

[via Cosmo]