First Date Etiquette: 27% of Americans Want to Be Picked Up

This is an exclusive study conducted by DatingAdvice.com, which surveyed respondents over the course of three weeks to reflect an accurate representation of the U.S. population.

Getting picked up for a first date is often thought of as a more traditional way to romantically kick things off, but is it still preferred?

In the latest DatingAdvice.com study, we found more than one in four Americans still like to have their date pick them up instead of meeting at a specified location for the first date.

The results show men and women were basically on the same page, with 26 and 27 percent answering in the affirmative, respectively.

The real surprise is how more younger respondents favor this practice.

A whopping 38 percent of Americans aged 18 to 24 chose a pickup over a meeting, which is twice the rate of Americans aged 35 to 44.

Rachel Dack, DatingAdvice.com’s women’s dating expert, said the findings speak to the current reality that many single men and women aged 35 to 44 use online dating and nontraditional dating methods to meet potential partners.

“Especially with these methods, safety is of utmost importance, as well as having an easy way to leave the date if it does not go well, so it makes sense this age group would be the age group least likely to want to be picked up on a first date,” she said.

“One in four Americans like to have their

date pick them up instead of meeting.”

Hispanics and those living in the Northeast also were among the most likely groups to want to be picked up.

Hispanic-Americans were 24 percent more likely than Caucasians to say so, while men and women living in states like New York were 25 percent more likely than those living in states like California to say so.

Income also plays a large role in the findings, as both low-wage income earners and high-wage income earners had some of the highest responses (each at 31 percent).

Among the least likely demographics to prefer being picked up was homosexuals and divorcees.

Straight men and women were more than twice as likely to choose to be picked up by their date than gay men and lesbian women.

In terms of marital status, less than one in five divorcees want to be picked up, but more than one in four married respondents do.

The study surveyed 1,080 respondents over the course of three weeks, balancing responses by age, gender, income, race, sexuality and other factors in order to accurately represent the U.S. population. The study has a margin of error of +/- 2.8%.

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