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Plan ahead -

A good exit strategy should be planned ahead of your date. This is particularly important if you're meeting someone in person for the first time. Make sure someone knows where you go, at what time, and with whom.

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Plan ahead -

Your safety comes first. Plan how to get to your date, and how to get home. Have some cash with you just in case you need it, and arrange with a friend to keep in touch. Then devise the perfect exit strategy based on this list.

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Wardrobe malfunction -

This is a classic, and it works every time. Sure, you might not want to ruin your best clothes, so take that into consideration before you 'accidentally' spill some wine or pasta sauce on your clothes.

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Wardrobe malfunction -

As much as you'd like to stay longer, you're just not comfortable with food stains on your clothes. You can get more adventurous and rip a couple of buttons off your shirt, but that's harder to pull off (pun intended).

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Pretend to have one too many -

Just pretend to be drunk. This will give you an excuse to behave weirdly, which in turn will freak out your date. In the end, they will be relieved that you left early!

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Pretend to have one too many -

This excuse works best if you're going out for a drink, but it's also doable during a dinner date. Forget about it if your date consists of a coffee, a walk in the park, or other similar activities. Unless you want to pretend you're on drugs, which might not be such a bad idea either.

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Be really uninteresting -

Boredom can kill a date. Making yourself utterly uninteresting by not sharing information, not asking questions, keeping answers to a minimum, and so on will easily achieve this.

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Be really uninteresting -

This way, your date will be the one putting their exit plan into action. Though you can always put them out of their misery by saying "sorry, I have to go" in a monotone deadpan manner. Your date will be grateful!

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Start crying -

This one might not be easy to pull off for everyone, but if you can cry on demand, then you have another great way to get yourself out of a bad date.

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Start crying -

Just start crying out of nowhere. This will be really awkward! Your date will surely show some concern and ask what's wrong, but you don't have to share the reason. Just say you're not okay and must leave.

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"Sorry, I have plans" -

This one is particularly effective during afternoon coffee or early evening drinks. Just say you have other plans for lunch or dinner. Your mom is in from out of town, so you really can't stay longer. Sounds pretty legit, right?

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Bring a friend -

Bring your friend along to the same place, obviously without telling your date. Then it's a matter of agreeing on the best exit strategy between you two.

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Bring a friend -

At your signal, your friend can just pop in and say hi, requesting your immediate attention because he/she has an emergency. Alternatively, your friend can just awkwardly sit with you guys, until you finally excuse yourself and leave (blame it on the crazy friend, of course).

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Fake an allergy -

A food allergy is no fun. But fear not: these are fake ones. Only your date will think it's a real allergic reaction, which will prompt you to leave, of course.

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Fake an allergy -

You can sneakily pinch your cheeks so they look red, or just start scratching your itchy hands like crazy. Burping on demand, for those who can, can also work. There must have been something in the food...

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"Accidentally" trip and/or fall -

Are you a skilled actor? Well, even if you're not, surely you can simulate tripping and falling, right? It's a bit risky and indeed dramatic, but getting a fake injury can be your passport out of a bad date.

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"Accidentally" trip and/or fall -

For those wearing heels, things can even happen while you go to the restroom and your date doesn't even have to witness it. Just show up, shoe in hand, limping and saying you just tripped and fell. Your ankle hurts and you have to leave...

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"I'm sooo tired" -

Yawn. Yawn early, yawn throughout, and yawn a lot. You're so exhausted, you don't even know how you've made it to the date without falling asleep on the way there.

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"I'm sooo tired" -

You just have to excuse yourself, promise that next time you'll be more rested, and leave. Of course, there is no next time...

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Fake an illness -

You might be nursing a cold or maybe have a headache; something that allows you to go on the date, but where you could suddenly feel worse and have to leave.

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Fake an illness -

Placing your hand over your pretend upset tummy, or other displays of being unwell (think a few coughs and sniffles), might help you pull this one off.

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Blame work -

You job is so demanding that you're constantly on call. In fact, you don't even know how you found the time to go on a date!

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Blame work -

Your career is really important and you have to get up at the crack of dawn, which means you can't stay until late anyway. Though in the meantime, if work calls, this is no surprise. It's your life and you really must go. You're so sorry, but it's work!

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Go to the restroom... -

And don't come back! Yes, this one is a classic, yet drastic, exit strategy. But sometimes you just have to do what you have to do.

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Go to the restroom... -

Don't forget to send your date a message saying something urgent came up and you had to leave. Just so the person doesn't sit there awkwardly waiting for you...

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The phone call -

Having your phone with you can get you out of lots of situations, including a bad date. But forget about getting your friend to call you mid-date. There's an even easier way to pull the emergency call exit.

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The phone call -

The truth is that your phone doesn't even have to ring. You can pretend to have it on silent, glimpse at it as if it were vibrating and excuse yourself to take the call. Return to your date and say an emergency came up, so you have to leave now.

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Be brutally honest -

Sometimes, honesty is the best medicine. A hard one to swallow, but indeed one that we should nonetheless consider when we just want to leave a bad date.

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Be brutally honest -

This will be uncomfortable, but from all the solutions in this gallery, this is probably the only one that you will be proud of. Just tell your date that it's not working out for whatever reason, wish them all the best, and leave. 

Sources: (TheClever)

See also: Dating advice from professional matchmakers

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