This is the first in our series on "dubious" speed-dating customers.  As mentioned earlier, please do remember that these people are extremely rare - we've had 20,000 NYC singles entirely appropriate and available for dating! 

The Honest Married Man

Just to give him a name, let's call him Bob.  Bob attended one of our speed-dating events about four years ago.  At about 7.45pm (15 minutes after the event started) I got a text from the host saying "Um, one of the guys is wearing a wedding ring".  I was naturally surprised, as was the host, and I'm sure most of his dates.  It had not happened before, and it hasn't happened since.

I thought that he was perhaps separated, and although the divorce wasn't final, he considered himself to be available for dating.  Whatever the reason, we certainly were not going to go up to him and ask him about it - we figured that it would probably come up for discussion in the six minute date.  I told the host to run two extra rounds, to ensure women still received 12 dates even without this guy.

Later that night, I reviewed the event comments.  It was mentioned by almost all the women (a combination of indignation, confusion and curiosity), and a few of the men.  So I e-mailed the guy to ask him what his situation was, and to pass on to him some of the bewilderment his dates had expressed to us.

His reply:
"Yes, I'm currently married, but I really just want to meet someone else for awhile.  I just felt it would be dishonest of me to take off my wedding ring - this way, I thought the women would know what they were getting into, and would feel that I was honest with them".

Sadly for him, he was not selected by his dates.