Hello, my name is Doris and I'd like to make a complaint.

I haven't been out with any men for quite some time now as life has been just too darn busy, and to tell the truth, the men I've been seeing recently are just too darn horrible.  I would, as a form of personal psychoanalysis, like to go over the finer details of the 2 dates I shared with David - a rather cooky-looking, well-educated, fifty-something year old who liked to ride his pushbike.  Just about everything I was looking for. At a glance, first date: Grey hair in a well groomed style, glasses, tweed jacket, t-shirt, jeans, Doc Martens and bike helmet on the chair for Christ's sake.  Perfect! David chose the venue for date # 1, and according to the law of averages when internet dating, that venue happened to be in his home suburb. The venue itself was lovely, and we shared an afternoon drink looking out over the Brisbane River, doing the standard get-to-know-you's.  David was rather nervous at first and conversation was a little choppy to begin with.  However,

I was on a plane the other day and I was sandwiched between 2 men who both sat with their legs wide apart and their arms on both their arm rests, while  I sat between them with my elbows close to my waist and my legs tightly together.  I managed to wrestle the armrest from the man on my left and I noted how he was suddenly no longer able to pay attention to the document he was reading.  The minute my arm came off the armrest, he reclaimed it and went on reading. It's time we give them a bit of their own medicine

I am a single woman who occasionally chooses to meet with married men who actively seek an affair on a married dating website.  My question is: w hy would I pay for the hotel room?     I've dated the single, modern "50:50 man" for 4 years now.  So it certainly comes as no shock that the 50:50 man has oozed over to the married websites. The single websites make me laugh with men's catchphrases spouting things like "No gold diggers please" or "I'll shout the first coffee if you send the first email". Or the most ironic one I've seen yet: "I believe strongly that men and women are equals". Scroll down to that same 44 year-old male's age specifications for his female mate, and I can see that he would like a woman aged 25-35. He has no interest in equality. And just like the single men with their belief that equality and feminism mean that women should pay for half of everything, I've not met a married man yet that hasn&

I've decided to give single men a wide berth for the time being.  To occupy myself I plan to tend to my much-neglected garden (and occasionally catch up with Phil, the married Russian). Some Phil photos for your enjoyment:

In every relationship, couples eventually present each other with their baggage.   The exchange of the duffle bag. As individuals, we exchange our duffle bags at various speed.  Some of us hand our bags over early, some of us need coaxing.  Some duffle bags are large, some are small.  Some are huge. Some duffle bags need an upright hand trolley.  I'm very sorry to say that the lovely-accented, quite handsome 40 year-old Frenchman had a duffle bag that I was physically ill-equipped to carry. He presented it way too early and I broke under the weight of it. The Frenchman's history was a little difficult to work out.  Not because he was mysterious, but because I was never interested enough to keep asking questions.  Medium length marriage to a woman who had one daughter of her own, he had helped to raise during the adolescent years.  That daughter was now 19. Apparently he had ended his marriage 2 years ago because his wife's demands for perfection were too much for him

Bald men, searching for a date on the internet seem to have no hesitation filling and ticking the boxes which specify the traits they'd like in a woman. It's as if men and women are even, hair or not, and let's go. Let's get started saying what we want in each other.  Strangely, I've never seen a dating site where members can tick a box which specifies "full head of hair please".   One can, however specify age preference, eye colour, hair colour, body shape, height, star sign, religion, political persuasion, personality, drinking habits, smoking habits, job, education, nationality and ethnicity.  You can specify that you are bald, you just can't specify that you don't  want  bald. So there is room to be ageist and racist, but you cannot be...I'd say  hairist  here, but even that word seems to be reserved for men who don't like women with certain coloured hair rather than people who want a partner with a full head of hair. Even the mar

I was chatting to my stepfather on the phone after work one evening recently, explaining why I couldn't come to visit my parents for the next few weeks.  I have an exam to sit that I need to prepare for.  He responded with "I don't know why someone your age would want to study.  Is it going to mean you earn more?" That's the first time he's ever really mentioned it and I've been studying for the last one and a half years. At the ripe old age of 44 I have quite a few years left in the workforce, and competition is pretty tough at interviews these days.  Yeh Dad, it's something I have to do.  I'm paying off my own home (recent small renovation to boot),  I'm working full-time and studying part-time - my 3rd post-graduate course.  I know, I've said all this before. What amazes me is how few people congratulate me. Not that I expect constant admiration mind you.  Most of us (women that is) who separate and raise children just get on with i

How many men mention loving their children in their online dating profiles? Lots. What's that about? Just imagine a lady, slowly scrolling through the male profiles. She clicks on a profile and starts to read...yes, yes, same-old same-old.  Oh hang on!  She sits upright...stiffens a little...reads on. "Oh sweet Jesus!"  She breathes in sharply, choking a little on her coffee. "There it is! I've found him! A man who loves his children." The worst offenders are men with younger kids who I believe are still in a bit of shock, actually having to spend one-on-one time with their kids involved in more than just the Saturday sport.  Oh, and I mustn't forget the men who claim have their children with them 50% of the time. This second group are as rare as hens teeth, but they certainly want to make you aware of how fucking AWESOME they are.  About 3 sentences are devoted to telling you that they have their children half the time/some of the time, and they abso