The strangest date I ever had.
By Marie Coyle
@MarieCoyle (55456)
December 30, 2025 3:57pm CST
A few years ago, I met a nice man at a church function--it wasn't a church I had ever been to, one of my girlfriends invited me to go with her for a church dinner, and I accepted. Sounds harmless...right?
She introduced me to a fellow who seemed very nice--a soon to be retired principal of a nearby school. Later, he asked if he could call me--and my friend thought that was fine, so I said OK. We had several conversations via the phone and they went well, so I agreed to meet him at a local place for coffee one afternoon. About a week later, he wanted to take me to dinner, and it seemed harmless enough--so I went. And it was nice, but he wanted to talk, and he talked a lot! We ordered coffee and a dessert. And while I was enjoying that, he told me he had a confession to make--that whether or not we would have a relationship at all would depend on one thing. (of course, most of us would automatically think it would be about money, right? Nope.) He said that he absolutely could never be with a woman who had an ''innie'' belly button. Not ever. She had to have an ''outie'' belly button.
I am sure I picked my chin up off the floor. Seriously? He said very few people in the US have an ''outie'' and there were many people who never washed their belly button, and the belly button is full of germs. How does a person even answer this question? I gave it a minute and then told him that I couldn't fulfill his wishes of an ''outie'' and he needed to look elsewhere.
And then the bomb dropped. He said he really liked me a lot, and would I be willing to get my ''innie'' made in to an ''outie'' if he paid for it? Again, chin hitting floor....I told him a big no.
I had met him at the restaurant as I had an appointment before dinner, so my car was there (thankful for that!) I wished him well, said thank you for the dinner, and I walked away. Yes, he called a few more times. I did not answer and blocked his number.
He seemed so normal...but this was just an over the top fetish thing...I wanted no part of it. I heard he did get married a few months ago. I guess he either found his outie, or financed one.
Did you ever have a really weird date?
Picture, wiki images
18 people like this
18 responses
@AmbiePam (113967)
• United States
30 Dec
Oh.My.Word. That is crazy. I wouldn’t even know what to say about that.
I did have one weird date when I was twenty. This guy who was going to our church had questionable character, and I was really wary of him. My dad told me I needed to be nicer to him so when he asked me out, against my better judgment, I said yes. We went to dinner, and it was fine. But then we went to the movies…and ran into a cop that had previously arrested him. The next 15 minutes waiting for the movie to start I had to hear of the unfairness of the justice system and how he’d been mistreated.
5 people like this
@snowy22315 (203760)
• United States
30 Dec
Yikes, that is really out there. My guess is his fear of germs did not stop at belly buttons.

3 people like this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
30 Dec
No way was I going to hang around and find out! Nope, nope!
2 people like this
@celticeagle (186221)
• Boise, Idaho
1 Jan
Not as weird as that one. I had one that started asking me weird questions. Things only someone who knew me would know. It turned out he had been stalking me and knew way too much intimate things. That scared me. I started having my friend, Jim over a lot (he lived upstairs) until I was certain this guy was not still at it. That experience left me leery for a long time to come.
It takes all kinds to make up this crazy world.
Happy New Year!
1 person likes this

@celticeagle (186221)
• Boise, Idaho
2 Jan
@MarieCoyle ......It takes all kinds to make a world.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
1 Jan
At least it took place in a restaurant....I am careful. Funny thing, I even had a policeman friend check him out before I went out with him. Clean record..,.but sheesh, so weird!
Yes, it does take all kinds. Happy New Year to you and yours, too!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
4 Jan
@celticeagle
Yes, it does. And some are just not the ones we enjoy.
I told my kids about it at the time. They assured me I was being careful and to be glad I met him in public places and drove myself to the date. I agree, until there is trust or a person knows the person better, that is the best way to go.
1 person likes this

@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
30 Dec
I honestly wasn't looking for a man then, and I'm not now, either. Would it be nice? Well, maybe...but I do not need anyone else to take care of right now, and it's so far down the list of things I care about getting accomplished at this point, it doesn't matter.
2 people like this

@LadyDuck (494489)
• Italy
31 Dec
@MarieCoyle The man looked like a nice and serious professional man, but to ask something so weird he also had a mental problem.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
31 Dec
He honestly came across as a really nice, professional man who is well thought of. But this was just over the top weird, Anna. Like I said, I know my chin hit the floor. I never expected anything like that, ever. To think that he would ask a woman to get belly button surgery to fix it how he wanted it to be...ah, no thanks! Too, too weird!
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
31 Dec
@LadyDuck
He definitely had a severe issue with belly buttons. Honestly I was so shocked I nearly fell off my chair.
1 person likes this

@noni1959 (12576)
• United States
2 Jan
Wow. I cannot top this. It sounds like he has an obsessive disgust over a phobia and testing boundaries. Makes you wonder what else he has. I've had strange dates like the blind date, who brought me light up tennis shoe, (they were cool though), a man who began sobbing when I said I wasn't interested in a second date, and another who said we have to talk about my camping, it will stop. Your belly button story is weird!
1 person likes this

@noni1959 (12576)
• United States
13 Jan
@MarieCoyle That is one thing I won't do, is date someone from church. I've found some of the worst traits in people there. I'm sure they say that about me too. 

1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
15 Jan
@noni1959
I really don’t have time or even inclination to go on dates. People that appear normal often just aren’t, and it’s not even worth the time and trouble.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
12 Jan
This goes down in my book as being one of the strangest things anyone has ever asked me to do. And to think I met him at a church!!
1 person likes this

@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
1 Jan
I don't really know why it shocked me, the world gets weirder every day. But it certainly did!
@FourWalls (83510)
• United States
31 Dec
No, not that weird. I mean, I’m weird but in a normal way (more like “Do you like Hank Williams” questions
). Wow, glad your car was there so you could escape.
). Wow, glad your car was there so you could escape.1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
31 Dec
It’s always best to have an escape when you need one!! Lesson learned!
1 person likes this
@LeaPea2417 (39602)
• Toccoa, Georgia
31 Dec
That's the weirdest story I have ever read in my whole life! 

1 person likes this

@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
31 Dec
It is weird, I have to agree with you there. But it truly did happen...I don't think I could have fabricated that story if I tried! And he looked and acted so nice and normal....until then!! 

1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (88974)
• United States
31 Dec
Yikes that really is crazy weird. You really did dodge a bullet with that one.
1 person likes this

@Marilynda1225 (88974)
• United States
13 Jan
@MarieCoyle maybe it's the normal looking ones we have to be leery of 

1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
15 Jan
@Marilynda1225
I agree with you 100%. It's not about looks, it's about hearts and decency.
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
13 Jan
So much for assuming that people can appear to be normal but aren’t!
1 person likes this


@JudyEv (373029)
• Rockingham, Australia
31 Dec
@MarieCoyle I would have been too! 

1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
31 Dec
Sometimes I find it amazing, that we could even still be shocked in any way about anything at all. But...this was just weird. And he appeared so normal...respected, had a good job as a school administrator, etc. But what he was looking for was too weird for me! I was out of there quickly!
1 person likes this

@Traceyjayne (8553)
• United Kingdom
2 Jan
Oh my days …. I have never heard of such a request …..very strange.
I’m afraid if he had said that to me I would have automatically laughed. I just wouldn’t have thought he was serious.
Compared to that I have never had a strange date.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
4 Jan
I think I was in a state of shock. I was so amazed at his request. He seemed so normal (whatever normal even means these days!) but he sure wasn't normal to me when he said that, I collected my thoughts and left.
I've had a few dates that didn't go well, or I discovered the person wasn't as nice as I thought, etc. But never one like this, or even close to it!
@LindaOHio (215266)
• United States
31 Dec
Yes. The guy asked me to marry him on the second date. I headed for the hills.
The innie outie thing is weird!!!
1 person likes this

@LindaOHio (215266)
• United States
1 Jan
@MarieCoyle That's a pity. I don't blame her.
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
2 Jan
@LindaOHio
A person just never knows. I don't need life to be more complicated than it already is now!
1 person likes this
@wolfgirl569 (130495)
• Marion, Ohio
30 Dec
I think I would have walked out when he first said it. WOW Is all I can say
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
30 Dec
I was so shocked that I remember wondering if my legs would hold me up!!
1 person likes this
@RasmaSandra (94870)
• Daytona Beach, Florida
30 Dec
That was one really weird guy. Glad you got rid of him. I have had odd dates during my time and some I knew right off I could never continue seeing,
1 person likes this
@MarieCoyle (55456)
•
30 Dec
He appeared to be so normal…that is, if there even is such a thing as normal now!
1 person likes this







That's a new one.
I haven't dated in decades, too many weirdos out there and I figure I'm weird enough so I don't need some guy creating more weirdness for me.
I hope you do find someone you can like and respect












