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"For all the time you&amp;#39;ve spent on first, second, and third dates, opening menus, selecting mid-priced bottles of wine, and wondering if he&amp;#39;ll want to share dessert, guess who&amp;#39;s been there with you the whole way. The waitstaff, obviously.\nPinterestFacebookThey&amp;#39;re the ones watching you, from that first awkward moment of walking in and trying to look for your blind date without being too obvious about it in case he stands you up to the uncomfortable moment you have to decide how to pay the bill. They&amp;#39;re there offering you a water refill when you get a weird tickle in your throat, or semi-patiently rolling their eyes when your date goes a little too well and you end up making out in a booth while they&amp;#39;re trying to shut the place down.\nSeriously, who has a better seat in the theater of dating than waiters, waitresses, and bartenders? Literally no one. They see it all, good and bad. So I consulted a few of my friends, both male and female, who are veterans in the business, from trendy Brooklyn joints to cozy Ohio wine bars. Here are eight of their best tips based on their collective years of watching you fumble through romantic moments.\n&amp;quot;If the other person wants to split the bill, let them. Chivalry is great; forced chivalry is aggressive and awkward, especially for the server hovering over you just wanting to collect the tab.&amp;quot;\n&amp;quot;If a guy orders food for you without asking you or consulting you for your preferences, you are probably in for a long, uncomfortable date. Guys, it&amp;#39;s one thing to do the talking if you&amp;#39;ve already discussed it with your date, but don&amp;#39;t just start ordering stuff without asking what she likes or even if she&amp;#39;s hungry.&amp;quot;\n&amp;quot;I know it&amp;#39;s summer and you have great legs, but there is good chance you could end up sitting on a stool at the bar or a high-top table, especially if you&amp;#39;re on a not-that-committed-to-it first date of drinks and appetizers. Be aware of the flashing potential of short skirts.&amp;quot;\n&amp;quot;Yes, we&amp;#39;re in a prime spot to overhear your conversation. But don&amp;#39;t get too paranoid about us eavesdropping! Sure, we do it a little, but we&amp;#39;re usually too busy to be particularly engrossed in your conversation, so don&amp;#39;t be nervous. Some people really freeze up!&amp;quot;\n&amp;quot;Have you finished your drink without hearing the other person say anything? Yeah, you&amp;#39;re talking too much. Conversation should be like good sex: both parties engaged.&amp;quot;\n&amp;quot;Be careful what you order. Red wine can show on your teeth quickly, and some foods (especially stuff you don&amp;#39;t eat with a fork) can get messy and awkward. At the very least, if you&amp;#39;re eating something with staining or seed-in-tooth potential, excuse yourself to the restroom once in a while to do a spot check.&amp;quot;\n&amp;quot;Don&amp;#39;t bolt just because you don&amp;#39;t like the look of your date. I once saw this girl suck down her first drink and run out the door. It was sad. If I were taking time out of my life to go on a first date, I&amp;#39;d at least give him a chance even if he wasn&amp;#39;t what I expected looks-wise.&amp;quot;\n&amp;quot;Order what you want, but don&amp;#39;t be the girl who orders a small salad and then just pushes it around her plate. It&amp;#39;s a waste of food, and besides, don&amp;#39;t you want the guy to see how you really eat?!&amp;quot;\nI&amp;#39;ve definitely gotten burned by the unexpected shortness of sitting in a skirt before; have you? Any more tips out there from readers who work or have worked at a restaurant?"^^<http://www.w3.org/2001/XMLSchema#string>
<http://www.glamour.com/story/dating-advice-from-waiters>