New York woman goes on date with doctor. Then he makes her do the one thing she begged him not to: ‘Bet he doesn’t listen to his patients either’
Listening to a partner early on, especially when they communicate clear boundaries, could be the start of a healthy, long-term relationship. As story after story online shows, however, that kind of attentiveness is sometimes missing in modern dating.
One recent dating story shared on TikTok captured exactly that.
In a recent video, which has garnered over 1.2 million views, TikTok creator Steph Taylor (@stephfromjersey) shared a dating story that has her feeling “done” with the scene.
Taylor explains she had just come back from a third date, one that immediately ended the short-lived relationship for her.
“I just got back from a third date,” she says. “I will not be seeing this man again.”
According to Taylor, she had already explained that she doesn’t ice skate because she suffers from vertigo, which makes activities that involve spinning or going in circles difficult for her. The man knew about the condition, and, she notes, he’s also a doctor.
Still, when they were planning their third date, he suggested ice skating.
“I told him, ‘I don’t like ice skating. I don’t do ice skating,’” she recalls.
Taylor says she tried to handle the situation politely. She acknowledged that he loved the activity and had played hockey growing up, but explained again that it wouldn’t work for her.
“I was like, ‘I’m gonna get dizzy,” she says. “I can’t really go ice skating. Can we do anything else?’”
He reassured her it wouldn’t be a problem. They could meet at the same venue, he said, which offered plenty of other activities.
Taylor agreed, assuming they would simply pick something else once they got there.
He Booked… What?
When she arrived, however, the plan turned out to be exactly what she had asked to avoid.
“He goes, ‘So don’t hate me,’” she says.
Then he revealed he had already reserved two hours of ice time for them.
“I was like, ‘Us or you?’” Taylor recalls asking.
“He’s like, ‘Us. I’m gonna teach you how to ice skate,’” he responded.
Despite reminding him about her vertigo, Taylor says she eventually decided to give it a chance.
“I was like, you know what? I’m a team player,” she says. “Fine. Let’s go ice skating.”
Once they stepped onto the rink, though, she changed her mind and froze up.
Instead of helping her learn, Taylor says the man immediately started skating laps around the rink.
“I don’t see him again,” she says. “He’s going round and round.”
Meanwhile, she struggled just to stay upright.
“I am hugging the wall,” she says. “Crawling my way around the circle.”
Eventually he skated back over and asked how she was doing.
“I was like, not great. I’m not doing great. I’m not having fun,” she recalls.
His response didn’t help. “He was like, ‘I’m having so much fun,’” the man told her.
She Ended the Date on the Spot
At one point, the man asked how many times she had made it around the rink.
“I was like, none. I haven’t even made it around the circle yet.”
He told her he’d do one more lap before coming back to help, but according to Taylor, he never did.
“He’s still doing circles,” she says. “Doing his little tricks.”
Eventually, she slowly made her way to the exit. When the man finally skated over again, she had already made up her mind.
“I was like, I’m leaving,” she recalls telling him.
He reminded her they had reserved two hours on the ice.
“I was like, I don’t care,” she says. “I’m going home.”
For Taylor, this was it. “I will never speak to him again,” she says. “Because what the [expletive] was that?”
Commenters Say It Was a Major Red Flag
In the comments section, viewers largely sided with Taylor.
Many believed the man’s behavior showed a disregard for her boundaries.
“This was 100% him testing your boundaries. RUN,” one commenter wrote.
“You told him that you have a medical condition that prevents you from participating in an activity and he still didn’t respect your needs,” another wrote, adding a red flag emoji.
Some viewers also joked about the irony of his profession.
“Bet he doesn’t listen to his patients either,” one commenter wrote.
How to Set Boundaries Early in Dating
According to a guide by Rula, it’s important to speak up as soon as you realize something doesn’t feel right. They advise not to overthink it and to use “I” statements when describing your boundary.
You can also try out some phrases beforehand to find what best describes your feelings.
The publication states that the way someone responds to your boundaries says a lot about how they listen and respect you. “Red flags can include guilt tripping, ignoring your boundary, making you feel like you’re ‘too much,’ or pushing past your comfort zone,” they wrote.
@stephfromjersey I’m so done. #dating #nycdating #hinge ♬ original sound – Steph Taylor
The Mary Sue has reached out to Taylor via email for comment.
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