Caryn Sholtz
From East Lake (Receptionist)
It was in a grocery store parking lot. The guy just asked me if I liked steak. He offered to take me to Black Angus. And, on the subject of restaurants as a pickup line, one guy handed me a note that said, “Red Lobster to start.” I thought those were bad. One man asked me, “What are the chances of us leaving here together?”
J. Carroll
From San Diego (Writer)
Are there many good lines? When I was 15, this 30-year-old guy said, “If I told you you had a nice body, will you hold it against me?” I thought that was so clever and original at the time. Once I had one dude following me down the street. He finally got close enough and said, “I want to.…” Well, I won’t repeat what he said. It was filthy. I stopped in my tracks and said, “Are you talking to me?” I couldn’t believe he would yell something like that out.
Lori Haimsohn
From Point Loma (Freelance Writer)
It’s hard to remember bad lines you’ve heard or that my girlfriends have told me over the years. But the one I remember that a guy said to me was “Have you considered a career in pornography?” I just looked at him and laughed. That happened at the P.B. Bar and Grill but back when it was something else.
Mira Wood
From Mira Mesa (Retired)
I haven’t heard any in a long time! The bad ones I remember people using were always old clichés. They would say, “Do you come here often?” They might ask what sign you were. I think it would work best to just walk up and say that it’s crowded here and ask them if they’d like to go somewhere else. I had a guy knock a drink over. Actually, it was my friend that knocked it over. He handed me his handkerchief to wipe it up. And I ended up marrying him.
Michael Nieder
From Normal Heights (Doorman)
I’ve heard lots of bad ones that are corny. Things like “Are you tired? Because you’ve been running around my mind.” There’s that one “Are you hurt, from falling down from heaven?” I think those types of lines would only work if the person was really drunk. Or if the woman just thought it was so cheesy that it actually made her laugh.
Corey Patterson
From San Diego (Bartender)
I’ve never really used lines, but as a bartender I have heard a lot of them. I can’t think of them all off the top of my head. To me, the best approach seems to be asking questions. That requires more than one- or two-word responses, and the other person engages, starts talking, and feels flattered. They might see you have some knowledge and wit. There’s nothing more attractive than that.