Watch out for this online dating hazard

Don’t turn into a de facto handyman

Women have been using Tinder for more than just dating. Apparently, there’s been a trend of women soliciting help for household chores and other tasks for which they needed a little muscle. Here are a couple things to know:

1. It may be driven in part by the prevalence of ageism

According to this article in Daily Mail:

Disillusioned by her efforts to find a suitable date on Tinder, one user, Fiona Bloom, 47, decided to try another tack.

?I?ve tried speed dating and all the dating Apps, but every time I put my real age, all I get are idiots and losers,? she told the New York Post.

?I figured, why not make them useful and have them help me around the house??

She found a match with a man wearing overalls and wielding a hammer in his profile photo and invited him over to install her air conditioning.

?I wasn?t attracted to him, but he was very forthcoming,? she explained.
After he successfully carried out the installation, Bloom asked him to leave and didn?t answer his messages asking her to go on a proper date.

2. Taking advantage of evolutionary cues

According to this article in Dailytimes:

‘Men are hard-wired to feel strong and be a provider,’ she told the New York Post. ‘I don’t feel guilty using them for a little help.’ Susan Zalkind, 27, managed to find two men on Tinder to help dig her car out after it was twice buried in snow in Boston last winter.

‘In less than 15 minutes I got eleven matches and three offers,’ she said, referring to a Tinder request she posted that read, ‘Looking for someone to shovel out my car. Nothing complicated, no strings attached, just please shovel out my car. Thanks so much.’

Ted, the first volunteer, showed up ‘with a shovel and an ice pick and did not kill me,’ she said.

In fact, he freed her car and appeared to be happy as a reward with coffee and scones. After a second storm, she was less lucky. ‘I made 74 right swipes, got 35 matches, and 11 offers to shovel,’ she wrote. ‘There were only two reliable contenders. I tried to keep an open mind – that is, until he told me he had a wife,’ added Zalkind.