Woman calls out man who ‘had the audacity’ to take two work calls on first date

A woman has sparked a debate about dating etiquette after calling out a first date who “had the audacity” to take two work calls.

Kelcey, who goes by the username @kelceybligh on TikTok, shared her experience in a video uploaded to the app earlier this month, in which she filmed her date discussing work while seated at their table.

“On a first date, this man had the audacity to take not only one but TWO business calls…” Kelcey wrote in a text caption on the video, adding: “Is this a joke?”

In the video, Kelcey’s date could be heard discussing what sounded like “flooring options,” with the man speaking to a person on his phone about “luxury vinyl” that “looked nice”. “Thicker material… I think it’s really …” he said.

The video has since been viewed more than 24,000 times, with viewers also criticising the man’s behaviour, which some claimed was done in an attempt to impress Kelcey.

“1000 per cent trying to ‘impress’. The right thing to do would be to explain the importance of the call to you, apologise, then step away for a second,” one person wrote.

Another said: “I would have left,” while someone else described the man’s behaviour as “insufferable”.

However, others defended the man on the basis that the calls may have been important, with one person acknowledging that he “sounds like a contractor” and “those dudes be working all day everyday”.

“And when they’re not at work they’re on the phone talking about work,” they added.

Someone else sarcastically wrote: “Maybe it’s his job and livelihood?”

While people were divided by the man’s choice to take the work call, most agreed that the right thing to do would have been for him to excuse himself from the table if the call was important enough.

“Maybe he should have excused himself from the table but work is work,” one person wrote.

As for whether Kelcey’s date apologised for the interruptions, she said in the comments that “no explanations or apologies were made”.

According to a 2017 Singles in America study conducted by dating site Match, which analysed the dating rituals and preferences of more than 5,000 single individuals, 75 per cent said they would be turned off if a date answered a phone call, while 66 per cent said it would be a turn off if their date used their phone to send a text.

The Independent has contacted Kelcey for comment.