It should go without saying...

I was recently asked by a prospective second date to name my favorite food. Without hestiation, I responded, "Sushi."

That was met with a disgusted look, and a request for me to name my second favorite food.

Again, without hesitation, I answered, "Mexican."

His response? "Does Taco Bell count as Mexican?"

I mulled that question over and over in my mind for days. The problem seemed obvious to me. But then I started to wonder...what else might seem obvious to some, but go completely missed by others?

When you're meeting new people, you never know what social, economic, or cultural differences you might encounter. That's especially true with online dating, where you often meet people with whom you would never have otherwise interacted.

I've dated men of different races and nationalities. I've dated guys who were rich, and I've dated men who were poorer than poor. I've dated men who barely graduated high school, and guys with multiple degrees in master and doctoral programs. So, I am abundantly qualified to make the following statement:

No man has all the answers, no matter how perfect he may seem on paper.

(For what it's worth, I'm not actually sure how proud I should be of my extensive research; I'm just qualifying my opinion.)

So, because I'm here to help...and because I've been on a lot of bad dates...and because I see no reason that all of my suffering should be in vain...I thought I'd mention a few things that I think everyone should know. Feel free, of course, to add your own in the comments.

It should go without saying that...

...fast food is not an acceptable "date" - ever
...you should not refer to someone as "babe" until you're dating (or you have permission)
..."sooner or later" is not an acceptable response if I ask you out
...a t-shirt purchased in Wal-Mart's underwear section is not acceptable dinner attire, and
...neither are bright blue sneakers, like the ones worn by my friend's six-year-old son
...who is paying should never be sorted out in front of the restaurant staff
...if you suggest the date, you should arrive prepared to pay the entire bill (this goes for women, as well)
...you really shouldn't be late for a date, especially when you chose the time, date, and place
...if my plate is empty and yours is full of cold food, you're probably talking too much
...using bribery and/or extortion to get dates is not only unnattractive, it rarely achieves the desired result

...there was not, nor will there be, a second date with the guy who asked me that question.