You may remember a thread I posted recently about how hard it is to make friends as an adult. I did join an online meet-up group, and went to the bar crawl (Halloween theme) last weekend:
1. Bar was PACKED, and I mean, PACKED with very loud, noisy drunks. Within 15 minutes, some drunken guy came up behind me to touch me, as he "loved my costume".
2. Hardly anyone in the group made conversation with DH & I, but the others seemed pleasant enough, though we had trouble hearing them.
3. Within 30 minutes, two women stole my 2 of my costume accessories that I laid on the bar (we were awaiting our meals). I never got them back, despite the bar staff looking 3 times (they were very nice---this was their idea). I had never even gotten to use them before they were stolen.
4. DH went out to feed the parking meter. A college-age woman, drunk, yanked his hat off, and ran away with it. He chased her down; she wouldn't give it back until he, shall we say, got firm in his tone of voice.
5. The streets were teeming with drunken college students, lurching all over the place, and streaming into each of the 3 bars we went to.
6. We left 1/2 hour early; we were sick of the noise and the drunks.
7. DH & I had an idea that we would invite the members sometime in the near future, to a game night/party at our house. The organizer told me they don't ever go to members' homes. Not even a lousy thank you for offering to make the food, extending the invitation, etc.
8. I'll be resigning from the group very soon.
9. People are a pain in the butt, as my Dad used to say (except that he used another word!). Maybe being alone is better.
1. Bar was PACKED, and I mean, PACKED with very loud, noisy drunks. Within 15 minutes, some drunken guy came up behind me to touch me, as he "loved my costume".
2. Hardly anyone in the group made conversation with DH & I, but the others seemed pleasant enough, though we had trouble hearing them.
3. Within 30 minutes, two women stole my 2 of my costume accessories that I laid on the bar (we were awaiting our meals). I never got them back, despite the bar staff looking 3 times (they were very nice---this was their idea). I had never even gotten to use them before they were stolen.
4. DH went out to feed the parking meter. A college-age woman, drunk, yanked his hat off, and ran away with it. He chased her down; she wouldn't give it back until he, shall we say, got firm in his tone of voice.
5. The streets were teeming with drunken college students, lurching all over the place, and streaming into each of the 3 bars we went to.
6. We left 1/2 hour early; we were sick of the noise and the drunks.
7. DH & I had an idea that we would invite the members sometime in the near future, to a game night/party at our house. The organizer told me they don't ever go to members' homes. Not even a lousy thank you for offering to make the food, extending the invitation, etc.
8. I'll be resigning from the group very soon.
9. People are a pain in the butt, as my Dad used to say (except that he used another word!). Maybe being alone is better.
... I used to have a small group of friends that were like family, for 16 yrs we did everything together... til someone's husband messed around with someone else's wife... the broken trusts ended up sending the whole bunch of us in different directions.... So I agree with your father... People are a pain in the "butt"! 
Count me in on that. I'm not much for the bar scene at all; I think I'm too old for it now.
