by Alistair Marquise

Created on: May 07, 2010   Last Updated: October 27, 2011

If you’ve ever engaged yourself in the "singles" scene, then you know that bars and nightclubs are one of the primary places that single folks go looking to meet new people and hopefully snag themselves a date.  While the general air of relaxation and the socially lubricating effects of alcohol make these types of places attractive to those on the lookout for someone special, they do have their downsides. 

The presence of loud music generally accompanies the atmosphere in bars, making extended conversation difficult if not impossible.  The dense fog of tobacco smoke and the acrid smell of stale beer don’t exactly set an ideal scene for introductions either.  Also, as beneficial as alcohol may be to social interaction, too much of it can lead to the wrong kind of interaction or to the making of regretful decisions.  So, where does one look to when they’ve become tired of the bar scene and the types of people they’ve met there?

Have you thought about the laundromat?

As unlikely as it sounds, the laundromat can be a great place to meet that special someone.

Listen:  The laundromat is just like the grocery store in that everyone is there for the same, basic reason.  In the case of the grocery store, everyone is there because they need to eat.  As far as the laundromat goes, everyone is there because they have clothes that they need to wash.  There you go.  You’ve already got something common with every other patron of the laundromat- you like to be clean.

Yes, and the potential for finding a date goes beyond your mutual desires for spring-fresh clothing.  

Laundromats rarely, if ever, provide means with which to pass the time.  At best you might get an old Ms. Pacman machine or a TV set tuned to the local network affiliate.  This practically guarantees that you will be successful if you attempt to strike up a conversation.  Even though the conversation might be born of the simple desire to pass time, you can use that as a springboard to ask questions and reveal bits about yourself.  Before you know it, the clothes are dry and it’s come time to part ways, which is a great excuse to ask for a phone number so that you might talk again in the future, say, over dinner?

Another reason that the laundromat is better than a bar when it comes to finding a date is that people generally don’t dress up when they go to do their laundry.  While this may

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