I'm picky about the people I spend time socially so the whole concept of social dating in this context is a catch-22 for me, because whether I know people or not it doesn't work for me mentally. I'm very unlikely to want to take someone I don't know out in a social context and gamble on whether or not I'm going to enjoy their company or whether I'm going to want to bail in 10 minutes. I understand that a social date in this context is not a "date", and will not lead to a romantic entanglement of some kind, so there's no incentive in that way to take someone out socially, and if I meet someone who I like well enough on a friendly basis to want to spend time with them then it would make me uncomfortable to have to pay someone to do so. Also, spending time with people is an SPs job, and if I'm the one choosing to pick someone to go out with me then it's always in the back of my head that this isn't really "social", per se. It's semi-social for me and work for her, no matter how friendly it is. Meeting someone at "social" events is better and more spontaneous in that sense, only because people can choose who they wish to speak to, but it's still "work".
Rather than social dating I prefer the social time model they have down south. Everybody just hangs out for drinks, they circulate, talk to who they want to, and decide whether there's enough physical attraction to interact sexually as well as whether there's enough personal interest to do something socially. It happens more organically and anyone can step in or step out at any time with no obligations, and no cash changes hands unless the people choose to be together. I'm met a number of people that way who have become friends of mine that I never ended up sessioning with. It suits me better because I get a better idea of the personality of the person in question and I'm more personality driven than looks driven.
