I'm definitely a fan of "breaking the ice", and if I'm interested, or feel some chemistry, a longer date works, but I'm reluctant to invest a car note into an hour with someone I may not necessarily have a vibe with, so shorter dates are an option.  I'm also a fan of flirty emails/PMs, just to gauge the temperature...there is no exact science, but I've only had a handful of bad dates, and usually those were only for the half...I'm very selective, so once my interest is properly piqued, it's on lol

I think certain people just like to bargain, even after a commitment is made.  I personally think its annoying as hell.

IMHO, if you want 30 minutes, go see a BP girl and figure it out.  A well reviewed provider on TER you should have a pretty good idea.  Also, there are certain reviewers that I know have the same tastes and expectations as myself, so I look for those reviews.

That being said, I do understand going with 30 minutes to get a flavor, but don't think you get a really good idea other than wham, bam, thank you ma'am.

As far as the rate.  The rate is the rate...period.

First of all, I never book more than an hour for the first meeting. Too much can go wrong and I am stuck with a girl that i have no chemistry with for 2 hours at $600+. Not gonna happen. The most I will pay for that initial hour is $400. If she has lots of 9s and 10s then i can go as high as $500 but as you know that 9+ average is a rarity in DC. Once I have seen the girl at least twice with positive results, I prefer to start expanding to overnights.

and gauging the lady's personality...Also you can judge the looks without the veil of photoshop.  

I typically do 90 min if outcall or 60 if incall.

I hate to sound like a broken record, but the three most important things in this hobby are research, research, research. If you do your research on selecting a lady for a date, then you know what she likes and what she does, and a good measure of what her personality is like. Take the aggregate of her reviews. And her board presence and website as all are clues as to how she would be on a date. That is one reason my reviews are all pretty good - I have yet to go on a bad date. Some better than others, but all good so far. Yeah, I know karma will catch up to me one day, but I try to minimize the risk with a fair amount of research.

With that, I usually want a longer date, at least 90 min or more, for a first, or even repeat date. We need some get to know you time, and I don't mind being on the clock for that. I like taking my time and not feeling rushed. This hobby is very relaxing to me and I want it to be rush-free. It is worth the investment in time, money, and risk.

I don't haggle for prices in stores, and I respect the ladies enough to not haggle with them. Their rates are their rates, and if I want to see them, that is what I will pay. Capitalism and a fair market economic model are great. With that, if a lady will cost the same amount as I could see two ladies (separately or a double), that is a hard decision. I may eventually save up enough to see the higher priced lady, but it may take a while.

I have a budget and usually do not exceed that except in very limited occasions and that is usually for a return visit.

I think long first dates (ideally meeting for a both BCD time and a dinner or lunch date) are best to break the ice and get to know each other. I am not interested in a one-and-done relationship, so I see the first meeting as a bit of an exploration or investment.

As others have noted, multiple hours is quite a bit of an investment financially, especially with someone you haven't met. I want to have a both a GFE experience and someone I can really talk to from the first date. Different people are different, so my wonderful conversationalist might be someone else's chatterbox.

Because of this, I like to screen by personality myself, and I like it when ladies screen me for that too rather than just making sure as best they can that I am not part of the local gendarmerie or the next Green River killer. I don't have a particular way of screening; usually careful study of reviews and the lady's website combined with e-mail exchanges is what I do. However, one lady had me hooked from a couple of sarcastic e-mail responses to inane posts on this board (and that worked out very well).

I personally like 90 minutes for the first encounter.  Sure, it can be a big waste if we don't really connect and 60 minutes seems like a "safer" bet monetarily, but a little bit of research (reviews, emails, etc) goes a long way.  I have yet to regret 90 minutes with some one I met the first time.  I have had a few providers offer up discounts on future visits (God Bless those ladies!).  It does make a difference on if/when I repeat, and they usually get the discount back as a tip.

I have made a few relatively impulsive  dates on ladies I did not research as well, but those have been limited to 60 minutes. Some have been fine, others made me wish I did a bit more research

In that I REQUIRE a brief public meeting beforehand. Maybe we just meet up at the Starbucks down the road and chat a bit while heading towards the room, maybe we get a meal, maybe we grab a drink at the hotel bar - whatever it is, we are most definitely chatting publicly before we go anywhere privately. And that's the way my favorite clients like it. I don't have fun if there's no chemistry, and that means my clients don't have fun. My philosophy is that I build a relationship with my clients. Not that I don't see the merit in a one-off encounter, (and believe me, I enjoy those too) but that's not my primary target for clientele. It's so much better when you get to know someone, what they like and dislike, and I don't think you can do that in just one meeting. It also heightens the anticipation - thinking about what might happen next, over a drink is the best foreplay in my opinion.

I don't have a time minimum right now, but I'm going to institute one shortly. I'm finding that my one hour dates are just not enough time to enjoy my client's company. We usually end up chatting for 20 minutes, which doesn't leave enough time for much else. On the other hand, I do understand from the guy's perspective that there's no sense in wasting money on a long date if there's no chemistry. This is why I think my public meeting is to the guy's benefit too - if he's not feeling it, then he gets to walk away too. Frankly, I'm a little uncomfortable with extremely long dates initially, unless those dates include a full meal.  

And to the people who don't think you can get a sense of someone's personality over email - you're just not doing it right. It's not a matter of being able to read tone of voice, or seeing someone's face (but that certainly helps), it's a matter of seeing how respectful someone is, how professional, whether they have an appreciation for boundaries, and how they're approaching our relationship. To be successful on either side of the aisle, I truly believe you must pick up a strong sense of who you like with minimal information. You have to develop the gut instinct, see what the ladies/gentlemen you have really hit it off with all have in common, and begin to search that out. Anyone who's done online dating knows that pictures and written words can tell you a lot about someone. Hell, even the pictures should show a girl's personality. They don't necessarily tell you whether there's perfect chemistry, but you can get pretty damn close with that profile.

And, here's the standard disclaimer I have to put on all my posts these days - yes, I know I'm new, I know I don't know everything yet, but I think I know enough about this topic from online dating and other things to offer my 2cents.

-- Modified on 7/16/2013 11:08:07 PM

Was a casual lunch with her and a (non-provider) friend...I picked up the tab, even though she offered to pay---it was so normal and casual, that I was hooked immediately