Boy, dating sure was different back in the 1970s! Looking back now, some of our common dating practices would probably get you arrested – or at least earn you some serious side-eye from today’s young folks. No cell phones, no social media, and definitely no dating apps. Just good old-fashioned courtship with a few questionable practices thrown in for good measure. Let’s take a walk down memory lane and examine some dating rules from the ’70s that would raise more than a few eyebrows today.
Table of Contents
- 1 1. Drive-By House Checks
- 2 2. Showing Up Unannounced
- 3 3. Getting Personal Information from Phone Books
- 4 4. Waiting in Cars Outside Work
- 5 5. Asking Family Members for Information
- 6 6. Following Someone to “Accidentally” Run Into Them
- 7 7. Love Notes in Lockers
- 8 8. Getting Numbers from Friends Without Permission
- 9 9. Extended Silent Phone Calls
- 10 10. Sending Messages Through Siblings
- 11 11. Parent-Arranged Blind Dates
- 12 12. Workplace Pursuit
- 13 13. School Dance Obligations
1. Drive-By House Checks
If someone wasn’t answering their phone, it was perfectly normal to drive by their house to see if they were home. You’d cruise past slowly, maybe multiple times, looking for signs of life or their car in the driveway. Today, this would probably get you slapped with a stalking charge, but back then it was just how you checked if someone was ghosting you.
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2. Showing Up Unannounced
Spontaneous visits were not just accepted but expected. You might just pop by your date’s house on a Friday night to see if they wanted to go out. No text message warning, no calendar invite – just ring the doorbell and hope for the best. Today, showing up unannounced would probably result in a restraining order.
3. Getting Personal Information from Phone Books
Phone books were like the original Facebook stalking. You could look up someone’s address and phone number without their permission, and it was completely normal. People would even write down this information and share it with friends. Today, this kind of information sharing would violate multiple privacy laws.
4. Waiting in Cars Outside Work
It was considered romantic to surprise someone by waiting in your car outside their workplace when their shift ended. You might sit there for an hour or more, just waiting to surprise them. Now, this would probably result in someone calling security or the police.
5. Asking Family Members for Information
If someone wasn’t home, you’d simply call their family members to find out where they were. Parents, siblings, and even grandparents would freely give out information about someone’s whereabouts. Today, this would be considered a major privacy violation.
6. Following Someone to “Accidentally” Run Into Them
Learning someone’s routine and then showing up at their usual spots was a common dating strategy. Whether it was the local diner, shopping mall, or gas station, engineering these “chance” meetings was considered perfectly normal. Now it would be seen as calculated stalking.
7. Love Notes in Lockers
Slipping anonymous love notes into someone’s school locker was a common way to express interest. Sometimes you’d do this for weeks before revealing your identity. Today, anonymous messages would likely trigger a school security investigation.
8. Getting Numbers from Friends Without Permission
If you were interested in someone, you’d just ask their friends for their phone number. No one thought twice about giving out someone else’s contact information without their knowledge or consent. This kind of information sharing would be considered a serious privacy breach today.
9. Extended Silent Phone Calls
Calling someone’s house and hanging up when they answered was a way to get their attention. Sometimes you’d do this multiple times, or stay silent on the line just to hear their voice. Today, this would be considered harassment and could result in legal action.
10. Sending Messages Through Siblings
Using someone’s younger siblings as messengers was a common practice. You’d give them notes or verbal messages to deliver, often bribing them with candy or small change. Now, involving minors in your dating pursuits would raise serious concerns.
11. Parent-Arranged Blind Dates
Parents would often set up dates between their children and the children of friends or colleagues, without any prior meeting or consent from the young people involved. These surprise setups would often happen at family gatherings or church events. Today, this would be seen as a violation of personal autonomy.
12. Workplace Pursuit
Persistently asking out coworkers or customers was considered normal and even encouraged. People would get jobs specifically to be near someone they were interested in. In today’s workplace, this behavior would violate numerous harassment policies and could result in immediate termination.
13. School Dance Obligations
At school dances, it was considered rude to refuse a dance request, and teachers would often pressure students to accept. Girls especially were expected to dance with anyone who asked, regardless of their own feelings. Today, this would be recognized as a consent issue and strongly discouraged.
