Social Experiment: Joining Dating Apps In Odessa, Texas

I recently moved to Midland-Odessa several months ago.  Being a single man, I was somewhat curious about the dating scene.  I asked around and the collective answer about a dating life in Midland-Odessa was always the same- the dating pool in Midland-Odessa was a shallow puddle.

Get our free mobile app

Horror Stories + Making Friends in Midland-Odessa, Texas

I have made friends while living here, including one who was determined to play my matchmaker.  To be honest, I thought that there was no way that the dating scene in Midland-Odessa was as bad as I had heard.  I heard a LOT of horror stories, so naturally, I wanted to experience the dating scene for myself.

Despite being a public figure, I wanted to put myself out there without revealing who I am or what I do for a living.  I wanted to portray myself as a common nobody who was just putting myself out there in the dating scene like a normal person.  Needless to say, the results were disappointing.

My Dating Matches with 3 Different Texas Women

During the course of one evening, I matched with 3 different girls, and this is how it went.

Girl #1:

• Dom: Hi there!
• Girl #1: Hello
• Dom: I'm Dom, I am new to the area, looking for friends.
• Girl #1:  Where are you from?
• Dom: I'm from San Antonio and moved here in January

(Girl #1 became unresponsive)

Girl #2:

• Dom: Hi, how are you? My name is Dom.
• Girl #2: I'm okay.
• Dom: That's cool.  So, what brings you to the dark abyss that is online dating?
• Girl #2: What kind of car do you drive?

(Dom has left the chat)

At the time, I thought I was going to get only 2 matches.  However, after some time, I got another.

Girl #3:

• Dom: Hello, I'm Dom.  Nice to meet you.  I just moved here from San Antonio.  Are you in Midland or Odessa?
• Girl #3: Hi.  I don't really like to chat on these dating apps. Do you have WhatsApp?

(Dom blocks her)

The 3rd "girl" was clearly not a real person.  The fact that they immediately wanted to take the conversation to WhatsApp was a 🚩.  Many scammers like to use WhatsApp, and it's highly doubtful someone I just met minutes prior wants to immediately take the conversation there.

My Permian Basin, Texas, Dating Conclusion

I gave it some time before I concluded my social experiment.  I got a few other likes, but I wasn't interested in those that actually swiped right on me.  The 3 above were just the ones I had matched with.  I would say that this short experiment was unlikely enough time to gain a clear, accurate picture of the dating scene in the area.  However, it wasn't a good start.