Fast

By VALERIE BANNER
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
EEP BREATH. THREE MINUTES isn't very long.
3:00. Hi, how are you? What's your name?
2:47. Do you work or are you still in school?
2:31. Really? What kind of work do you do?
The newest way to date is to do it in only three minutes.
Three-minute dating is like a grown-up version of musical chairs. Only this time when the music stops, no one is left standing. Instead, each person is seated across from someone he's never met, and he has three minutes to decide if he'd like to get to know her better.
It goes by a number of names: three-minute dating, speed dating, fast dating. And it gained popularity in hectic big cities: New York, Chicago, Washington, D.C. Now, it's working its way to sleepy, old industrial cities and is trying to pick up the pace of dating in the Youngstown area.
Tick, tick, tick. This is going to be the most awkward three minutes of my life.
2:09. That sounds pretty hard. It must keep you really busy.
1:54. Where do you live now? Where are you from?
1:36. So you've always lived around here?
1:30. What do you do when you're not working? What kinds of things do you do for fun?
FastDater Inc. has brought three-minute dating to Quaker Steak and Lube in Sharon and to Salty Grogs in Boardman. And radio station Hot 101 and Choices Niteclub put together a similar event from 5 to 8 p.m. Wednesdays.
Choices is continuing speed dating "when enough people sign up to make it worthwhile," said Lynn Verdream, club manager. On some nights, they have as many as "15 guys and 15 gals" sign up.
Will it return?
Jason Vanreese, owner of Salty Grogs, said he thinks most people will enjoy the experience. Salty Grogs had sponsored three-minute dating once before, on April 29.
"It went pretty well," he said of the earlier dating experience. "Everybody was very happy."
Tommy Titus, manager at Salty Grogs, says the club is looking at bringing fast dating back, but no firm date has been set.
At Quaker Steak and Lube, there's no firm schedule, but the concept hasn't been eliminated.
In all three places, managers said the events worked better in winter and spring.
"Like with anything that's new," explained Titus, "it just takes awhile for people to get used to it." He thinks the events will catch on here.
Fastdater asks participants to indicate their interest in the other person by marking down "yes" or "no" on a card. If both people mark "yes," they'll be notified by e-mail of the match.
Halfway there. I can handle this.
1:12. Oh yeah? What kind of music do you listen to?
1:03. No kidding! I love their songs.
0:57. Hey, we've got pretty similar taste.
Hot 101's "Who's Yer Hottie?" dating works a little differently. There's no advance registration, and even people who are in a relationship can come along with their single friends to Choices in the Holiday Inn MetroPlex in Liberty.
Everyone who arrives at Choices gets a color-coded wristband that shows if they're single, getting out of a relationship or currently involved. There's also no age restriction -- anyone who comes can participate.
Ok, this isn't so bad after all.
0:55. What about movies? What do you like to watch?
0:41. Hmmm ... I've never seen that. What's it about?
Kelly Stevens of Hot 101 said she tells people that they might not meet the person of their dreams, but that they might meet someone who has a son, daughter, aunt, father or friend who is perfect for them.
"Dating is about making contacts," Stevens said. "It's like playing the slots in Vegas. The more you play, the better your odds are."
Good reaction
Kristen Kudelko of Sharpsville and Alexis Hunter of Brookfield said they'd like to hit the dating jackpot soon.
"We're a little fed up with men," explained 22-year-old Kudelko. "We meet the same kind of people all the time at clubs."
Hunter, also 22, said she thought three-minute dating seemed like a way of meeting someone without being obligated to see him again.
"If we don't like anyone, we don't have to worry about it," she said. "And who knows, you might even find The One in three minutes."
This is actually kind of fun.
0:27. Sounds pretty funny. I'll have to check that out sometime. What else do you like?
0:11. I've seen both of those. They're two of my favorites.
Debi English, 31, of Hubbard said she's proof that speed dating actually works. English said she's been going to Choices since "Who's Yer Hottie" started in January.
She said she hit it off with a guy early in the year. They dated a few times -- and even went out on Valentine's Day.
"I hadn't had a Valentine's Day date in five years, and he was a good date," English said.
And when they broke it off, she came back to Choices to try her luck again.
Gary Roos, 23, of Hermitage said he thinks he would have better luck meeting someone through fast dating than at a bar.
"You can't expect to go to a bar and meet a woman you'd actually like to date," he said.
And he thinks it'd be better than a blind date.
"You've got the easy exit. You don't get trapped into a conversation and spending $50 on dinner," Roos said.
We've hit it off pretty well.
0:01. Maybe we could go see a movie together sometime.
Kudelko would try to squeeze an entire dinner's conversation into three minutes. She said she'd ask about their interests, their education, their hobbies, their humor, their job. "Do you go to school? Do you have a job? Are you a businessman or are you hauling garbage?" she said she'd ask a date.
Hunter has even higher expectations.
"You have to sweep us off our feet," she said. "You have three minutes to do it."