People will tolerate a bad date for 51 minutes.
Bad dates only last for 51 minutes
A study of 2,000 adults has revealed that people looking for love will put up with a disastrous date for less than an hour before making their excuses and leaving.
Popular exit strategies included getting friends to phone with a fake emergency, the 'I've got a headache excuse', and a pet suddenly falling ill.
The research, conducted by motor breakdown service company Britannia Rescue, also found that it takes singletons just 25 minutes to notice a spark, or a lack of one, with their date.
Behaviours that cause people to make an early exit from dates include rudeness (48 per cent), constantly checking their phone (37 per cent) and an awkward atmosphere (36 per cent).
The study found that 44 per cent of those polled have come up with an excuse to get out of going on a date altogether, although 58 per cent have admitted to sitting through a date knowing that there was no chance of romance.