My little brother, (the only who is a bit of a man-child), is young, good-looking, and an active dater. He often tells me about the different dates he goes on here and there. Usually they are funny, interesting stories, which my other sibling, my husband, and even myself like to live vicariously through. Recently he brought up a story that brought up a fun discussion.

He was out on a third date at a fancy cash only tapas restaurant. He underestimated the bill and didn’t have enough cash to cover the tip as well. They had been out twice before, and he paid both times. This time he asked her to cover the tip. She didn’t have a single dollar in her purse. That made him fuming mad. It wasn’t that he had to go to the ATM. It was that she wasn’t be prepared to pay anything at all. To him, that meant she was leaching off of him.

“She should at least offer,” my brother said, “that’s just polite.”

Thus led to a fun family discussion amongst all the older and married family members on etiquette in dating. Some said that the man paying is chivalry. Others said that in the modern world, women are social equals, so they should pay for themselves. Other’s said she should have given herself the option to pay for herself. I’m not sure how I feel about it myself. My husband always paid for me when were dating, but that was some time ago. I can see my brother’s qualm with the issue.

What do you guys think? Who should pay on a date?