2011/07/26 
Going out on a Saturday night as a woman in DC can often feel like a tricky mission involving high-heeled maneuvers and full-body blocking. Lines swell around every busy bartender, making the simple act of ordering a vodka cranberry sometimes seem worthy of an Alias plot line.
But that’s not to say good times aren’t to be had— DC nightlife is alive and well. From quirky H Street to hip Dupont to fun loving Downtown, the experience can be as low key or amped up as you so desire.
Well…as long as you can afford it.
As mentioned in a previous post, drinks in DC are quite expensive. While I choose to carry around an awesome pink flask in my bar purse, not every girl is as financially thrifty and/or shameless.
During my college years in Texas, whenever my friends and I wanted to save money on drinks, all we had to do was scream obnoxiously, “it’s my birthday!” and some rando in Dockers and a polo would come up and buy us a round of shots.
But in here in DC, the so-called woo-girls of the world cannot count on men falling for such age-old tricks as the fake birthday.
Society and various economic factors have come together in the District to create a truly bleak bar situation. Most simply stated:
DC men do not buy drinks for girls they don’t know. Period.
Now, before I get inundated with angry emails, let me explain. I don’t believe most men in DC are stingy or cheap. I just think they are trying to survive in this economy.
Most DC guys earn low government salaries or work in the non-profit sector. There is also an unbalanced male to female ratio; women outnumber men by 11.21% in DC. Alcoholic drink prices within the metro area alone could quickly turn any prince into a pauper. So why would DC guys buy a drink for a girl that’s not considered a “sure thing” or a friend?
It would simply be financially impossible for guys in DC to buy every girl they wanted to talk to a drink. Unless, of course, they are secretly a mogul.
So here’s my message to all the broke but lonely DC lads out there: go out this weekend and take a risk. Buy that cute girl a drink. Or at the very least offer her a pull from the flask hidden in your pocket. Either way, you will make a lasting impression, and former woo-girls across the district will thank you.
- Lindsay
I’m sad to find the “it’s my birthday!” line doesn’t work here, since my birthday really is on Tuesday, and I was hoping to get at least a free drink out of it, lol.
Author’s note: a plastic tiara can help the situation, as it makes your birthday claim seemingly more legitimate. And there are still some really great guys out there. Happy early birthday!!
Ho ho, who wodula thunk it, right?
Holy sizhnit, this is so cool thank you.
wow I’m sad to think you girls must operate as con artists to get a drink…makes me feel sorry enough for you that some girl will have an amazing drink bought tomorrow… no one likes a sad girl at the bar… no one likes the sober version of her either….I find them so much more sassy and fun when they’re a bit buzzed and their shields are down…lol..
You girls have our version of the truth and men have theirs… in the end, it’s the little compromise that we make that keeps our espective sexes so interested in one another…or maybe it’s the lies… yes…yes, the lies…
T.
If I know the girl and know it’s her birthday I’ll gladly buy her a couple rounds, but apart from that I’ve never paid for anyone’s drink.
Of course, what a great blog and informative posts, I will bookmark your site.Best Regards!
haha I was SHOCKED to see that New York’s drinking prices were TOPPED in DC. 10 bucks for a shot, wtf? Who ever wants to pay for that? It was a slight turn-off, especially after discovering that drinks do not taste better in the capital but I think people can shake it off better on the dance floor over there. well, it’s all just a point of view, isn’t it?
Great topic!