Why are singles singled out?

Scanning the local media, I am impressed by the choice of tempting short-term holidays on offer. At stake are three days in Valencia for €95 and for just €15 plus a similar one in Madrid. I hope we don’t hear criticism from tour companies that offer such good value for money.

In the UK, 29% of households have only one resident person; a total of 7.6 million. Why would it be different on the Coasts? I wonder if the convention excludes many thousands of singles from taking advantage of these offers. Being single but not unsociable, I envy those who, with their sweet arm, occasionally take advantage of such breaks, nights out and meetings in restaurants. Try it on your own.

Of course there are many singles whose status is not necessarily by choice; widowed, divorced, simple, ugly or simply ugly; perhaps known for being a curmudgeon on occasion. They still deserve and need company. Why can’t they be loved too?

Several years ago I missed the occasional companionship of the skirt, but I had no desire to change my single status. I signed up for an online vacation service for singles. When establishing my profile I did not tell lies. What you see is what you get. I even used a recent photograph of myself. There are cheaters (we know who you are) who economize on the truth by using photos taken before they gained 30 pounds or 15 years earlier.
I remember a lady who, when asked, admitted that she used her daughter’s photograph; otherwise, she found it difficult to get a date. With morals like that, she could have made up for it in other ways; her date wasn’t interested in finding out.

Singles vacations are a wonderful idea and gave us singles the best of both worlds. When writing my profile I made it clear that I wanted a shared vacation, not a shared life. The dilemma was the touchy subject of sleeping arrangements. It is not a problem for me; after a day on tour all I want to do is sleep.

But if you book individual rooms the costs skyrocket. Still, the solitude of separate rooms after a day together seemed to go against the spirit of adventure. I couldn’t see any problem with sharing a room, though not necessarily the bed. Mischief aside, it’s nice to have company, someone to chat with when the lights go out.

We are all adults; if we can’t be trusted to stay in our own beds, we can’t be trusted to share an economy seat. All I could do was get him up to the flagpole and see if anyone would wave. I did and was surprised by the number of ladies who found the suggestion accommodating. One at a time I guess.

Maybe these tour operators should try a little matchmaking; could pay dividends. It’s not a dating site we need; is a ‘Travel Date’ solution.