Rule No. 1: E-mail soothes rejection phobia

Don’t call the man. Don’t accept a weekend date after Wednesday. Don’t ask him out on a date. We all know about those tired old Rules spelled out in that book a few years ago. But it’s 2003 and we’re wondering what today’s singles consider to be the rules for dating in the 21st century. The participants in our non-scientific survey have a few things in common. They’re all single, active daters who aren’t afraid to speak their minds. Most are afraid to have their real names printed in a newspaper though, so we compiled their collective Top 5 rules for dating and asked a handful of brave and savvy singles to share their thoughts.

Looking for a quick score

I am a single woman in a room filled with 56 available men. I could not be happier. Well, yes, I could–but there’s not much I legally can do about the 55 other women scoping out my potential dates. Welcome to FastDater, where the rules are simple and the dates are, well, fast. Three minutes, to be exact. “Date” is a misleading word, actually. What we embark on is more a series of get-to-know-ya interviews. Name. Age. Occupation. Buzz! Time to move on to the next interrogator, er, date.

Where the boys are

You haven’t had a date since Dubya’s dad was in the White House. The last time you went dancing, stonewashed jeans were in style. And your idea of a great evening is whining to anyone who’ll listen about the dearth of available men in Chicago. Wake up! It’s time to get back in the game. No matter how much women complain to the contrary, this city is full of eligible men.