Having a bad date? Here's how to escape gracefully.

A colleague of mine was recently on a first date with a girl who, to put it mildly, didn't really click with him. According to him, she said a lot of inappropriate things and he felt uncomfortable. So he excused himself to go to the restroom, exited the restaurant where they were dining and hopped the subway home.

I cringed when he said this. Now, we've all been on dates where we've wanted to escape as quickly as possible. But is high-tailing it to the exit and sticking your date with the bill really the right way to go, no matter how irritating they may be? There are other ways to end the date quickly and painlessly, without being rude and hurting the other person's feelings, or letting them wonder where you went. Following are a few tips:

1. Have a back-up plan. Mention at the beginning of a date that you have an early morning meeting or an appointment following your rendezvous. Making yourself less accessible due to work allows you to make an early exit peacefully.

2. Always plan a brief first date. Instead of dinner or late night drinks, plan a brief meeting over coffee either after work or on the weekend. If you end up liking your date, you can always continue, but a coffee date is the best way to keep things brief and polite.

3. Don't assume you will have a good first date. Even if you have the best phone conversations leading up to the date, or he comes highly recommended by a friend who set you up, do not assume you will click. Stick with #2 and plan a brief first date. If you like him, make plans during the date for the next time you will see each other.

4. Make your feelings clear. Instead of sneaking off when she's not looking, have the courageous conversation. Tell her kindly but directly that you don't think there is any chemistry. Any initial hurt feelings will be replaced with the needed consolation that she wasn't left wondering what happened.