Dutch or Ditch: Who Should Pay on a Date

Scenario: Boy calls girl

Boy: Hey beautiful, how about we go out on a date Saturday night.

Girl: Yea, sure! Your treat?

Boy: I was thinking we could go dutch.

Girl: *dial tone*

This recession has caused money to be tight with just about everyone. It's definitely not the time to frivlously consume much needed funds on unimportant things. But when it comes to dating and meeting new people, sometimes you have to shell out a little cash. At least in the beginning.

After having a conversation with some of my girlfriends yesterday, I made this statement via Twitter:

It sucks that ladies have to ask a dude if an outing is "their treat" nowadays.

Why go dutch if you asked me out? [Tweet "Should men and women go dutch on a date or should they ditch that date? "]

I got a lot of great feedback from my tweeps too:

AGREE:

1. rashidapowell @Lucy_Pearl Absolutely agree. If I initiated the date I'd be prepared to pay. If you initiate, you better get that wallet out.
2. CarverTheGreat @Lucy_Pearl i agree lol...and suggest that whoever is dealing with that stop messing with "ain't sh*t ninjas"
3. TravistheCEO @Lucy_Pearl I agree with you 100%, it just feels wrong.
4. schmind @Lucy_Pearl Ladies shouldn't have to ask. I always pay unless its highly insisted upon or if i'm being treated for a bday.
5.  Papou80 RT @Lucy_Pearl > ladies have 2 ask a dude if an outing is their treat > I'm always under the assumption I'm paying unless she says otherwise
6. MotivatedMarc @Lucy_Pearl I am the type of female that if I invite someone to go out, especially a guy, I have an intention on paying.
7. cooninismylife @Lucy_Pearl The person who asks pays. If dude asked you to the movies, he should have paid. At the VERY least, already had the tickets!
8. TravistheCEO @Lucy_Pearl As a man I don't go anywhere unless I can pay for myself and the other person. That's just how I was raised.
9.  TayTayTheGreat @Lucy_Pearl For the most part if I go out with a friend I just plan to pay for myself.
10. CarverTheGreat @Lucy_Pearl and if it starts to get expensive then he has to get more creative with the places he takes her

DISAGREE:

[GASP! MY BROTHER!!!]

1. jaspora  RT @schmind: @Lucy_Pearl I disagree with tht always pay stuff. If we ain't married i'm not always paying. I'll b broke otherwise.

I posed another question:

[Tweet "Do these rules apply to friends? Should I male friend pay for his female friend if he asked her out? Vice versa?"]

Most everyone still believed the man should pay. Or at least the person who asked to go out should pay.

My two cents are:

If the person who proposes an outing can't pay (male or female), don't go out. Or do something free. Problem solved.

What do YOU think?