WhatsApp-style date request from student goes viral

http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/uk-england-hampshire-34878723

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A student who asked a woman out on a date via a handwritten note in the style of a WhatsApp message has spoken of his surprise after it went viral.

Alfonso, a 25-year-old student at Southampton, made the offer to Naomi Lucking in the university library.

She turned down his request for a coffee, but his inventive effort has led to other date offers after she tweeted his handiwork.

He called the reaction a "really great experience".

Ms Lucking's tweet, which was shared more than 30,000 times, said: "Some guy in the library gave me this and it was the most awkward experience of my life.

"10/10 for creativity though."

The message reads: "Sorry to disturb your studies, but I really need to ask... would you like to have a coffee with me someday?"

The note gave two possible replies: "Sure! Why not? Life is short," and "No thanks! I have a 7ft tall boyfriend."

Ms Lucking later tweeted: "I just laughed and said 'actually he's 6ft 3'. He looked so crushed."

Alfonso, who is from Mexico City but did not want to give his full name, said: "I wasn't supposed to talk to someone because it was a quiet room, so I thought about doing something creative.

"I really wanted to do it in an original way. She was using her phone and I thought she can pay attention to this and not to her phone.

"I had been studying there for awhile because this Masters is so hard, and she was really pretty, and I thought why not try it."

He said the reaction to his missive "struck" him down, with offers from around the world to meet for a coffee.

He added: "I came to this country to learn a lot of things, and I think I managed to teach something to people right here."

Ms Lucking told the BBC she was "completely bewildered" at the response to her tweet, saying she "had no idea it would get so much attention".

She added: "I thought the effort was great, definitely the most creative way anyone's ever asked me on a date.

"I don't think [I would reconsider his offer], mainly because I have a boyfriend, but judging by Twitter there are a good 30,000 people who would."