A New Trend in Dating

Dating is becoming even more treacherous than it was previously. (And it has always been treacherous, for the record.) The treachery increases almost exponentially as the disconcerting trend of tricking someone into going out with you becomes more and more widespread. In all seriousness, in the last 4 months I have been tricked into 3 dates. I realize that I am a remarkably gullible and naive girl, but I don't think that means I deserve to be constantly finding myself on a pseudo-date that I never intended to be on.
The Problem: I'm not sure exactly what is leading to the decline in up-front dating. It seems so simple to say, "Would you like to go out sometime?" And it seems so complicated to cook up some crazy scheme to connive your way into spending a few hours with an unsuspecting girl. Oh the lengths some people will go to to save face.
A Matter of Semantics: Here's the thing, when you say, "Let's hang out," a girls believes that you mean "Let's hang out." If, in fact, you mean, "Let's get dinner and watch a movie. Oh, and by the way, I plan on holding your hand," it would be more accurate to tell the girl you'd like to take her on a date. (If this term is unclear you might want to refer to a dictionary.)
The Co-Conspirator: Please do not be a co-conspirator to someone who wants to con a sweet single senorita. Co-conspirator activities would include: inviting over the unsuspecting girl and a single man and then arranging it so that they will have to be together for an entire evening in a stunningly date-like nondate situtation; encouraging office romances by assigning the poor girl to work with someone you call her "soulmate;" insisting that a girl and a man she has never spent ten minutes alone with are a truly "perfect couple" thereby encouraging the man to adopt this phrase himself to the girl's absolute dismay.
The Bottom Line: Although it may save you the trouble, potential rejection, and maybe even some cash to trick someone into a date, it will not win over someone's heart. You've already proved yourself cowardly and deceptive- and those are not generally on the attribute list of Mr. Right. There may be naive girls out there (like me) who will fall for the ruse, but as soon as they realize what's going on (naive and stupid are worlds apart) you'll have been discovered for the phony dater you are.