Would I ditch a date after 51 minutes? I’ve waited that long to be asked a single question | Elle Hunt

A new survey says Britons are quick to lose patience with a date who is rude. That's to their credit - but sometimes a connection is worth waiting for

Fifty-one minutes. It's too long for a meeting, close to perfect for an album, and a solid result for a 10km run - but a date? You can only hope that it's not a personal best.

A new study suggests that 51 minutes is all the average person can manage of a date that has started to go downhill. The survey of 2,000 adults (carried out by the breakdown provider Britannia Rescue - used to facilitating hasty getaways, I suppose) found that a fifth had departed a date midway through, with commonly used exit strategies including sudden headaches and getting a friend to fake an emergency.

Elle Hunt is a freelance journalist