The Blind Leading the Blind Date

What happens when you find out your blind date is actually blind?
Blind daters: Cat Pursel and Chad Allen
Filmed by Alyssa Hall, Emery Emery and Heather Henderson
Produced and edited by Heather Henderson and Alyssa Hall.
Montages by Alyssa Hall
Co-produced by Emery Emery
Filmed at Shin Ramen in Hollywood, California
www.shinramenhollywood.com/

(upbeat electronic music)

I'm 47-soon to be 48 next month

I am 44 years old

I drive for a ride-share company

and I'm a nanny to my nephews

I do usability assessments for websites,

which basically means that I test them

to see if they're accessible
for people with disabilities

I consider myself fairly fun

I would describe myself as fun

and funny

Interesting

Compassionate

Creative

I have some smarts

My perfect partner would be somebody who
is, I think, first intelligent

(skipping tape noise)

I have some smarts (laughs)

I love good brains

I wanna have a good conversation with
somebody

and I have no other expectations besides
that

-(Chad) Hey, are you Cat?
-Yeah

-Cat, I'm Chad
-Hi Chad

-Nice to meet you
-Holy crap

-Can I take a seat?
-Yeah, here

Thank you

Woah

-Don't fall
-No, I won't, I promise

-It's a true blind date
-It is a true blind date

You don't look blind

I was diagnosed when I was a teenager

Oh, ok

and I went through a blindness
rehabilitation program

-(laughs) You did?
-Yup

Oh, I'm sorry, that sounded like rehab
for blind people

I know, yeah, it pretty much is

8 hours a day, 5 days a week, I did it for
6 months

They teach you cane travel and braille and
all the technology and stuff like that

so I like to say it becomes a minor

-nuisance at best
-Right

-I'm not blind (laughs)
-Ok, good to know, ok, you didn't mention

that on the call, so I'm glad

And you're not deaf

-I'm not deaf
-Right

-You have a book here
-I do

Ok

If I really wanted to read it, I have a
way to do that

Really?

Yeah there's a device in my phone where I
can just take a picture of the page and it

reads it

-That's so awesome
-Yeah

-Ok, can we do it?
-Sure, you wanna check it out?

(Cat) Yeah (laughs) 'cause I want you to
read the title 'cause that's really funny

(Waiter) And there you go
Thanks

-(Waiter) This is the menu
-Ok great

(Waiter) so you can go ahead and check
it out

Here we go

(Phone) "The Guide to Infinite Sexual
Possibilities"

-Sexual what? What is that? Sexual Possi-
-Possibilities

-Nice, ok
-"The Ethical Slut, a Guide to Infinite

-Sexual Possibilities"
-Interesting. And this is casual reading

-for you, during your blind dates
-(Cat laughing) Yeah, yeah

Ok

So you brought it because you wanted to
have me read something or?

No I actually- I just got here early and I
just had it with me so

-Oh gotcha
-Em

-Ok
-I shouldn't have shared

It's a little embarrassing

So I'm gonna ha- Well you'll have to read
the menu with your... your-

-Oh yes
-little thing and I can help you, though,

-of course, 'cause I know how to read
-Yes

-(Waiter) Matcha green tea. Here we are
-(Cat) Oooo! Thank you

(Waiter) Alright, I'll be right back for
you guys

-Ok
-Alright, thank you

Well what do you do?

-I drive for Lift
-Ok

-I know it's not really exciting but
-I just took a Lift here

You did? Yay! You drove Lift and not Uber?

I mean, you know, kinda given my
situation, right, I can't drive

(Cat laughs)

It's like the one thing blind guys cannot
do under any circum-

There's not an app for that?

There is not an app for that yet

-I mean, yeah
-Do you know what I like about you being

-blind?
-What?

-You're not staring at my boobs
-Oh, well, that's true. That's true,

(Cat laughing)
I'm staring at- I'm staring at your mouth

(Cat, still laughing and stammering too)
I'm sorry

-I get nervous on dates, I'll admit
-Do you?

Yes, I'm a puss

Do you need to... see my face?

No, no it's ok
(Cat cackling)

-I never do that on the first date
-Good call

Yeah, it's a little- a little weird

(upbeat electronic music overlay)

I could look like a complete slob and
stuff this in my face

Do it. I won't tell

(stammering) Oh here we go. Do you need a-
Here's a spoon for you

Oh thank you

I'll just- I wont judge the slurping, I
promise

Aren't you supposed to slurp? Isn't that
supposed to be like a cultural thing that

-says that you enjoy the food
-I would assume there's some cultures that

do that

(Cat) I'm gonna try it

Let's assume it's this one

I want you to know I'm picking my teeth in
front of you and you can't tell

Ok. Go for it

(upbeat instrumental music overlay)

I could flash you and you wouldn't even
appreciate it

That's happened

-My buddy's girlfriend did that
-Yeah?

-And he got really mad at her
-I guess we're in a restaurant full of

-kids too so
-Yeah there are laws against that. So far

One last potsticker. It's in front of you.
You gotta eat it

You know, you could have told me that
there was none left and I would've totally

believed you

-There's one left, just for you
-Really?

-Yes
-Alright, I'll eat it

-Oh you're close, you're close
-I'm gonna- I'm doing it with my finger

-Feel for it
-I'm going all in

I might even double-dip

I believe in double-dipping anyways,
fuck it

(muffled) You do?

Well, I could totally double-dip with you,
you wouldn't even notice

Yes. (Cat laughs) You totally could

That would be so rude, and awesome, and
I'd probably do it

Well, it was really great meeting you here

Same here

I'd like to see you again, so maybe-
(laughs) Get it?

I put it in quotes, but you couldn't see
it

Ohh, yeah, I get it. Well, I'd have to ask
my wife... yeah, sorry

-Ok... Wow, get the fuck out of here, man
-Yeah

-Sorry
-(Stuttering) Hope you enjoyed your ramen

It was good. I'll buy dinner

I hope so, yeah. I was expecting you to-
What the hell

My dating partner was frickin blind

I thought Cat was great

I didn't know it was, like, literally a
blind date

She doesn't like spicy food, so that
might be a problem

I had a literal blind date

We kinda talked about the blindness thing
for a little while, you know, a little

too long

I wouldn't have gone to Ross last night
and bought this new outfit

Best advice I would give Cat is: "Ask if
they are married first"

How about you let someone know that you're
married before you go on a fuckin date

Yeah, I'd date her again if my wife was
cool with it

Would I date him again?

He seemed very nice and cordial and
respectful except for that lack of respect

for not telling me he was married

I did not even see that coming

(upbeat electronic music)

(Honks horns) Lift

Are you my Lift driver?

-Fucking hell
-(Chad) Cat?

Get in

(Chad) Ha alright
(Cat) Mm great

(Chad) Do you wanna meet my wife?

She cute? I like blondes

(Chad) She's not bad. Redhead

Mm, second choice

(Music fades)