It’s not a rare occurrence to see three people hanging out — one of which, if you pay close attention, would be considered the third wheel. According to my guy friends, the correct terminology for this individual is “the cockblocker.”
I personally have no issue with being a third wheel (if I’m invited). I am also open to inviting friends to come hang with me and my guy, but it becomes a tricky situation when you feel the “tag along” friend is ruining your alone time.
Of course you don’t want to hurt your friend’s feelings, but you do need to address the situation if it bothers you or starts to ruin your relationship. Here are some tips on how to deal with this situation.
DON’T FEEL GUILTY- Think about it, you might have known your best friend since childhood. He or she should know you well enough to realize that you would do the same for them. But I will warn you if your relationships doesn’t last longer than a week. Your friend may have something to gripe about. What does that say about you if you're willing to treat someone you just met five minutes ago better than your best friend? It makes you look like a disloyal friend.
CREATE A CODE- Being friends with someone for a long time gives you the advantage of easy and effortless communication. As friends, you should come up with a secret code that lets the other friend know it’s time to go. My friend and I used this one – feel free to borrow — We would use the guys last name in a sentence twice and that would be the clue that we needed some time alone.
MAKE SURE IT’S UNINTENTIONAL- It may be hard to believe, but some friends want you all to themselves. They may have grown accustomed to it just being you and them and now the new guy or gal is taking up all of your time. If you do discover that the blocking behavior is intentional confront your friend, let them know you will always be there for them, and make time to have solo bonding without the new boyfriend.
