A guy invited me to be friends on a social networking site after seeing me on a mutual friend’s list. We attended an event (promoted on this same site) and met for the first time there. Following this, he contacted me the next day on the site and suggested we meet again, which we did over a drink a few days later. All good so far. We had fun, and I enjoyed his company. Within hours of this, he sent me a text saying how much fun he had, and that he would like to see me again.

Over the next week we communicated via the site, and we organized to attend an opening night of a film together. We then organized to meet in a nearby bar an hour before the event. On the night, I was running late by about about 10 minutes, so sent a text message to let him know. I went to the event on my own, and nearly after an hour after I had texted him I received a text back, “Sorry, I have a sick teenager at home and I’m not feeling well myself.” I did not respond to this text.

He is still on my friend list. If I delete him from it, I feel it would look like I cared, so I have just let him sit there. Some dating advice experts suggests to set your boundaries with men who behave like this, but I look at it that I am in my late 40′s and he is early 50′s, and if he doesn’t realise this is unacceptable behavior, it is not up to me to try and educate him. But what to do about him being on my friend list? To delete or leave him sitting there? No reply back.

You're right. His behavior is completely unacceptable (and rather sad, too). (If his kid had been rushed to the hospital, and he'd followed up with a call offering to pay for the tickets and make things up to you with dinner, I'd say, “Hey, give the guy a break.”) I don't think it matters whether you keep him on your friend list or not. Why risk being forced to read what books he's reading or having to endure updates on his recent trip to the aquarium?)