This is a scary thought I had earlier... I feel my best either when I'm running ( or finished running ) or when I'm enjoying a beer. How can you even explain something like that to someone? So, now that I'm doing the "on-line dating" thing, if someone says they don't drink, I'm leery. Not that I'm an alcoholic, but when I really think about it, the two things I mentioned are when I seem to relax the most. So, this one guy who is interested in me, on his profile, he listed "no" to drinking. Most people have "socially" as an answer. Everthing else on his profile seems good, but in light of that answer, I don't even know if I'm going to respond to him. That's sad, isn't it?

I would assume that someone who says no completely to drinking is either A. a recovering alcoholic or B. religious fundy. In either case I'm thinking I'd have a hard time being involved with that person.

I think this is spot-on. And I also don't think it's sad that you're considering not answering. I jokingly say that I don't trust people that don't drink or swear. The truth is, it's not that I don't trust them, it's just that I can't hang with them. Because I enjoy drinking and swearing so fucking much. If everything else matches really well, it might be worth checking out, or at least inquiring as to why the "no" answer. You never know, maybe he just doesn't care to drink much, or drinks rarely enough to call it a no. Though if I had to bet, I'd guess something along the lines of ZZ's A or B.

I think this is spot-on. And I also don't think it's sad that you're considering not answering. I jokingly say that I don't trust people that don't drink or swear. The truth is, it's not that I don't trust them, it's just that I can't hang with them. Because I enjoy drinking and swearing so fucking much. If everything else matches really well, it might be worth checking out, or at least inquiring as to why the "no" answer. You never know, maybe he just doesn't care to drink much, or drinks rarely enough to call it a no. Though if I had to bet, I'd guess something along the lines of ZZ's A or B.

Here, here! A toast to the swearing drinkers!!!!

Here, here! A toast to the swearing drinkers!!!!

Fuck, yeah!

I agree with Squeaky, someone that puts NO to drinking knows the connotation they are implying. If someone was fine with you drinking (even if they didn't drink themselves) they would put social. I am basing this on nothing but my opinion.

For me, drinking is an activity, like running. I don't drink to get drunk, actually the opposite -- rather I enjoy finding new and interesting places to have a drink or new types of beers, new sights and sounds, exploring the differences in regions and people and stuff like that. Rather than seeking out the comfort of a predictable experience, I get different and unexpected. (For example, I was in a place last summer in an old mill town in MA having dinner & drinks before an outdoor concert. In came a wedding party and the bride goes behind the bar to pull a pint for the groom. Turns out they met in this place. Well, they turned the place into a rollicking party for all of us. We had blast dancing, toasting, chatting with them.) If someone listed "no" to drinking in their profile, even if they are tolerant of their partner / friends being social drinkers, then right away I know that we can't share that activity. It creates distance.

I would assume that someone who says no completely to drinking is either A. a recovering alcoholic or B. religious fundy. In either case I'm thinking I'd have a hard time being involved with that person. In case of A. I'd be afraid to enjoy a beer or glass of wine for risk of tempting them off the wagon and in case of B...well, I married a liberal atheist if that says anything about my taste in guys.

Or C - A great Designated Driver

I guess it depends on how the question was worded. Was it that they don't drink or something along the lines of they refuse to date someone who drinks. If it were me I'd probably reply and ask to clarify the "no" before writing them off.