ROANOKE TIMES

                         Roanoke Times
                 Copyright (c) 1995, Landmark Communications, Inc.

DATE: FRIDAY, September 23, 1994                   TAG: 9409240027
SECTION: EXTRA                    PAGE: 1   EDITION: METRO 
SOURCE: NANCY GLEINER
DATELINE:                                 LENGTH: Short


BIG NIGHT OUT?

What are you doing Saturday night?

Although 45 percent of Americans see Saturday night as their big night out, their activities are often a gamble gone wrong.

A survey by Home Box Office showed that 17 percent of the 1,010 respondents experienced their worst Saturday night at a party, 16 percent suffered at dinner. The blind date, always a crap shoot, was responsible for one in 10 ruined Saturday nights.

When asked about the worst thing a companion has ever done on an evening out, 19 percent said he or she had gotten sick and/or drunk (in that order?), 16 percent had a fight, and 14 percent were subjected to an egomaniac who talked about him- or herself all night long (very long).

Other Saturday night observations include:

One third of all women who had a bad experience blamed their companions; only 1 percent blamed a pet. (Fido wins again.)

More than 25 percent of 18- to 24-year-olds' worst nights out occurred at a party, one in six had their nights ruined by companions who made advances toward others or who disappeared during the night.

Almost a quarter of city dwellers had their evenings ruined by a stranger. (``Never, never make eye contact.'')

Among the worst things companions have done on a Saturday night out include not showing up, talking about an ex-, and the ultimate faux pas, dying.

Which probably proves HBO's point in doing this survey: Don't bother to go out; watch the movie they're showing. The worst thing your companion can do is fall asleep - or shut if off.



 by CNB