I spent some time talking up strangers on the streets of Columbia to see what their worst Valentine’s Day experience was. Below are the best of the best:

Connor, 23: “I planned a special evening for my girlfriend and I last Valentine’s Day. We’d been dating for about two and a half years but decided to do something different. We got each other gifts and I got her a beautiful necklace from Kay. What did she get me? A cookie cake. Um … awkward.”

Dave, 27: “My girlfriend dumped me. That sucked.”

Kevin, 21: “I had a romantic dinner planned for my girlfriend and I at a fancy restaurant. Turns out, I forgot my wallet and didn’t realize it until the end of the date. My girlfriend had to pay for both of our meals. I told her I would pay her back, but still, it was mortifying.”

Max, 35: “I had the flu on Valentine’s Day. My girlfriend came over to take care of me, and then she caught it too. My bad.”

Alex, 20: “My girlfriend got me a razor for Valentine’s Day. She said it was because I always talked about the upkeep of my beard and she thought I needed it. I didn’t need it, and I was offended, actually.”

Austin, 19: “I’m single. Always have been. Never had a Valentine’s.”

Greg, 29: “I got my girlfriend a mermaid necklace on Amazon for Valentine’s Day. She didn’t seem too happy about it, but she told me she liked mermaids, so how was I supposed to know?”

Michael, 37: “I told my date I would get her a bouquet of flowers for Valentine’s Day, you know, because I’m romantic and all. However, when I went to the store, they didn’t have any bouquets left so I had to settle for a single rose. When I handed her the rose, she seemed unimpressed. It wasn’t until then that I realized I forgot to remove the price tag that said 99 cents on it. So much for being romantic.”