Who should plan date night in a relationship?
Guilty
The short answer
Date night should be planned in turns, so that neither partner becomes the event staff. Saying "surprise me" counts as passing, not planning.
The ruling
From the public record. Names are replaced with roles.
Small claims division
Case no.PC-2026-06042
The partner who planned the last nine v. The partner who says surprise me
Filed 10/19/2026
- Plaintiff
- The partner who planned the last nine
- Defendant
- The partner who says surprise me
Statement of claim
I have planned our last nine date nights. Every time I ask what he wants to do, he says surprise me. Then at dinner he says the place was a bit loud. The last one was a bit loud too, apparently.
Charge
Nine consecutive delegations of date night planning, each followed by a review
Judgment
Guilty
Partner found guilty of nine surprise-me date nights and a bit-loud review
Sentence
The defendant plans the next three date nights, books them himself, and does not describe any venue as a bit loud for the rest of the season.
How the court usually rules on this
The court expects couples to share the work of planning, not just the evening itself. A partner who always plans may ask the other to take a turn, and the court will order it. Saying you do not mind what you do is fine once, but not as a standing answer. Criticizing a plan you did not help make weighs heavily against the critic.
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