As promised, this is a write-up on a form of game I've been running for the past several months, with increasing success. It works well in warm-weather regions or, like now, during the summer months. Much of it is applicable across-the-board in day-game scenarios, but most pertinent in outside eating areas or cafe-seating right on the sidewalk. Though it resembles classic coffee-shop game, it's different in a variety of major ways.
Al-Fresco Sidewalk Game, Broken Down
1. Venue Selection.
Your first task, even before you start, is to find places in and around the neighborhood that meet the essential, general criteria. Logistics are everything. You want cool places that serve food and/or (non-alcoholic) drinks that have seating right on the sidewalk, on a street with good girl-traffic. Ideally, it won't be a place that's so crowded that people are invading your space or waiting for your table. You also don't want places where the eating area is barricaded from the sidewalk traffic. I tend to go with spots that aren't full-service restaurants for this reason. Non-chain, higher-end, semi-fast food type of places work best. If they have a tip jar in the front, you're probably hitting the right spot. Drop a buck or two while the guy is ringing you up and it will come back to you in the long run.
I know of a few places like this right in my neighborhood--which is ideal location-wise--so I make it a point not to burn-out any of them and start to get a reputation as a prowler. Places near your dwelling are worth their weight in gold, since you have the added dynamic of being able to pivot things to your man-cave (admittedly a rarer occurrence in day-game settings).
2. Determine a Location's Prime Days and Times.
In general, I avoid weekends and lunch time because they're too busy and fast-moving for me to be effective. Off-times, like between meals, and during the week are best.
3. Look Good, But Lounging.
You have to get the dress code just right. This isn't club night, so you don't want to overdo it on the style. At the same time, you don't want to come out in your mesh shorts and high-top Jordans. Depending on the weather, I usually rock a v-neck, jeans, and chill shoes with a hat and other accessories. I look relaxed and stylish, but like I'm minding my own business: probably the most important part of vibe. It you can pull off the linen pants, flip-flops, and woven hat, more power to you.
4. Bring Stuff to Do, Have Props.
You could just sit there and swoop chicks, but that predatory mindset isn't ideal with this method. I usually bring a little light work and/or something else to do. I tend to have a work-bag with me. Keep in mind, though, you won't get a lot of high-level work done. A laptop and book is the conservative--and my most common--approach. But I sometimes bring my instrument and sheet music and practice outside, which is more extreme, and sets up an entirely different vibe. The key is to make it clear that you're doing your own thing and that you're one interesting-ass cat. Random props won't hurt your case either, provided they're not too gratuitous or strange.
5. Eat/Drink Sensibly.
I usually do this as a late lunch, but however you do it, don't gobble down your food or chug your drink, so you look "done." The waitstaff might come and bus your table, making you look like a guy that's just freeloading the table. This takes a lot away from the natural look and feel of your presence there. Nibble your shit or deliberately leave some leftovers.
6. Mind Your Teeth.
Avoid ordering shit with pesto, poppy seeds, cilantro, or similar stuff in it because it will invariably end up lodged in your teeth and make you look ridiculous. That said, anything can end up in your teeth, so make sure to get a glass of water that you can subtly swish in your mouth when you see prospects coming. This is actually good policy whenever you're swooping chicks. I used to bring a pocket-sized mirror in my bag to handle these kinds of problem. I'm not kidding.
7. Sit at an Angle.
I always sit near-perpendicular to the table so I can watch both directions of traffic. You have to do this subtly, so it doesn't seem obvious that you're eagle-eyeing the street. Girls are intuitive as fuck about this kind of thing, so be very good about pretending to work or looking from the corners of your eyes while actually working.
8. Open Different Types of People.
Don't just cherry-pick the cute chicks that walk by. Talk to random strangers, since your loose, upbeat day-game vibe grows with every interaction. I sometimes take this to somewhat of an extreme, opening random old ladies who tend to stop and talk and put me in a good mood. When you do this, stopping a random chick will seem a lot more natural and comfortable. Your material will flow.
9. Have Lock-and-Loaded Openers.
Situational openers are ideal, but it's often difficult to come up with something in the tiny windows you have, so have a set of pre-fabs. Keep your openers simple, short, and open-ended--more than usual. This isn't your normal scenario. Your only goal here is to get her to stop for a few seconds so can quickly snare her into a comfort-building conversation. Your targets are literally moving, so you have an extremely short window in which to do your magic: basically from the point that she's within earshot (and not at an uncomfortable distance) to when she passes you. That's literally a couple of seconds, in most cases. I rotate my openers so the other patrons--if, unfortunately, there are others near you--don't think that I'm mechanically swooping and start working against you (I don't care if they know I'm swooping otherwise). Avoid saying things that are easy to ignore, like "nice bag" or other random compliments and observations. I'm not a big fan of "hi," because girls will just say "hi" back and keep walking. Instead ask harmless questions or literally point at her and say, "wait a second..." and add some comment.
Your line can--and probably should--be kind of weak and lame. Too polished and you can't get it off in time or you seem like a slickster--the kiss of death. To be honest, 50 percent of the time, I just take a stupid guess about where the girl is from. This works because all it takes is a word or two. I stopped the secret lolitas from the other day by merely saying, "Canadians?" and pointing at them.
10. You Will Be Ignored.
This goes without saying. Some girls will freak out and speed up, especially if your vibe is too try-hard and cat-caller-like. I've had others grin, like they knew I was hollering, but keep moving. Don't sweat non-stoppers. Like any kind of mass-approach technique, you're going to get non-participants and rejections. Resist the temptation to say something rude to girls that give you an unsavory face or weren't that hot to begin with and are acting like they are. Stay loose, go back to your work, and come back up in a few minutes.
11. When a Girl Stops, Spit Solid Follow-Up Game.
This approach is not good if you're not already a good talker or question-asker. When a girl stops, you have her attention for maybe another two seconds. The second line, even more than usual, is more important that the first. A good one of those buys you a couple more seconds. Abruptly segue from the opening topic to something more substantial to start a real conversation. If you do things correctly, your girl will unravel from one-word answers to longer and longer stints of talking.
Example:
Tuthmosis: "Canadian?" [while pointing]
Cute Girl: "No." [but slowing down]
Tuthmosis: "Are you sure? You definitely look Canadian?"
Cute Girl: "What makes you say 'I look' Canadian?" [somewhat incensed]
Tuthmosis: "If you're not Canadian, you're definitely from somewhere way up North."
Cute Girl: "I'm from here."
Tuthmosis: "Can I see your camera for a second? Don't worry I won't break it." [she has a nice, photographer-style thing]
Cute Girl: "Okay." [handing me the camera]
Tuthmosis: "Do know how to actually use this or are you one of those fake photographers I keep meeting?" [pushing buttons and examining the machinery]
Cute Girl: "Of course I do! I go to art school. Wait, why do I look Canadian?"
Bam. You got her for a little while now. Work your magic, player.
12. Leave a Chair Open, Pushed-Out Slightly.
I used to leave my bag and other junk on the other chair until I realized that an open chair, that's slightly ajar, is one of the most inviting things to a girl's ass. Not only that, it's a great diagnosis IOI. If/when she sits down, you know you're on the right track.
13. Aim to Break the 10-Minute Mark.
I remember Roosh saying somewhere that if you break a certain time-barrier in a day-game approach, a girl will talk to you indefinitely. That's absolutely been the case in my al-fresco scenarios. For me, that point seems to be around the 8- to 10-minute mark, though I'm never really looking at my watch, so it's hard to say. It's at that point that she either sits on her own or I invite her to "sit down for a couple of minutes before I have to get back to work."
14. Use Classic Game Techniques Like Time-Constraints, Pull-Aways.
See above. The more you draw her in, the more you should mention how you "should be working" or how "she interrupted your work." When you do it, do it playfully, and don't do it until you've gotten her to invest in you, by either sitting down or, even better, bouncing somewhere else with you (e.g., to a near-by store "to look around before you have to head back"). She's game if she's comes back with, "you're the one that stopped me." Just answer, "that's not how I remember it."
15. Use Your Laptop to Your Advantage.
Whenever I bring my laptop, I keep a funny (but short) clip or website loaded up in a tab (or downloaded on my machine, if there's no wi-fi). That way, you always have a fresh topic you can jump to in order to build more comfort, extend the conversation, and get to the magic 10-minute mark. "Oh, let me show this hilarious clip." Whether or not you use a clip, close the laptop lid at a certain point to subcommunicate that she might be succeeding in drawing your interest a little. Remember, this is day-game.
16. Be Fun and Silly.
This is a basic day-game principle, though it's a cornerstone of my personality and game 24/7. But, I can especially cut loose during the day. I look through their shopping bags ("let me see what you bought"), I tell obvious lies ("I own this building"), or offer her a bite of my sandwich or a sip of my drink. I'm surprised at the number of girls that participate in those exercises.
17. Play Into Deep-Seeded Girl-Fantasies.
At a certain point in the conversation, I start "anchoring" our rapport onto something more substantial. "It's so random to meet you like this" or, the little more risky, "you're weird...like me." Girls want to believe they can meet their prince charming on some random walk down the street and you're doing your part to plant the seed deep in her cerebral cortex with these insinuations.
18. Don't Overstay at a Venue.
I find that 45 minutes to an hour is the ideal time to stay at an al-fresco location. Anything less and you're not giving yourself time to do enough approaches or reach the critical mass. Anything more and you get tired, sloppy, or burn out the venue. Of course, there are no steadfast rules. If a place is dead, I roll to do other things sooner. Conversely, if things start picking up in the last 15 minutes, I hang a little longer.
19. Have Default, Harmless Excuses to Bounce to Your Place.
Even though this it will be rare in day-game scenarios, you can sometimes get a prospect to your place. This is why working the logistics in a way that your al-fresco venues are in your neighborhood is so important. (As is living in a happening neighborhood, another topic entirely.) A scenario that's worked for me is to propose "going to store together," but to "let me drop off this laptop at my apartment a block away. You'll have to wait outside." Then, naturally, I invite them in "for a minute." Everything is more gentle and delicate during the day, without alcohol and the cover of darkness. Game inside your pad accordingly.
20. Strong #close Is the Most Common Scenario.
Your most common closing scenario by far will be a warm-to-hot lead. The girl was probably headed somewhere in the first place or you smartly closed out the interaction before it went stale. As always, pre-set plans on the spot--if you can--and only get the number as a formality.
That's my take on Al-Fresco Sidewalk Game. Please feel free to give your input, criticism.
-Tuthmosis
Al-Fresco Sidewalk Game, Broken Down
1. Venue Selection.
Your first task, even before you start, is to find places in and around the neighborhood that meet the essential, general criteria. Logistics are everything. You want cool places that serve food and/or (non-alcoholic) drinks that have seating right on the sidewalk, on a street with good girl-traffic. Ideally, it won't be a place that's so crowded that people are invading your space or waiting for your table. You also don't want places where the eating area is barricaded from the sidewalk traffic. I tend to go with spots that aren't full-service restaurants for this reason. Non-chain, higher-end, semi-fast food type of places work best. If they have a tip jar in the front, you're probably hitting the right spot. Drop a buck or two while the guy is ringing you up and it will come back to you in the long run.
I know of a few places like this right in my neighborhood--which is ideal location-wise--so I make it a point not to burn-out any of them and start to get a reputation as a prowler. Places near your dwelling are worth their weight in gold, since you have the added dynamic of being able to pivot things to your man-cave (admittedly a rarer occurrence in day-game settings).
2. Determine a Location's Prime Days and Times.
In general, I avoid weekends and lunch time because they're too busy and fast-moving for me to be effective. Off-times, like between meals, and during the week are best.
3. Look Good, But Lounging.
You have to get the dress code just right. This isn't club night, so you don't want to overdo it on the style. At the same time, you don't want to come out in your mesh shorts and high-top Jordans. Depending on the weather, I usually rock a v-neck, jeans, and chill shoes with a hat and other accessories. I look relaxed and stylish, but like I'm minding my own business: probably the most important part of vibe. It you can pull off the linen pants, flip-flops, and woven hat, more power to you.
4. Bring Stuff to Do, Have Props.
You could just sit there and swoop chicks, but that predatory mindset isn't ideal with this method. I usually bring a little light work and/or something else to do. I tend to have a work-bag with me. Keep in mind, though, you won't get a lot of high-level work done. A laptop and book is the conservative--and my most common--approach. But I sometimes bring my instrument and sheet music and practice outside, which is more extreme, and sets up an entirely different vibe. The key is to make it clear that you're doing your own thing and that you're one interesting-ass cat. Random props won't hurt your case either, provided they're not too gratuitous or strange.
5. Eat/Drink Sensibly.
I usually do this as a late lunch, but however you do it, don't gobble down your food or chug your drink, so you look "done." The waitstaff might come and bus your table, making you look like a guy that's just freeloading the table. This takes a lot away from the natural look and feel of your presence there. Nibble your shit or deliberately leave some leftovers.
6. Mind Your Teeth.
Avoid ordering shit with pesto, poppy seeds, cilantro, or similar stuff in it because it will invariably end up lodged in your teeth and make you look ridiculous. That said, anything can end up in your teeth, so make sure to get a glass of water that you can subtly swish in your mouth when you see prospects coming. This is actually good policy whenever you're swooping chicks. I used to bring a pocket-sized mirror in my bag to handle these kinds of problem. I'm not kidding.
7. Sit at an Angle.
I always sit near-perpendicular to the table so I can watch both directions of traffic. You have to do this subtly, so it doesn't seem obvious that you're eagle-eyeing the street. Girls are intuitive as fuck about this kind of thing, so be very good about pretending to work or looking from the corners of your eyes while actually working.
8. Open Different Types of People.
Don't just cherry-pick the cute chicks that walk by. Talk to random strangers, since your loose, upbeat day-game vibe grows with every interaction. I sometimes take this to somewhat of an extreme, opening random old ladies who tend to stop and talk and put me in a good mood. When you do this, stopping a random chick will seem a lot more natural and comfortable. Your material will flow.
9. Have Lock-and-Loaded Openers.
Situational openers are ideal, but it's often difficult to come up with something in the tiny windows you have, so have a set of pre-fabs. Keep your openers simple, short, and open-ended--more than usual. This isn't your normal scenario. Your only goal here is to get her to stop for a few seconds so can quickly snare her into a comfort-building conversation. Your targets are literally moving, so you have an extremely short window in which to do your magic: basically from the point that she's within earshot (and not at an uncomfortable distance) to when she passes you. That's literally a couple of seconds, in most cases. I rotate my openers so the other patrons--if, unfortunately, there are others near you--don't think that I'm mechanically swooping and start working against you (I don't care if they know I'm swooping otherwise). Avoid saying things that are easy to ignore, like "nice bag" or other random compliments and observations. I'm not a big fan of "hi," because girls will just say "hi" back and keep walking. Instead ask harmless questions or literally point at her and say, "wait a second..." and add some comment.
Your line can--and probably should--be kind of weak and lame. Too polished and you can't get it off in time or you seem like a slickster--the kiss of death. To be honest, 50 percent of the time, I just take a stupid guess about where the girl is from. This works because all it takes is a word or two. I stopped the secret lolitas from the other day by merely saying, "Canadians?" and pointing at them.
10. You Will Be Ignored.
This goes without saying. Some girls will freak out and speed up, especially if your vibe is too try-hard and cat-caller-like. I've had others grin, like they knew I was hollering, but keep moving. Don't sweat non-stoppers. Like any kind of mass-approach technique, you're going to get non-participants and rejections. Resist the temptation to say something rude to girls that give you an unsavory face or weren't that hot to begin with and are acting like they are. Stay loose, go back to your work, and come back up in a few minutes.
11. When a Girl Stops, Spit Solid Follow-Up Game.
This approach is not good if you're not already a good talker or question-asker. When a girl stops, you have her attention for maybe another two seconds. The second line, even more than usual, is more important that the first. A good one of those buys you a couple more seconds. Abruptly segue from the opening topic to something more substantial to start a real conversation. If you do things correctly, your girl will unravel from one-word answers to longer and longer stints of talking.
Example:
Tuthmosis: "Canadian?" [while pointing]
Cute Girl: "No." [but slowing down]
Tuthmosis: "Are you sure? You definitely look Canadian?"
Cute Girl: "What makes you say 'I look' Canadian?" [somewhat incensed]
Tuthmosis: "If you're not Canadian, you're definitely from somewhere way up North."
Cute Girl: "I'm from here."
Tuthmosis: "Can I see your camera for a second? Don't worry I won't break it." [she has a nice, photographer-style thing]
Cute Girl: "Okay." [handing me the camera]
Tuthmosis: "Do know how to actually use this or are you one of those fake photographers I keep meeting?" [pushing buttons and examining the machinery]
Cute Girl: "Of course I do! I go to art school. Wait, why do I look Canadian?"
Bam. You got her for a little while now. Work your magic, player.
12. Leave a Chair Open, Pushed-Out Slightly.
I used to leave my bag and other junk on the other chair until I realized that an open chair, that's slightly ajar, is one of the most inviting things to a girl's ass. Not only that, it's a great diagnosis IOI. If/when she sits down, you know you're on the right track.
13. Aim to Break the 10-Minute Mark.
I remember Roosh saying somewhere that if you break a certain time-barrier in a day-game approach, a girl will talk to you indefinitely. That's absolutely been the case in my al-fresco scenarios. For me, that point seems to be around the 8- to 10-minute mark, though I'm never really looking at my watch, so it's hard to say. It's at that point that she either sits on her own or I invite her to "sit down for a couple of minutes before I have to get back to work."
14. Use Classic Game Techniques Like Time-Constraints, Pull-Aways.
See above. The more you draw her in, the more you should mention how you "should be working" or how "she interrupted your work." When you do it, do it playfully, and don't do it until you've gotten her to invest in you, by either sitting down or, even better, bouncing somewhere else with you (e.g., to a near-by store "to look around before you have to head back"). She's game if she's comes back with, "you're the one that stopped me." Just answer, "that's not how I remember it."
15. Use Your Laptop to Your Advantage.
Whenever I bring my laptop, I keep a funny (but short) clip or website loaded up in a tab (or downloaded on my machine, if there's no wi-fi). That way, you always have a fresh topic you can jump to in order to build more comfort, extend the conversation, and get to the magic 10-minute mark. "Oh, let me show this hilarious clip." Whether or not you use a clip, close the laptop lid at a certain point to subcommunicate that she might be succeeding in drawing your interest a little. Remember, this is day-game.
16. Be Fun and Silly.
This is a basic day-game principle, though it's a cornerstone of my personality and game 24/7. But, I can especially cut loose during the day. I look through their shopping bags ("let me see what you bought"), I tell obvious lies ("I own this building"), or offer her a bite of my sandwich or a sip of my drink. I'm surprised at the number of girls that participate in those exercises.
17. Play Into Deep-Seeded Girl-Fantasies.
At a certain point in the conversation, I start "anchoring" our rapport onto something more substantial. "It's so random to meet you like this" or, the little more risky, "you're weird...like me." Girls want to believe they can meet their prince charming on some random walk down the street and you're doing your part to plant the seed deep in her cerebral cortex with these insinuations.
18. Don't Overstay at a Venue.
I find that 45 minutes to an hour is the ideal time to stay at an al-fresco location. Anything less and you're not giving yourself time to do enough approaches or reach the critical mass. Anything more and you get tired, sloppy, or burn out the venue. Of course, there are no steadfast rules. If a place is dead, I roll to do other things sooner. Conversely, if things start picking up in the last 15 minutes, I hang a little longer.
19. Have Default, Harmless Excuses to Bounce to Your Place.
Even though this it will be rare in day-game scenarios, you can sometimes get a prospect to your place. This is why working the logistics in a way that your al-fresco venues are in your neighborhood is so important. (As is living in a happening neighborhood, another topic entirely.) A scenario that's worked for me is to propose "going to store together," but to "let me drop off this laptop at my apartment a block away. You'll have to wait outside." Then, naturally, I invite them in "for a minute." Everything is more gentle and delicate during the day, without alcohol and the cover of darkness. Game inside your pad accordingly.
20. Strong #close Is the Most Common Scenario.
Your most common closing scenario by far will be a warm-to-hot lead. The girl was probably headed somewhere in the first place or you smartly closed out the interaction before it went stale. As always, pre-set plans on the spot--if you can--and only get the number as a formality.
That's my take on Al-Fresco Sidewalk Game. Please feel free to give your input, criticism.
-Tuthmosis