Can I buy you a drink?

A fairly common dating ritual is for a man to offer to buy a woman a drink when they're out at a bar.

For men, it can serve as an ice breaker to open up conversation with a lady, and for women, the gesture can let them know which men might be into them that night.

All too often, though, I think this leads to one person taking advantage of the other one. I have been in several situations in which women have accepted multiple drinks from guys and chatted them up even though they had no interest in the man whatsoever. They just wanted the free drinks. Then, at the end of the night, or when they got tired of the guy, they split, leaving the guy with nothing more than a lighter wallet.

Other ladies expect a men to buy them drinks and won't even consider them if they don't.

Occasionally, a man may try to take advantage of a woman as well, possibly by slipping something in her drink or by convincing her that she owes him something for the free drinks.

It's enough to make me want to avoid the whole drink thing altogether.

Ladies: Do you expect men to buy you drinks? What does it say to you about a man who offers (or does not offer a drink)? Have you ever chatted up a guy, even though you weren't interested, just so he would buy you a drink?

Men: Do you feel you have to buy women drinks to get their interest? Do you offer drinks to women, no strings attached, or do you usually expect something in return?