In the never-ending quest to find a romantic partner, otherwise amicable singles find themselves easily lured into awkward situations with a perfect stranger. Thus, our experiment was born.

In the interest of public discourse (and a little for our amusement), Jayplay wanted to see if two people could overcome typical first-date obstacles and form a love connection under the oddest of circumstances.

Our participants were Sage Warren, Topeka junior, and Brandon Lundgren, Virginia Beach, Va., senior. The date: a bus tour around Lawrence, care of the Lawrence transit system, the “T.”

6:35 p.m., bus stop, Ninth and Massachusetts Streets

Warren and Lundgren are sitting close on a rain-soaked park bench. They briefly discuss course schedules, favorite classes and hometowns, at which point there is an awkward silence.

A husky man with thinning hair and holding a white plastic shopping bag approaches and takes a seat on an adjacent bench. He stares at the couple confusedly for a few minutes, then gets up and walks away.

6:41 p.m. Bus arrives

The bus pulls to a screeching halt nearly a half-block past its stop. Warren and Lundgren look at one another fearfully.

Walking toward the bus, Lundgren comments that this is the cheapest date he’s ever been on, garnering a giggle from Warren. They board the bus and find that they’re the only passengers. They look at one another and laugh again before taking a seat on a blue bench near the middle.

6:50 p.m., Sixth and Maine Streets

Twenty minutes of first-date questioning has revealed that Warren’s 21st birthday is in a few days, quickly shifting the conversation toward birthday activities and weekend plans. Lundgren recalls a mishap that occurred at a recent party he attended (apparently keg taps are trickier to operate while inebriated).

Flirtation has begun. Warren plays with her curly brown hair. She pulls her right leg up and into the seat just millimeters away from Lundgren’s leg; he doesn’t appear to mind.

When asked if many couples hold dates on his bus, driver Jay Herman says, “I’ve never seen this before. If I asked a girl out, I’m not sure I’d want to spend too much time on a bus.”

7:05 p.m. Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center

The halfway point. The driver pulls into a large cul-de-sac in front of the Lawrence Indoor Aquatic Center, puts the bus in idle and opens the doors. Without a word, he steps off the bus, walks toward the center’s entrance and disappears inside.

Lundgren jokes about attempting to “steal” the bus while the driver is away. Warren laughs at his joke. She has turned her body almost completely around to face Lundgren and their bodies are drawing increasingly closer together. In an unspoken gesture of mutual admiration, the legs of Warren and Lundgren are now touching.

After five minutes, the bus driver reappears and the bus continues on its scheduled course.

7:15 p.m., Sixth and Kasold Streets

Warren asks Lundgren several questions about his involvement in R.O.T.C., to which he responds. Talk of a second date begin as the couple discusses their plans for the rest of the evening.

A young woman in a black AC/DC sweatshirt and ripped jeans boards the bus and sits across from the couple. When asked if she would ever consider going on a bus date, Lawrence resident Ashley Flint says, “I’d say sure if a guy asked me. It might be kind of funny because there are a lot of weird people that ride the bus.”

7:20 p.m., bus stop, Ninth and Massachusetts Streets

The couple stands up and Lundgren waves Warren ahead to exit the bus first. They stand together at the bus stop for a few minutes, before deciding to go elsewhere for drinks.

Warren and Lundgren walk for several blocks together until they disappear into a nearby coffee shop.

THE VERDICT

So, what did our daters think about riding the bus on a first date:

Sage Warren: “I thought the bus idea was great because you don’t have anything else going on except you and him. There’s nothing to distract you and it’s cheap; you can’t beat that.”

Brandon Lundgren: “Honestly, I would never do this again. It takes away from the control factor. Maybe it’s a guy thing, but I like to have control of going from point A to point B, not having to wait around for the bus.”

And what about the person they were set up with:

Sage Warren: “He was a really nice guy, definitely good-looking. He’s not necessarily the type of guy I go for, but I would go out on a date with him again if he asked me.”

Brandon Lundgren: “I think there’s potential for us to go out on a date again. I thought she was very interesting and a very nice girl, but maybe dinner would have been better.