Sex in the ATX

Sex in the ATX: Is Tinder just dating without pants?

Austin is a Tinder-loving playground.

Tinder/Facebook

Hi, I’m Sam. A female Sam, to be clear. I’m a single, 26-year-old writer with a slight sarcasm problem and what some might consider commitment issues (I’m just picky, okay?), and I’m here to discuss dating and sex in the ATX. Now, since I’m single — and pretty okay with that — this column obviously isn’t going to be all rainbows and butterflies and chocolate-covered orgasms.

But before you jump to the conclusion that I’m a total cynic, allow me to correct you: I’m only, like, 92 percent cynical. The other 8 percent is still a tiny bit convinced that one day a guy is going to show up on my lawn with a boombox and declare his undying love and affection. Except I don’t have a lawn and it would probably be an iPhone. Also, I think that fantasy may be a rip-off of Say Anything. I digress.

Despite the fact that I’m not exactly a hopeless romantic, when it comes to the quantity and quality of dateable dudes in Austin, I actually have nothing to complain about. I know from experience that there are a lot of great guys in this city. In fact, I’ve gone out with plenty of them, and even have several saved in my phone right now under affectionate monikers like “Man Bun,” “Andrew — ACL” and “Guy Who Peed In My Bed.” (That’s a different story for a different column ... or never.)

I’m also not going to bitch and moan about how difficult it is to meet men, because that’s not a problem these days either. Back in the day, if you wanted to score a date, you had no choice but to go out in public, summon some courage (usually of the liquid variety) and actually talk to people, a process requiring effort, social skills and pants.

But today, pants are no longer necessary, and any introverted homebody with a smartphone and decent cell service has a fighting chance thanks to everyone’s favorite dating/hook-up/thumb-exercising tool: Tinder.

The addictive app’s co-founder and CEO told Forbes in October that users swipe through 1.2 billion profiles every day, accounting for 15 million matches. Now, I’m no mathematician, but I’m willing to wager that when it comes to meeting people, those stats render Tinder slightly more effective than methods I’ve previously used. (One such "method" I use is drinking wine and loitering in the fruits and veggies section at Whole Foods, squeezing provocatively shaped produce while making prolonged, admittedly creepy eye contact with strangers before sobering up and slinking off to the organic soap aisle to reevaluate my life.)

Between its effectiveness and the minimal effort required, Tinder’s popularity makes perfect sense. Instead of spending your Tuesday evening perched on a bar stool trying to look seductive while sipping well vodka (cheap vodka is all you can afford when you have to do this every night so you don't die alone), you can relax in the comfort of your own home, eat a Hot Pocket in your underwear, and scroll through potential suitors while making connections in the most rejection-proof way possible.

I’ve been using the app for a little over a year and, aside from one or two weird encounters, I’ve generally had pretty good experiences with some ending with awkward, ass-out hugs and others resulting in awesome sex.

That said, while initiating contact and securing a companion for the evening is easy (thanks, technology!), Tinder can only take you so far, and when it comes to converting a simple “match” into a real relationship in this city ... well, that’s a different story. You see, Austin is basically a playground for young adults, but instead of monkey bars, there are, um, bars. Bars filled with ridiculous amounts of ridiculously attractive people. (And on this playground, no one is worried about cooties.) With so many options available both on and offline it’s not surprising that, for many, the concept of monogamy simply isn’t that appealing.

And understandably so. After all, why put in work when it’s so easy to play?

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San Antonio leads Texas on ending horse-drawn carriage rides by 2030

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Horses will no longer pull carriages on the streets of downtown San Antonio.

San Antonio has pulled off something that the rest of Texas has yet to do, but it didn't come without some contentious conversations. City Council has unanimously voted (with one abstention) to phase out the use of horse-drawn carriages over the next five years. That means by January 1, 2030, there will be none on the streets at all; instead, there will be electric carriages.

These plans have been in the making since 2022 — if not always at the same level of intensity — when District 2 Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez and District 3 Councilmember Phyllis Viagran wrote up some concerns about the horses' wellbeing. A special session at the end of October 2024 hinted to San Antonians that the end for this practice was neigh — sorry, nigh — and the final vote was made on December 12. In addition to accepting the plan, it extended its timeframe by two years.

The initial proposal included worries about the horses' exposure to traffic and pollution, as well how their presence might exacerbate those issues for the environment at large by slowing traffic. It also raised concerns about the effects of standing or walking on hard surfaces for too long, or spending time in extreme weather.

At the December 12 meeting, San Antonians gave impassioned speeches about animal welfare — both to call attention to the need for better conditions and to defend the reputations and jobs of current horse drivers — but it wasn't the first time the council heard from the public about the issue.

In a prior city survey, 50,476 respondents weighed in. Of those respondents, 51.98 percent said they liked the idea to "Transition horse-drawn carriages to electric carriages and pedicabs and ban horse drawn carriages completely." There were alternative solutions listed, but respondents were less drawn to them.

A cultural divide emerged in the data and continued in the December meeting: some people avoided the carriages because they worried about the treatment of the horses, while others enjoyed them because of their historical echoes and living legacy. Many speakers in favor of the plan used this to form their argument, raising questions about history versus progress.

More tangible objections to the plan hinged on the businesses — specifically five companies — and jobs that would be lost, which was the main factor behind extending the adjustment period.

Discussions about the particulars of the electric vehicles are still to come, as confirmed in the discussion near the end of the meeting. Councilmember Jalen McKee-Rodriguez addressed concerns about what would happen to the horses, mentioning the Brady Hunter Foundation as a future partner in finding them rescue homes.

Some council members also brought up rhetorical questions about animal exploitation by groups like Sea World, the San Antonio Stock Show & Rodeo, military and police forces, and even various groups in the Fiesta parade, although these did not come with a formal motion to pick the issues up.

This decision could have a ripple effect on other Texas cities. Dallas has recently considered a similar ban, but it appears to have stalled; Austin's attempts at a ban have been unsuccessful, but according to the Austin-American Statesman, only one operator is permitted to bring horses downtown. She declines to do so because the long hours are unfair to her and the horses. Houston does have horse-drawn carriages, and there seems to be little conversation about banning them.

Cities like Chicago and Salt Lake City have led the charge in the United States with some of the most prominent successful bans. Other cities around the world with bans include Brussels and Guadalajara, which both switched to electric models. Bans that have been around for years, like Guadalajara's and Prague's, still aren't out of the woods — people are still pushing back on the decision, so it sounds like San Antonio still has much work cut out for it.

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