I think it may have been a deal-breaker for her past relationships, and she didn't want to invest time and energy into a relationship that wasn't going to work out?

I think it depends on how often you see each other.

Holy crap you're like my husband.

That, my friend, is most definitely infatuation.

"What's the worst that can happen, that she stops talking to me?"

Once could be forgiven as a misunderstanding, however, the letter-writer makes it clear that this is repeated behavior, to the point that she avoids certain social occasions just because he might be there.

No, in most cases you just move away so as not to offend them. Not even sure what point you're trying to make, because people don't say that.

"But then what gets really offensive is that when a guy just trying really hard to keep someone's attention and talk to them, they're painted as a devious predator. At best, this guy, apparently, is no better than a PUA. And still, it's somehow reasonable to suspect that this guy might be a rapist or murderer, even…

Body language is less confrontational. If they can pick it up, I don't have to say anything, and can also avoid embarrassing them in front of others. I'm not punishing them for not picking up the cues, it's just that if they don't pick them up and still continue the behavior, I have no other choice than confront them,…

While I know that they're out there, I actually have never met a single person who has no friends whatsoever. And I say this as someone who had like two friends total per grade in elementary school.

90% of the time it's pretty damn obvious to everyone else. Ask a friend. Hell, ask the person who told you, but politely.

It's not a double standard. I never said it was okay, just that it happened.

Well sounds like the people you're talking about have much deeper issues than that.

Because the friend zone is not a zone. It's a term used by people who don't give a shit about the actual friendship. The term in itself is, in essence, a complaint. It reeks of entitlement.

You say you'd get it, but my mother has insulted my friends right in front of me with a smile, talking crap about them in Chinese while making polite conversation in English, all in the same tone of voice. It's a generational thing; with people my age (20's) you'd probably be able to tell, but her generation, you…

You see what you're looking to see.

It's not like we go around being outraged. It's when people do shit like this that we turn around and go "Seriously? Seriously?"

Let's put it this way: the percentage of men who would do this is small. But the more men you meet, the higher the chance that you'll meet one of them.

This I think is precisely why it's so vital to call your friends out on any unacceptable behavior. It's not just for the safety of women (in this article's case) but also for your friend's own benefit.

I have no clue where you live that people put down Caucasians all the time... probably not in the States, then. If people *are* going around doing that all the time, the problem is just that you live with shitty people, and should probably consider relocating.