Dating service asks singles to wear badge identifying them as one

Melbourne, Apr 2 (ANI): A new dating service has asked singles to wear an identification badge stating their status.

Evan Diacopolous, 35, founded 'Yes I Am Single', a service that allows those looking for love to purchase a "singles identification badge" to let potential partners know they're available and ready to mingle.

Diacopolous says that the badge, which has yis.com.au on it, - is a "subtle and unobtrusive tool" that will hopefully encourage other singles to make a move.

"It's a sign saying, 'Hey I'm single, I'm looking for romance, don't be afraid to come up and talk to me,' because the most attractive, gorgeous person could be single, and someone might be too scared to actually talk to them," News.com.au quoted him as saying.

"This is a prompt for someone to pluck up the courage to approach them for a drink," he said.

For a cost of 22.95 dollars singles get the badge plus access to online forums to join hobby groups, and organise social events like wine tasting or walking groups with other yis.com.au members.

"Lots of my friends are disgruntled with online dating. I've actually tried online dating myself and have found it quite expensive," he said.

"Expectations are built up and up through a series of emails and photographs that might be ten years old, and then they meet someone in real life to find out they're not what they envisaged. It can be all very anti-climactic, so I wanted to produce something that would allow people to meet the old-fashioned way," he stated.

He said that people were often looked for partners in the wrong places, and that a bar was not one of the best environments.

"Potentially on the train, going to work, everyone's pretty glum in the mornings. I think they're probably waiting for someone to cheer up their day! Perhaps in the supermarket as well, at the beach, at church, on the ferry?" he said.

"The idea is that people can wear the badge at appropriate times to identify themselves as single. As the mood strikes them, they can take the badge on and off, say for 10 minutes when they go down to the supermarket," he added. (ANI)