So here they all were at The Pressroom this week, sneaking glances at each other as they waited to file in the back room of the city restaurant, sit down at tables and talk to a dozen, available members of the opposite sex -- for precisely six minutes each.

Welcome to speed dating, the latest twist on the singles scene.

"It's quick,'' said Stacy, 30, of Lancaster, who declined to give her last name. "There's really no pressure.''

Hosted by companies including HurryDate, QuikDatz, 8minuteDating or even 3MinuteDating, and featured on "The Oprah Winfrey Show'' and the "Today'' show, the events give singles a quick way to meet lots of different people in a controlled environment.

At Lancaster's event, each person got a name tag, with their first name and a number printed on it, and a blue sheet of paper. On the sheet, they could fill in the names of people they met next to the person's name tag number, and then either circle yes or no for a "match,'' or for a "friend//business.''

Armed with a stop watch, Jaynie Beard, the event coordinator, started the session. Six minutes later, she got up and jingled a bell and everyone switched partners.

"It's kind of like interviewing people to see if you want to go on a date,'' said Beard, a Harrisburg resident who is single herself, "rather than go on a blind date, which is torturous. It's very low-risk.''

After the program, if two people both picked each other in a category, the service provided each with the other person's e-mail address or telephone number, so the pair can make arrangements to get together.

The local program was hosted by a Florida-based company called Pre-Dating Events. It offered two sessions for "single professionals,'' either ages 29 to 39 or ages 39 to 49. Cost was $29 for the evening.

The concept of speed dating is usually credited to Rabbi Yaacov Deyo, who began the round-robin technique at a Jewish community center in Los Angeles about five years ago. The format quickly spread to other cities and companies began arranging the meets.

Many companies, including Pre-Dating, even provide specialized events for people with common interests or backgrounds, such as singles with no children, athletic singles, Jewish singles, African-American singles or even younger men with older women or older men with younger women.

Beard said this was only the second Pre-Dating event in Lancaster. She's still assembling her database of singles -- she has about 500 signed up in Dauphin and surrounding counties -- but hopes to arrange a Christian singles event at a church in the area.

Gathered at the tables for the single professionals event in Lancaster were a school psychologist, an engineer, a physician, an insurance salesperson, a desktop publisher, a social worker and others.

Most were dressed impeccably. Some were very, very nervous. None wanted to give a reporter his or her last name.

Mike, 31, of Lancaster said he tried to prepare himself for the evening.

"I'm very quiet,'' he said. "I have some, not lines, but I do have some questions I want to ask people: What was your favorite vacation? What was your happiest moment when you were a child?''

Mike swallowed and grinned.

"I do have trouble initiating a conversation. That's why I think this will be easier. I know she'll be there and I won't have to initiate the conversation.''

Carl, 42, came from Mechanicsburg in Cumberland County for the Lancaster event. James, 46, came all the way from East Berlin in Adams County.

"It's a nice way to meet people quickly,'' James said, "without getting past the hesitation of what do you say to people you've never met in your life. It's just six minutes. You get to meet people and see if you have any mutual interests.''

James marked down three potential matches after his session. He has attended other sessions and, in fact, has an upcoming date with a woman he met through Pre-Dating.

"We're going to the Outback,'' he said. "I'm going to meet her there for dinner. We'll see what happens. If we hit it off, maybe we'll go to a movie or to a club. ... It's a way to meet people. We could be friends.''

The company says about two-thirds of its clients get at least one match during an event, with some getting multiple matches.

One Lancaster County woman said she was curious about speed dating, after hearing about it from a friend.

"I thought I'd give it a try,'' she said. "It felt very awkward, especially coming in. It's not for me. This was my first and last time. Some people were so serious! I'm joking around and they're going, "Do you smoke?' It was very intense. I guess I'm not out to find a husband.''

But Stacy, the Lancaster resident, said the event went well and she would recommend the program to others.

"I'm not a real outgoing, go-to-the-bars kind of person,'' she said. "It's difficult to find a nice place to meet people. I always thought I'd go to college, get my job and then I'd be ready to date and be married. It's hard to meet people in social settings.''

She said she might even try speed dating again.

"I don't have anything to lose,'' she said.


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