I asked a girl out, once, and she said yes, then I never heard from her or saw her again. I can't read people worth a damn, so that basically taught me to stop trying.

That's the wrong lesson to take from it.

That is just rude. See Mattm

Rule 1: Be attractive; Rule 2: Don't be unattractive.

Not really an objective standard.

That depends on your target market demographic and size, certainly enough to be statistically relevant.

This is pretty non-standard. However, if it wasn't a deliberate joke on her part (maybe she wasn't interested in a coffee, but saw this as a chance to do something someone would never forget), her behavior suggests that she may have been more nervous than you. A more painful outcome could be, for example, if she laughed at you and then walked away indignantly.

Look at it his way: it can't get any worse[1], so you've nothing to lose the next time opportunity presents itself.

1. Probably

Well the same thing could happen again. I'm imagining that it wasn't particularly pleasant the first time, and just because it (probably) can't get worse, doesn't mean the same outcome won't hurt less. So it seems that one thing he has to lose is some amount of happiness (at least in the short term).

That being said, go get 'em, it probably won't happen again :)

Pepper spray and then run off.

> I had to append my list of worst outcomes.

This sentence you just wrote should make it very clear why she ran away from you....