Guys...why do you feel the need to ask the girls' friend if she has a bf or for her number?

You make excellent points in your question, which I agree with wholeheartedly. The guy is demeaning the girl he is asking the question of, and yes the whole safety issue is paramount.

Any guy worth his salt needs to do his own fronting up to the object of his desire, and then its up to that girl to decide what information she wants to give out.

Here's the simple solution, tell your female friend to stop flirting with guys around you, then you will not feel effected by her actions.

It's not the mans fault, that she invites men to have an interest in her, she opens the door to it. So pay her back, just out her number to them, and she will stop this behavior. It's all her doing.

Yes guys are going to ask you about her, nothing changes, if they learned this in grammar school and you did it to, what makes you think this ever changes, it's not rude. It's what they were taught to do, just like you. If you had an interest in some guy you would have your friend, who's not shy ask for you.

Even in the business world, this still go's on today. I'm talking about big corporate world, shell oil company, etc.

This is a perfect way to separate the men from the boys.

Men for the most part are kind of awkward, dumb, scared and immature.

So it was developed certain yardsticks to help women weed out the knuckleheads. Your point is one of them.

Unless the guy is hung like a horse - discard of him promptly and move on.

BUT - you also need to address your over friendly girlfriend.

She is obviously a little immature herself. Her flirtatious behavior is getting you into the jams you so state. Have a word with her and address her behavior. If she is too good of a friend to risk the debate then do not hang out ith her when she is in heat.

We ask about the bf so we know if we are wasting her and our time. She might also not be honest with us as we are the ones hitting on her and buying her drinks. Believe it or not some women will say "no bf" so they can drink for free. The asking you for her # thought that is way wrong. If I don't have the jimmies to ask, how will I ever be able to run with a girl like that! So in closing asking you about the boyfriend is or should be OK, asking you her #, wrong. And yes guys do that for each other, we have to, we are buds.

I agree with you and that is the same advice I give to my daughter, not that she's old enough to date yet, but if a guy doesn't have the cojones to talk to a gal he likes what else can't he deal with. But, here is where your attitude comes in, if you are harsh with your reply guys will get gun shy. So like Bill and Ted says "Be Excellent to each other"

Simple, the male ego has a fear of rejection. Indirect contact lessens that fear, so if your friend sayd she does have BF or something, its not as insulting to the ego. Its a guy thing, not all guys, but some of them. Theres also a lack of confidence there to that influences this behavior

I have never done that and never heard of anyone doing that. Must be a local custom.