"Mr. Owl, how many dates does it take...?"

So.  Having never really played the dating game myself, and after seeing lots of fast movers on tv, I started wondering what is the "norm" on how long the average American dates before sex?  Ya know, not counting 1-night-stand things, just people actually dating with long-term relationships in mind.  Googled some discussions about it.  Three dates seems to be the most common answer, followed by, "I don't really have a set rule, just whenever it feels right."  Sometimes in conjunction with, "3 dates seems reasonable though.  You can usually tell if the relationship is going somewhere by then."   ................  Ok, not that I want to pass judgement on anybody, but ARE YOU KIDDING ME???  How long is an average date?  Maybe 2-4 hours?  So, three dates, we'll go with the long date scenario here and say 4 hours each... basically people are saying 12 hours with somebody and they're ready to go?  That's all it takes?  That's not even a full DAY of hours!  Now, if it's a date that came out of a friendship, then that is different I think, since you already know the person and have a history, but, for example, people who hook up in bars?  Really?  In less than 24 hours of time spent together they're gonna go from, "Hi, my name is ____." to "How was it for you?"  ?  Am I just being a prude?  Having sex with somebody you just met after only 3 dates seems about as ridiculous to me as getting married after 3 dates.  Lots of people, especially men, were saying that if there was no sex after three dates they would end the relationship on the grounds that it wasn't going anywhere.  All I can say to that is thank goodness I found my man with lighting speed, cuz if I hadn't I apparently would have been dumped over and over and over and over again!  Not that, in all fairness, I didn't throw my morals and ideal of "wait till you're married" out the window pretty fast (although not 3 dates fast), but in my defense we had known each other a few years before we started officially dating.  If most people are following a 3 date time frame then how does half the country not have an STD?  They can't all be using protection, cuz there are a lotta babies being made out there.  (Yes, I understand sometimes people do use protection and still end up with babies.)  Maybe most people don't make it past a first date?  So maybe you have a year or two of one date people before you find one who actually is worth 3 dates?  Is that how it works?  Maybe you have several hours of phone conversation between dates, so that counts too?  Still seems kinda fast to me.  Kissing and petting, ok, but the whole 9 yards?  I mean, obviously people have the right to do what they want and what they think is right for them. I certainly don't mean to hurt anybody's feelings if they like to move fast.  Plus, like I said, I am not now nor have I ever been an experienced dater, so maybe I just don't know how it is, but as for me,  "Not I, said the Fly."  lol