Faux- good answers ..
and i agree ,its likely the presumed amount of investment proceeding the date ..
now your baseline of 'distabnce 'vs 'expeactation"
is likely very normal , likely similar to my own ..
still others would easily be different and fly to another city if its only a 2 or 3 hour flight..
and think nothing of it .
as you mentioned you yourself have without even thoughts of a date.
my i would think nothing of a date in milwaulkee for example (2 hour drive)
,, it is still 'just lunch" i dont feel entitled to know if she might meet someone else tomorow for lunch

(as in your example to pacifica)
or if she drove her to meet me ,. i dont feel any entitlment to ask her if shes meeting soemone else in chicago..
in fact it would be a bit WEIRD to do so
i think we all ackhowledge that?
so exactly what distance does it so radically change from being weird to even ask,
to a "general" expectation that it somehow isnt "cool" or misleading ,even hurtful ...
if they meet someone else ?
if they fly home, and fly back in two days (or next week)
its ok? right?
but if they stay over and just met someone else , its generally not condsidred ok really..
I'm just asking / probing for answers .(not you personally its a general question)
i think you see my point though ,
it is *the parties involved * that change the dynamic.
the scenerio or act of travel ,the amount of phone time before hand really isnt
some 'investment" on either parties side that entitles them to anything more
form some other person they have met.. than any other scenario .
it seems to be common for many people to do ,.
i do agree it seems natural to do so..
hence the endless debates on it .
*******************************************************
I'll use pacifica as an example. (and try not to embarrass or offend

)
She's midwest.
I'm in Chicago. She calls with some interest to meet of some *profile*
we have a long talk ,seem to click and agree to meet for dinner ,why not?
if she's from chicago .who in thier right mind would be offended if she also had other palns on other days this week or weekend?
In fact it would be rude to mention ,or even ask about such a subject.
ok what if shes from indianapolis..(2 hour drive)
and just coming into town
(could be any number of reasons including visiting one person,two.or jusr spending the day downtown )
seriously , i cant imagine anyone would have the discourtesy of asking if she had *plans*
to meet anyone else . still not thier business and rude at that point .
certainly ok to ask if she had plans because youd like to meet a second time?
but not proper to ask anything further ..
now if she is st louis ,or detriot , its a 5 hour drive or 1 and a half flight..
most men with any iterst i nher after just the one phone cal woul sd stil meet her. ? right?
sorry , there is simply no more investment there !
(except on her part) so why would the men have any more expectation of her time than lunch or dinner / coffee? whatever was discussed on the phone?
so ok ,what if its no longer a midwest woman ,
and its someone flying in from NYC. does the dynamic change/
or from russia?
if there was still just the one call?
and she said shes coming to town ,, many men would still meet her for lunch.
but if they have 5 phone calls or 10 ,well then ..
its starts getting somehow invested?and the dynamic changes..
so the *line* between it is rude to even ask her about the topic ,
to expectation she wouldnt meet any one or she would be acting somehow rudely..
is in the pre date .. time spent in email or phone ...
that's a huge 180 degrees.. in shift?
and it's understandble on the surface ,
until you step back away from it ,and it seems humorous.