There are so many fears as a woman dating, and the biggest one is being in danger when you meet a man for the first time. You’ve spent all this time chatting to them online, but now it’s time to put a real face to the name.
This is where things can get scary. There are plenty of horror stories of women who meet men from online dating.
Sure, there are some great stories as well, but the negatives will always stand out. As a woman who has been on both good and absolutely disastrous dates, there is one safety tip that I always recommend.
You want that first date to be as public as possible. Don’t meet someone at their own house, and don’t arrange to meet at your house, either.
First, when you meet at their house, you’re putting yourself in a completely unknown situation where they have all the power. Second, when inviting them to your place, they now know where you live, and that can put you in danger.
So, always make the first date in a public place that is both busy and well-lit.
It’s why I like restaurants for the first date. Not to make them pay for dinner — I never expect that — but to make sure there are plenty of people around if there is a scary situation.
No, this doesn’t prevent problems. We’ve seen the dates that have happened online. It just helps to reduce the safety risk.
I also never let a guy walk me back to my car when I’m leaving the restaurant, especially if I’ve had a bad vibe from them all night. Again, I just want safety. I don’t want them knowing what I drive or what my license plate is.
I once had a guy offer to buy coffee and meet for a walk around a park. That sounded like a great idea at first. It was the weekend, and the park was busy with children.
Then I saw how far the park stretched. It was actually like a mini wood with some beautiful walking trails. With the kids, this would have been heaven. However, with someone I’d only just met, I wasn’t willing to venture too far into these wooded areas.
I set a new rule that if I was going to meet someone for coffee, it was going to be at a coffee shop. That’s a public place like a restaurant.
I always tell someone where I’m going, and there is always a code word for when I am home safe, so they know it’s me. I’ll get to that in a post next week!
What No. 1 rule do you have when it comes to dating? Let me know in the comments.
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