How to Stay Safe with Online Dating
While online dating is an excellent way to meet new people, you do need to make sure you stay safe – particularly because you will be meeting someone who is essentially a stranger, and you’ll be meeting up with them alone. There’s no need to worry unduly about risk, but you do need to take a few precautions; most of them, thankfully, are simple common sense. We’ve outlined the basic precautions you should pay heed to here, but with this as with all things it’s important to follow your instinct.
Meet In Public
It’s definitely best to make sure that you organise your first date in a public place, even if you hit it off with them and want to go somewhere a little more private afterwards. Cafes, pubs and restaurants are all good choices – but really you just want to be somewhere you’ll know there will be plenty of other people around. Keep a close eye on your drink, and follow your instincts. If you feel a bit wrong about someone, don’t go anywhere private with them.
Tell Someone Where You Are At All Times
Make sure that there’s someone – a friend or relative – who knows where you’re going and who you’re meeting up with, has an idea of when you’ll be back, and has a mobile number for you so they can get in touch. If you change locations, drop them a text so they know where you’re going on to. This might seem a little like overkill, but it’s important to be careful and to know that if you don’t get back someone will be able to look out for you. Just don’t forget to let them know when you’re home safe so they don’t worry!
Make Sure You Can Always Get Home
Don’t put yourself in the position of being reliant on your date for a lift home; make sure that you’re in easy reach of public transport, have your own car with you or have kept back enough money to get a taxi home. This way, if you’re feeling uncomfortable or unhappy with how things are going you’ll have the power to just leave – you won’t have to persuade them to take you home.
Like we said at the beginning, these things are really all just common sense – and chances are high that they will have been unnecessary precautions. It’s better to be too careful than not careful enough, though, so make sure you look out for yourself.