Safe Dating

Start with a coffee date, somewhere very public and at a time no later than mid-afternoon, a few hours before it gets dark is best. You want your first encounter to be in a public place and with a set time to start and end. Punctuality is important but not as important as a friend knowing where you are and when you'll be finished your date.

Make sure you have a friend that knows all the details of your date and stay in touch with him/her before and after the date! This is like the first interview, even though you probably feel that you know this person really well. After all, you've exchanged countless messages, spent time writing and reading great e-mails. Maybe even had a lot of phone calls, but you still want to be safe! And if things don't work out, and you don't feel comfortable around this person that you thought that you knew, well the date was only for a half-hour, so you can end it politely.

Talk about personal things that you have already shared.

If you have heard the truth in all the messages you have traded up to this point, you will hear them again. If you are hearing things that don't sound the same as what you were told before, this is a key indicator that you were lied to and to stick to your exit plan.

Never leave the table with your drink still filled !

This is a very important point! We have all read the newspaper stories about blind dates ending up to be rape dates and it starts with Rohypnal, a colorless, odorless drug that causes blackouts and unconsciousness. If you leave the table, for a bathroom visit, or whatever reason, go to the counter on your way back and bring back a fresh drink! Do not drink out of an unattended drink, for safety's sake!

When things go well.

Set a time to get in touch with each other again. Do not go beyond your set exit time! Call your friend and tell her/him that you are on your way home and go directly there! Do not change your exit plans and stay in touch with the person who is watching your back! Take some time to  think how and why the date went so well. Now write that first all important thank you e-mail to your date! But, don't get too personal or expect a second date just yet. The other person may have changed their mind and you don't want your expectations to be too high.

If things don't go as you'd hoped.

Keep your spirits up! If finding the right partner was this easy, you'd have been married by now or maybe even still married! Now you have seen some of what doesn't work, use it to your advantage and start anew!

Contributed by ALoveLinksPlus.com, Robert Lee