Internet Dating Safety Guide

Not meeting the Italian ex-model. He refused to meet me at a convenient location. Have been thinking about this which makes me realise that have not yet written an internet dating safety guide. So here it is.

1. Remember that you are meeting a stranger, however many messages you’ve exchanged. So always meet them in a public place.
2. Meet them somewhere that you know, and that you can get home from easily, quickly and cheaply. Whenever I’ve met chaps on their turf rather than mine, this has tended to result in extra anxiety which has spoilt the date. Or worse.
3. Wear shoes that you can walk or even run in. You may need to make a quick getaway.
4. Don’t meet someone at 8.30am on a Monday morning on the way to the office. I’ve done this and it was a bad idea.
5. If your internet date does or says anything that sets alarm bells ringing, just leave. Trust your intuition.
6. If their messages are very pushy, or they send lots and lots of messages, it’s probably a bad idea to meet them. You don’t want a stalker.
7. Don’t tell them your address. You don’t want them turning up at your house once you’ve forgotten about them.
8. Don’t drink too much on the date. Is important to have your wits about you.
9. Tell a friend or family member where you’re going and keep your phone on.
10. If all this sounds unnecessarily alarmist, remember that you only need to get murdered once.

Happy dating!