The world of internet dating can be a scary place. With the recent press coverage of incidents happening as a result of couples meeting on Facebook and other sites, you do need to be careful when meeting online singles.
Part of the problem seems to be that people get intimately involved very quickly online. It is funny how you could tell someone you have never met your deepest darkest secrets within days of first emailing them. You would never behave like this in the real world but email gives us a sense of security and familiarity which is both a good and a bad thing.
Don’t become paranoid. Meeting online singles can be a good way to find the perfect partner for you but you should need to take some precautions. Here are some dos but more don’ts to keep you as safe as possible.
Don’t give out any personal information such as your phone number, your home address, where you work or even your real full name. You do not want anyone you don’t know stalking you.
Don’t agree to meet anyone regardless of how pleasant they sound at a private address either your own or theirs. Your first few dates should happen at a public venue that you know very well.
Never go on a date without first letting your friends or family know where you are going, who you are supposed to be meeting and what time you expect to be home. If possible, I would arrange to go to a pub or restaurant for a coffee with the person you have met online. After an hour or so, you can then leave to meet your friends somewhere nearby at a prearranged time.
Use your own transport there and back. Don’t offer him a lift even if he seems like the perfect match. I don’t care if it is raining heavily or it is really cold. He can call a taxi or get a bus.
Watch what you are drinking and don’t leave your glass unattended. I know that it is not very romantic but neither are date rape drugs.
Do be open minded and don’t prejudge anyone. Just because he is part of the meet online singles group does not mean he is a murderer, wife beater or child molester. He could be just as nice as you but too busy at work to have met someone in the traditional way.
Do take your time. Love at first sight belongs in the movies. Lust at first sight is a completely different matter. Just be careful, take things slowly and enjoy yourself. He may be Mr. Right or Mr. Right now. Who knows – your membership of the online singles scene may soon be at an end.
About Lynne Ivatt