Suggestions for meeting people and being safe

Meet in a public place Your local coffee shop is a great place for a first date with someone you have met online. You can meet in the day time, within a town with lots of other people around. Talk on the phone Before meeting swap mobile phone numbers and talk to each other. This way you have a better feeling for what the other person is like and you also have a record that you spoke. Even better is to get a landline phone number from the other person. Swap photos Exchange a few pictures and spend time online getting to know each other. Using an instant messenger is also useful as a webcam will validate the pictures you have seen. Everyone has a webcam and avoid people who refuse to swap pictures. Tell a friend Tell a friend that you are going on a date. Give them the name and phone numbers of the person you are meeting. Have your own transport Make your own way to a date. Don't let the other person pick you up in their car. You should have a way to travel to the date and most importantly a way to get home.