Dating is a great way to try someone out to determine if it’s worth staying for the long run. However, dating has its dangers. Let’s see what can help you stay safe.
If you’re looking to start getting back into the world of dating soon, you’ll need to have a few protocols in place to ensure your safety. While unlikely to happen, you could be signing up for something completely out of the agenda: violence. This is more likely to happen now more than ever before, mostly due to online dating.
Online dating websites are an amazing tool to use to meet people looking for relationships, but there are risks involved. This is because you do not actually know the person you’re meeting. Just because you’ve chatted with them for weeks or months, does not automatically mean that they have good intentions.
In fact, most violent crimes that happen over dates, have actually originated through social media or dating websites. People can be extremely believable and deceiving online, because they have all the time in the world to make their responses sound perfect. This is why taking certain precautions is absolutely crucial before meeting anyone for a date, especially if you both met from an online website of any kind.
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Great Dating Protection Protocols
Meet in a Public Area
Meeting in a safe and public area is probably the most important part of staying safe during a first date.
This not only gives you safety in terms of crowd protection, but also allows you to feel the person out. It lets you have the opportunity to really understand their true intentions.
Most people with sinister intentions have different mannerisms, manner of speech, and just an overall more negative vibe to them. If you feel threatened or have the feeling that he may be up to no good, leave immediately.
Use Your Own Transportation
This is another very important part of staying safe. Jumping into another person’s car that you’ve never met before in your life is a bad idea.
If they have bad intentions, there are limits to what they could do to you once you’re inside. He could have the doors locked from the inside, a weapon of some sorts, or just plain manpower, with a hunger for evil.
Always use your own transportation. If you do not have a vehicle, Uber or Lyft is a great option to take advantage of during dates.
Google Them
I’ve written many articles on dating scammers. While I do agree that online dating scams and dates are different, there is one thing that is still very beneficial to do; that’s googling them!
This enables you to look at any online profile they may have, and the ability to see if they’re actually who they say they really are.
If you see barely any information about them online, lack of engagement or an abnormally low amount of friends, then further investigation should take place, especially if this person is under the age of 50 years old.
Alert Friends and Family
Alerting those close to you, such as your parents, siblings or friends is without a doubt a must do. You can explain that you’re going out on a date, when you’ll arrive, when you’ll leave, the location of said date, and with who.
This alone has saved many innocent women from becoming victims of violent crimes. You can also download the app Life360, which essentially allows your family and friends to track you via GPS.
You’ll even have an alert button that can be pressed which will send out a help request notification to all of those in your circle. On some devices, the volume button can be pressed a certain amount of times to trigger an alert.
Stay Sober
This may not sound appealing to most, but staying sober is a must for dating early on; especially with someone you’ve never even met before.
Staying sober means you’ll have a better ability to notice any bad vibes coming from the date. You’ll also have a better cognitive ability to notice anything added to your non-alcoholic drinks, such as roofies.
Besides, staying sober will allow you to have a much more productive date. You’ll both have much more efficient conversation, allowing you both to learn about each other.
Great Preventative Methods
Video Chat
This is undoubtedly something that should be taken advantage of. Video calling your date, particularly before you meet, allows you to pay attention to his vibes.
It also gives you the opportunity to confirm he is who he says he is, and not some creep catfishing you, in hopes to lure you somewhere for example.
Self Protection
A great way to protect yourself is by purchasing pepper spray or a taser. Pepper spray is particularly useful, because once it comes into contact with the target’s eyes, they’re essentially completely disabled for a short time.
Tasers also give you the upper hand. We think it’s obvious as to what they’re used for, but they’re actually very compact and easily concealed. Check out your local laws before purchasing self-protection.
Keep Personal Info Private
This is very important. Not only does revealing your personal information make you vulnerable to scams, it also raises your chances of abduction, or other extremely violent crimes.
Revealing your address, for example, gives the person your direct location, along with any vehicles. None of this should be revealed until you know this person very well.
Final Thoughts
Dating is essential for most people to get to know whoever they’re interested in to see if they match. The first date is the most important one, at least in terms of maintaining safety. The first date is often fun; awkward, yet delightful.
This, however, could easily go south very quickly in rare cases, which is why we’ve decided to create this guide. Implementing safety protocols is extremely necessary more than ever, even more so if you’ve never met the person before.
It’s never a good idea to go on a date with someone you’ve never met, blindly and with no one but yourself aware. Following these protocols will help you stay safe, so you’re able to go on fun dates with a little more peace of mind.
