Online Dating and Staying Safe

Online dating is the way of the future and everybody's doing it (sorry RedHotPie - totally stole their tag line there!). In fact, if you haven't already dabbled in it then colour me surprised. As you might already know if you've read any of my other blogs, I'm an online dating veteran. I flirted with my first serious boyfriend on MySpace, my next serious BF and I became swingers on RHP, I met my next TWO BF's on RHP...so this blog comes with a decade's worth of personal experience to back it up.

So, how do you keep safe and avoid those crazies you hear about all too often on pages like Tinder Nightmares?

"I hit him on the head with a frying pan and put him in the trunk..so he wouldn't get hurt."

Whether you're a single or a couple, it's important to be careful online. Let me share some of the ways that I stay safe with you:

'Vet' Your Date

With just a little personal information and a little bit of tech savvyness, you can find out quite a bit a personal online these days. Did your date give you their phone number or email? Have you tried searching it in Facebook to find their page? Be aware though, doing this means that they can be doing the exact same thing to you, so don't give out any personal information unless you're ready to be vetted yourself and make sure that your privacy settings on your social media pages are up to date.

Meet In Public

Pretty obvious one here – don’t invite someone to your house for a first (or even second) meet. Meet somewhere public and if it’s at night, make sure that you meet in a busy populated area with well-lit parking close by.

Let A Friend Know

While you may want to keep your sexcapades somewhat under wraps, I always let a trusted friend know exactly where I was going to be, who I was with (a screenshot of their phone number or contact details) and when I was expected to be done so I could text them right away. It might seem extreme but trust me, it’s better to be safe than become a 6pm news story…

Have Your Escape Planned

I don’t want to seem like a Negative Nancy, but it doesn’t hurt to have an ‘escape’ planned. And I don’t literally mean an escape route you can secretly escape through when you say you’re going to the toilet..although sometimes I’ve wished for that! What I mean is have a reason to leave at a certain time. Much easier than trying to come up with something on the spot if you feel like you want out and getting caught out in an ill-prepared lie.

Trust Your Gut

If something feels a bit ‘off’ before meeting, then don’t go through with it. Is your potential date unwilling to share any personal details or provide you with private contact information? Are they trying to get you to meet somewhere strange for a first meet? And if you’re already there and things feel a bit weird, get out right away. Don’t hang around to be ‘polite’, just use your escape and leave.

#OnlineDating #InternetDating