Dating can be a lot of things — exciting, fun, adventurous, disappointing — but it can also be dangerous. Unfortunately, there are men out there who prey on single women, looking for easy targets to assault or even murder.
Keeping yourself safe while dating someone new doesn’t require background checks or private investigators — just some commonsense rules to follow.
Make sure that more than just you and your date know your plans. Tell a trusted friend or your family some details on the date. Give them your date’s name, phone number and show them a picture. Tell them where you are going and when you expect to be home. And if anything changes, let them know.
Don’t let a first date pick you up from your home. This is a bad idea for two reasons: 1) You can’t drive yourself away if the need arises, and 2) this person now knows where you live.
If you don’t own a car, then consider taking an Uber to meet your date. And speaking of meeting your date…
Your chances of being put in an unsafe position drop dramatically when you meet your date in a safe, public environment with lots of people around. Coffee shops, restaurants, mini-golf… whatever you’re doing for your first date, keep it public. Netflix and chill comes later…
A dating tip that is often overlooked: Never leave a drink unattended on a first date (or generally anywhere you go). This gives someone an opportunity to slip something like Rohypnol (commonly known as roofies) into your beverage. If your date offers to go get drinks for you, go along with them so that you can see the bartender prepare the drink.
Pack some pepper spray into your purse before you go on a first date. This may seem over the top, but it could save your life if you are attacked.
You probably don’t need to have a full background check performed on your potential date, but we do recommend looking them up on Google and Facebook. Try to get a feel for who they are. If you get a bad feeling after looking at their social media, cancel the date immediately.
