Shopping for men. That’s the term my friend, Daisy, has for online dating. We’ll grab a bottle of wine and cruise a site, 
instigating banter with dudes, until we find me a date. Daisy is scared of online dating, and I finally asked her why she refused to partake in a dating system that has become the norm. She said she doesn’t feel safe online dating.
Granted, a lot of Daisy’s fears are based off Dates From Hell, a show which features a different woman each episode who has been brutally attacked by her date and barely survives. So Daisy is convinced that any date gleaned from a site will ultimately result in a similar fate, and she can’t afford the plastic surgery required to recover from such an attack. I don’t blame her. We can barely afford the Bloody Mary’s the next day to rehash our dates.
The truth is that there are ways to ensure you’re practicing safe online dating.
Safe Online Dating Tips
1. Pre-Date: Creeping is one of the best ways to practice safe online dating. We don’t always know the last name of the dude we’re talking to, so the Google search can be tricky. But often the college he attended or where he works arises in pre-date conversation. Use this information to see if you can find a Facebook account. Or if you know someone who also attended his school or works in his line of work, do a little research. It’s not creeping if its self-protective.
2. On The Date: These are the basics. Meet in a public setting. Tell a few friends where you’ll be and have a check-in time with one of them. Do not go to his place. Do not go to his place. Do not go to his place. Unless he is Ryan Gosling. Then you can go. And tell me all about it the next day.
3. Post Date: Make sure you’ve prepared a contingency plan for every scenario. Have plenty of cash to get yourself home in a cab….by yourself. Know what you’ll say if he tries to come to your apartment. Be sure to have a bail plan if he admits to going to graveyards at night or wears turtlenecks in the summer. Mace should always be easily accessible. Need some? Go here.
I realize that some of these measures may seem extreme, but as casual as we’ve gotten with online dating, we still don’t know the dudes we’re going on dates with. We can still shop for men, but we just don’t want to be shoplifted in the process. See how I’ve dodged a few bullets at chloecline.com.
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