Staying Safe On Your First Date

Whatever situation you find yourself in, one thing is always important, and that is to keep yourself safe. This is nowhere more true than when you go on your first date with a new person. You may have met the person of your dreams, but that doesn’t mean you can totally let your guard down and not keep to your boundaries.

Whether you have met your date through college, work, or through free dating sites a great first date is also a safe one where you are able to enjoy yourself and be yourself, but know that there is no danger of being in a situation that could leave you feeling unsafe.

Here are some tips for keeping yourself safe on your first date.

1. Make your own way to the date. Although it might be more convenient for your date to pick you up on route, the reality is that this is the first date so you don’t really know the person that well, particularly if you have met through online dating. If you accept the offer of a lift, you are automatically showing the person where you live, which may not be ideal if the date turns out less than successful, or you decide you don’t want to pursue the relationship further. The best scenario would be to travel by taxi, maybe booking a return with the driver so you have getting back home sorted too. If you want to see how the date progresses before booking your taxi, you can at least keep the number in your phone to contact them later.
2. Choose a venue that is at a mid point for both of you. You really don’t want to be traveling miles to go on your date, particularly if this means you could later have trouble trying to get home. A mid point venue is therefore ideal when/if you choose to go your separate ways.
3. Choose somewhere busy for the first date. A public place like a pub or restaurant are the ideal venues for your first date – the old adage ‘safety in numbers’ certainly runs true in this situation. The atmosphere is likely to be conducive to a fun evening, but with lots of people around there is less pressure on you, particularly if you feel the evening isn’t going as well as anticipated.
4. Don’t give too much information away right away. You need to get to know each other gradually, rather than jumping in with both feet. You can talk about what you do for a living without actually having to give away your place of work, similarly, you can talk about the area where you live without giving your actual address. The person you are dating could be Mr Perfect, but just in case you have found yourself a stalker, don’t make it too easy for them.
5. Keep your phone charged. A dead phone is a nightmare at any time, but on a date you need to keep it charged and close. You may need it to phone a taxi, phone a friend to let them know you are heading home, or even to use if you need to make a quick escape.

If you follow these simple tips your first date should go just fine, and hopefully lead to many more.

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