by Moe Zilla

Created on: February 02, 2008   Last Updated: January 24, 2009

Be reasonable. No one said it was going to be easy finding "Mr. Right" by dating strangers from the internet - but it doesn't have to be unsafe. There's good dates and bad dates, but they'll both be more enjoyable with some basic security in place, so you'll know you're not hooking up with an actual predator!

It really comes down to one simple rule: remember that you're meeting a stranger. Knowing that, you'll take the obvious precaution, like meeting your date in public. It can be at a bar, a coffee shop, a restaurant, or a park. But the date will feel safer with people nearby. First dates can be a tense experience; but the experience will be even more uncomfortable if you and your date are off someplace alone.

This happens very rarely, but it does happen. In August of 2007 a woman in Boise met a man through an ad on Craigslist, and he insisted that she meet him in the park after dark. The suspicious woman called the police instead, and when they arrived, they found he was waiting for her wearing a ski mask - and holding a knife.

You should also insist on getting your date's phone number. (The police could identify their residence from their phone number, which makes it unlikely that a predator would try anything.) But even if you aren't attack during your date, there's another kind of online predation.

"Picture collectors" have been known to troll the web sites of personal ads, asking those interested in a date to send sexy pictures. In one infamous case, a man collected 150 pictures of his prospective dates, and then posted them all on the internet (along with the emails they'd send him - including their personal phone numbers). This could've been avoided if the respondents had gotten to know their potential dates before exchanging the revealing photos. Different web sites have different policies about pictures and listings, so make sure you're comfortable with the site you eventually choose!

With some common sense, you'll never have to worry about confronting a predator. Just remember that some of the people using online personal ads have an even bigger problem: they're jerks.

But then the worst you'll experience is a bad date!

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