by Rosa Hayes

Created on: February 26, 2008

Online dating can be a life altering experience for the good and the bad. Online dating is popping up all over the Internet and on the television and you have decided that you want to give it a try. Before you decide to do online dating, there are a few precautions that you should take when online dating.

Get to know the person that you are interested in

Online dating can make you anxious to meet this person with all their talk about what a great person that they are and how they would be the best friend that you ever had. All though this can be very tempting to meet the person on the other end of the frequency, resist this urge until you are absolutely sure that that have had time to get to know this person.

Ask them lots of questions and see if you can catch on to the real them. Most people will not reveal their true selves online and especially when they are online dating and so you will need to push for this so you can see who they really are.

Call them up for a quick chat

If you choose to call them up, ask for their number and always try to use safe practices when calling. If possible, block your number or call them from a pay phone so that they can't access your phone number if they turn out to be a nut. Online dating can be fun and adventurous but if you are not careful, it can turn out to be a total nightmare.

When talking to them on the phone, ask lots of questions and see if you can notice any strange behavior in them or in the background. If you hear their mom in the background, this could mean that they are not dependent enough to live on their own or that they are nice enough to help their mother out. Keeping searching for details that will reveal this person and who they are.

Meeting them for the first time

Now that you have gotten to know this person through online dating and talking on the phone, you want to bump it up a notch and meet them for the first time. Find a public place that you know there will be lots of people and think of a backup plan for when and if the date backfires.

Have someone to call you in the middle of the date so that you can have a quick excuse to leave and so that someone else will know if you are okay.

Take your own transportation to the date and always have your phone and keys in a good location that is easy accessible. If they decide that they want to go somewhere else and you choose to go, take your own vehicle with you and do not get in the car with them.

Online dating can be fun and you may even get the chance to meet that special someone but taking risk is not a good way to finally meet someone. If you are not sure about this person but want to see where it goes, ask a friend to tag along with a date.

When you go online dating, remember these tips and follow them to insure your safety.

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