It has been brought to my attention that, although the advice and scenarios I've posted are good, I'm leaving out some important tips on meeting an online match. So today is all about safety tips when meeting someone new for the first time.

1. You decide where and when to meet.

I know that some men really do want women to make the decision in that area. If you're a man, ask the woman where and when she'd like to meet.

2. Make sure it's a public place. A popular restaurant, bar, mall, or anywhere there are a lot of people.

3. Make sure that you have all his/her pertinent information, ie; Phone number, cell phone number, home address (if possible), Full name, and make, model, and color of his/her car. Please give all this information to a close friend or relative before meeting. It's a large safety issue. You have no idea what type of person you're meeting.

4. Set a check-in time to call the friend or relative to let them know you're all right. I know it's bad etiquette to carry a cell with you but make an exception on this issue.

5. Listen to your instincts. If you get a bad feeling about the person you've just met, give a polite excuse and leave. Don't ignore it.

6. Call the friend or relative as soon as you get home from your meeting and let them know what you think of this person and what you felt upon meeting them.

7. Once again, do not ignore your instincts. If it didn't feel like a good match, do not make a second date.

Now I've given you some safety tips about online dating. Tomorrow I'll write about one of my own potentially harmful, possibly fatal, online dating experiences. I didn't use the proper care in meeting the person and it could have wound up very bad indeed. So until tomorrow, I hope I've helped in some small way. Be safe and check back again real soon...