So you have been fixed up or you are finally going to come face to face to that adorable guy you have been smitten with online for the past few weeks.
Even if you already picked out the china pattern and imagined what your kids would look like, let’s get home in one piece first. If he is Mr. Right, taking care of yourself and being cautious is not going to scare him off.
Here are 3 things you should do to ensure your safety when you are meeting someone for the first time:
1. DO: Drive yourself and meet him. You should never have someone you haven’t met come to your house to pick you up. If he has to take you back home and you don’t like him that could get ugly. And, if it is someone you don’t want to see again, do you really want him knowing where you live. There are a lot of weirdos out there.
2. DO: Pick a safe place with lots of people, and let a friend know where you will be. You can even arrange a call or text from her at a certain time to let her know everything is A-OK.
3. DO: Watch how much alcohol you consume. Don’t overdrink. Driving yourself is a great incentive not to drink since you shouldn’t drink and drive anyway, but more than 50% of sexual assaults involve alcohol.
Let’s be clear, it is never ever the fault of the victim, but why not keep your senses in case you need to defend yourself.
Let’s keep the danger out of dating and keep it exciting and fun!
Helen Anzalone Gordon
3rd degree black belt
You Can Fight App creator
For more great self-defense tips for women follow me on Twitter at @dojochik or Facebook at www.facebook.com/youcanfightapp.
Get the You Can Fight APP now at the iTunes App Store (http://bit.ly/18YrYQj) or at Google Play (http://bit.ly/1613R28).