I’ve never been brave enough to go out on a blind date with someone, but if I did, I’d follow these top 7 tips on blind dating. Maybe I’m a bit paranoid about the whole ordeal. I feel like safety is the key factor in blind dating, which is most likely because I’m a woman. It seems that when blind dates go awry, it’s usually the female who goes missing, is mangled, or who doesn’t have a way home. I’m sure as you read the following tips you’ll see the reoccurring theme of safety.
Being a Chatty Cathy might not win you points, but sitting there and staring at your blind date definitely won’t earn you another date in the future. Be pleasant. Conversation is going to be the only way you’ll find out more about this person. Have some questions in mind before going on the date. Don’t write them down, though, that will seem a bit odd. Chat about current events if you can’t think of anything else. Hopefully you won’t both be the quiet type.
Typically guys tend to pay for the majority of the date, at least the dinner portion. But, if you are a woman you can’t always depend on this being the case. It’s a good idea to take enough money to pay for your part of the night’s extravagances; dinner, movie, bowling, or whatever you two are supposed to be doing that night. It’s a good idea to have some extra cab fare if you decide to let your newly met date drive you to the next activity for the evening.
Having never met this person before, do you really want to place your life and safety in his/her hands? I wouldn’t. I think it’s best for each person to have personal transportation to the date sight. This will eliminate any awkwardness if you feel the date didn’t go well. There’s nothing stranger than riding in a car with someone whom you realize just isn’t your type. It’s worse when the person you are on a blind date with is mad that the date isn’t going well. I don’t like riding in a car with an angry driver. Talk about a frightening experience!
It’s best to have your date take place in a location that you are both familiar with and one with lots of people around. This will be the first time you’ve ever met this person, so there’s no need to aim for a romantic meeting place. That can easily come later if this first date goes well. The more public the place is, the more people there will be, and the safer you will be.
I think this is an excellent safety feature for any blind date. Not all dates go swimmingly. I’m not talking about dates that are simply disastrous, these can be forgotten eventually. I’m referring to the blind date who turns out to be a scary person. I’ve met some guys that instantly gave me the creeps. If you show up for your blind date and your date turns out to be a real whacko who puts fear in your heart, then take a moment to call up your friend and utter your secret word in a logical sentence to let him/her know that you need a ride home right away.
Be as detailed as possible when leaving such information. Tell your friend the name of your blind date, the contact number you have for this person, the location of your meeting place, and the time you will be meeting. It’s also good to specify a time that you will call your friend to let him/her know that you have successfully returned home. If I didn’t turn up at the correct time, I’d want my friend to send out the troops to find out what happened to me!
If you absolutely feel that you are doing the wrong thing or have any doubts about the date, then don’t go. I try to trust my gut feelings and haven’t been disappointed yet. However, if you are normally extremely nervous then see if a friend will double date with you. This will give you a familiar face to look at when you feel anxious.
I think many of these tips can easily be applied to regular dating too. Having a back up plan is important, no matter how well you know the other person. There is always the chance that things might go wrong for some reason or another. If you were to give a tip to someone going on a blind date, what would that tip be?
Top Photo Credit: Fanboy30