Once you've established an email friendship, and you both feel that you
are ready to take the next step, don't jump into a face-to-face meeting.
Instead, arrange a time to speak on the phone. It's still important to
move slowly and follow a few safety precautions, but this is your
opportunity to get to know your potential date on another level.
- Don't give out your phone number if you're female. Ask for his
number instead. Most men with nothing to hide will be eager to give
it to you and will understand why you are being cautious. If he's
not willing to give you his number, get the number of a local pay
phone and arrange a time to call. If you call him at home or work,
remember to block your number from appearing on Caller-ID before you
dial. If he gives you his work number, get his home number as well.
If he refuses to give it to you after you have built up a certain
level of trust, be suspicious. He probably has a wife or girlfriend
at home.
- Be alert for warning
signs when you are chatting on the phone. If he claims to live
alone, why is he whispering, or why do you hear a child crying in
the background?
- Verify information by asking the same questions you asked when you
first started communicating via email. This isn't an interrogation,
but you're trying determine whether or not someone is being truthful
before you agree to an offline meeting.
- If your call is welcome, it should be welcome at any time.
If your date is upset that you called unexpectedly, or asks that you
only call after you have been given the go-ahead via an email or
instant message, that's a red
flag. You don't want to be a nuisance by calling at 3:00 a.m.
just to see what kind of reaction you receive, but call a few times
unexpectedly and see what happens.
Article reproduced by kind permission of http://www.onlinesafety101.com/
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Swingers Personals