A first date usually involves someone you don’t know too well yet, and that comes with risks. Naturally, many of us get a bit nervous in anticipation of a first date. Reduce your worry list before your date by taking a few simple measures to make sure your date is both enjoyable and safe. While we can’t guarantee that Joe won’t crack a cringe-worthy dad joke or that Lee won’t commandeer the date with stories about their twelve cats, we can promise that if you follow these first date tips, you’ll make it home and live to date another day.
Your safety is important to us. User safety has played a huge role in the design of CardDate. We wanted to modernize and revolutionize the dating process while avoiding many of the inherent dangers of other more traditional forms of in-person and online dating. See just what sets us apart and how we protect your safety here.
7 First Date Safety Tips
If you’re an optimist like we are, you believe that most people are mostly good. It can be a dark and anxiety-riddled existence to believe otherwise. But while a positive outlook has its value, so does a healthy dose of caution or skepticism. CardDate’s mission is that those of us looking for love, companionship, or any other kind of relationship are able to do so without ever feeling pressured, bothered, creeped out, or worse. We’ve put together this list of precautions to take to ensure your personal safety any time you go on a date with someone you are still getting to know. No matter what your type is or how you meet, follow these tips to make sure that the worst possible outcome of your date is a bad story you can laugh about later.
1. Make them work for it.
Don’t give out your personal information to anyone you don’t know very well. CardDate provides the perfect opportunity to protect yourself and your personal information while still getting the chance to chat and get to know people, and without an awkward or uncomfortable exchange that could be seen as rejection. You can safely communicate back and forth without having to disclose your number.
2. Don’t unplug.
Keep your phone on you at all times and make sure it’s fully charged before you meet up with your date. No one enjoys when a date spends the whole outing staring at their phone, of course, but you can stay connected and safe without totally disrupting your date or feeling rude. Just have it on hand in case you need to ditch the joint or call a friend.
3. Brag about it.
We don’t mean you should gloat about your upcoming first date to your single friends…cause that’s just mean You should, though, always let someone you trust know where and when you’re planning to meet a date. Check-in with them throughout the date so they know everything is okay and let them know when you get back home safely afterward.
4. No place like home.
What we mean is, don’t meet at your home or any other location that is private and important to you. On your first date, you should agree to meet up somewhere public and neutral rather than giving someone you don’t know very well your home address – or, alternatively, going to a stranger’s private home. And at the end of the date, though being escorted to your doorstep and bid good night with a gentle peck might be the perfect Hollywood ending, make the decision that is safest for you. Even if the date went really well, it’s always better to err on the side of caution and take a rain check on the porch kiss until you’ve had a couple more dates.
5. The more the merrier.
Invite some friends. Going out with a group isn’t just good for your safety. It’s also a great opportunity to get to know each other better in a social context. You get a more complete picture of your date by talking to and observing the people they call their friends, and you get a read on how your date gets along with and accepts your friend group. There is also less pressure on either of you to keep the conversation flowing productively. Plus, some things are just a lot more fun when there are more of you (escape room, anyone?).
6. Skip the sauce.
Who says you need alcohol to have fun? Because alcohol turns off the part of your brain that inhibits your behavior, it can definitely be an effective ice breaker. But for your first date, consider skipping out on the drinks or limiting yourself to a small amount with your meal. The last thing you want is to be blackout drunk with someone you’re just getting to know. It’s an obvious safety hazard, and it can also pose a major threat to the success of your relationship. Incoherent speech and spewing bile aren’t exactly a good look on most of us.
7. Keep it light.
Meeting up during the day rather than at night keeps the first date both safer and more casual. A daytime date gives you plenty of safe, public destinations and activities to choose from and there is less pressure or expectation to move fast or invite your date home afterward. Meeting during the day gives the meeting more of a light-hearted and friendly vibe, appropriate for spending time with someone with whom you’re just getting aquainted. It will be lighter out too, so people will be able to see you better out in public.