dljennings

but if whomever you are verifying uses a fake name... what good would that do? again.. just a paranoid mom here.

Kathi in PA

I met my husband on line after a few frogs and I had my daughter shadow my dates. You might want to have a friend be at the same place you go on your date. Safety in numbers!! Fortunately where I worked, I was able to do a background check before actually going on a date and we have been happily married going on 5 years - been together 6 years!! Always be careful and safe. I drove separately so if it didn't go well, I could leave! always meet in a public place. I'm a mom and grandma can't you tell!!!

Kathi in PA

craftymatt2

Maybe have someone stationed at the meeting place long before you, to take pictures and follow, (I trust no one). You just never know who is a stalker, you hate to be like this, but its better than your family burying you.

tolepainter54

I used the online dating before I married my husband. Remember to be safe first and foremost. You will meet all kinds of people. Do not give out too much information. Always meet somewhere public. Do not tell them where you work. I say go for it, just be safe. Good Luck and let us know!

quilter in the making

My husband and I met through the pogo.com game website in February of 2004 and lived 400 miles apart. For about 2 years we did the long distance relationship thing where we took turns driving to see each other. We saw each other about every 2-3 weeks. After 2 1/4 years of that, he moved here and we were married about a year later. We're coming up on our 4th anniversary in a few months. He's absolutely been the best chance I ever took. My three children absolutely adore him and he's brought the stability into their lives that they hadn't had due to their dad's alcoholism.

Having said that, there are a few things you need to do:
1. Meet in public places.
2. Always, always have at least one person who knows where you are.
3. Have an escape plan figured out ahead of time - a friend who will call you at a specific time to check in that you are okay.
4. Part of the escape plan should include a code phrase you can say to let your friend know you want/need intervention and your friend can casually show up where you are and just hang around so you are not alone.
5. Very early in the relationship, have your friends meet this person and heed their advice. If he creeps them out, give lots of thought to continuing to see him.
6. If you can never talk on the phone or he can only call you and he won't give you a number to call him, he's probably married and just looking for fun and games. If he's really interested in a relationship with you, he should want to hear from you without limitations on when you can contact him.
7. If you talk to him on the phone and he's always having to hang up unexpectedly or whispering on the phone - also a sign he's married.
8. If he can't afford to buy you dinner or pay for a movie or drinks, he's looking for someone to pay his way. Move on to somebody else.
9. Go with your first instinct. If you don't feel at ease with him and things just seem off, excuse yourself to go the restroom and call your friend or ask the bartender/waitstaff to keep an eye out as you're not comfortable with the person you met and you'd like someone keeping an eye on you.

Good luck with your decision and I hope you meet that special someone.

patimint

I met my husband on line. My advise is to also be careful. Don't give out personal email or home address or phone# until you have met and made sure he really is a good guy. Look out for guys that email you a few times and then start saying they are falling in love, writting love poems, ect. Always meet in a public place for the 1st time, meeting for a "coke" in the afternoon, is usualy safe as is meeting for lunch. Have a friend go to where you are meeting him and sit a few tables over "just in case". That being said, I drove to my husband house to meet him, we spent a nice week-end together (yes, I slept at his house, but not in the same bedroom and I did have a back up plan if things didn't turn out) he proposed the Monday before I left for home, I said yes and we were married 2 weeks later (we had only emailed for 2 month before I met him). We have been married 1 1/2 yrs and we are very happy. Just use your judgement and ALWAYS let someone know where you are meeting him and what time you plan to be home. Good luck, It is a good way to meet friends, even if it never leads to romance. I still email a couple of friends I met on a dating service on line. By the way, people do lie on the web.

laalaaquilter

Be careful of course but I know a number of people who were very successful with it.

jitkaau

I don't think it matters how you meet, the same degree of caution (from both sides) needs to be taken with every relationship. After the initial introduction in a safe venue you should have enough common sense not to do anything too foolish and go from there.

sassey

`I am a retirement age woman I have tried 4 diffrent dating sites and can't say anything very good about any of the men I ment Maybe it is my age group or I just meet the wrong people a lot of the men asked for sex or let me know it would be expected before we even ment Some at least waited untill we ment in person Before demsanding sex. Now I am no prude and maybe a little oldfashioned but I prefer to have a relationship first. I did meet one nice gentleman but in the end we were not ment to be but are still friends I have removed my self from all dating sites just too exhausting will just stay lonely;

On another note my niece 's sister in law ment a man on line dated for over a year was so happy and in love on their honeymoon aboard a ship he begans siverly beating her up. He had never even displayed a temper before that. Her son finally after about 2 years got the family to do an intervention and get her away from him . It had become so bad she couldnt even visit her family that lived in the same town for Christmas and this was a highly respected intelligent business lady that got traped, of course it could of still happened if they had ment in church

sheila bee

Ditto to that !!!!