Safety... Real time meet ups

Of course standard safety applies with all new meet ups whether meeting first here or anywhere else,I would just like to add that no matter how safe you are,I had a bad experience after 6 months of knowing this person I met for real after taking all the normal precautions.Things were great for a long while.

Some people can be very good at hiding things when meeting someone new.

My advice is never switch off your creep radar. LOL

Peace.

Caz

Some great ideas here. I’d like to imagine most people are decent, but one never knows. Other than talking a lot, I would recommend a couple of things...

1. Make that first play session at a hotel. Neutral ground and help within shouting distance in a worst case scenario.

2. Looking at a license is always a good idea.

3. Speaking of licenses, many professions require background checks. It won’t rule out sleazeballs, but it probably would catch the guy with felony assault in his background.

4. I know this is politically fraught, but I’ve heard of a few folks using it in the lead up to a real life meeting...Many states subject applicants for concealed weapons carry to extensive background checks. If a prospective play partner holds such a license it might, counterintuitivley, enable you to virtually rule out a history of violence. (Different states have very different levels of vetting though. Some may require numerous notarized references, interviews, psych evaluations, and background checks; others might simply hand one a pistol and a bottle of whiskey for all I know...so research very carefully).

5. Above all else: listen to what your intuition tells you.

Communication is the key.

I choose to take the time to get to know someone slowly, preferring quality over quantity and I am rarely disappointed because I wait until I feel safe and comfortable with someone.