Is it Okay to Check Someone’s Background Before a Blind Date?
Posted on 20. Sep, 2013 by inMotion Dating in Dating Advice, Online Dating Tips
Online dating has opened up a whole new world of dating. The term “blind date” has become a bit blurry. After all, is someone you’ve been talking to for weeks or even months online really a stranger? It’s important to protect yourself anytime you plan to meet up with someone in real life that you’ve only known digitally.
At what point is researching someone’s history too much? Is it okay to check someone’s background before a blind date?
Figure Out What You Already Know About Your Date
The first step in meeting a stranger is gathering at least a little bit of information about who they are. Whether you’re being set up through a friend or you’ve met online, you should have some basics before you agree to meet in person such as their full name, the name of the town where they live, and a general physical description. Once you’ve established a few basics, ask yourself what else you’d like to know in order to feel comfortable. Maybe you want to know what car they’ll be driving in, or if they have any children? Perhaps you want to know details of their employment. Whatever it is, feel free to ask questions before agreeing to go out with someone – it’s your right!
Research What Facts You Do Have
It’s never a bad idea to do a little fact-checking before a blind date. Most people freely admit to Googling or Facebooking their date before they meet in person, if not only to check out their history. If your date’s been arrested or isn’t who they say they are, you should be able to find out with a quick internet search. Likewise, if you’ve met someone online that you still have concerns about, perform a reverse phone look up or a reverse email search using an online service to confirm the identity of the person you’ve been talking to.
Make Smart Choices Before You Meet
Regardless of exactly how “blind” your date is, there are a few safety precautions you should always take concerning your first few dates with someone new. First and foremost, always meet in a public place. Restaurants, parks, and museums are all great choices, and be sure you arrange to meet there rather than having your date pick you up at home. Secondly, refrain from putting yourself in a compromising situation on the date. This can include drinking too much, being alone in a dark place, or even getting in your date’s car. Lastly, always tell a friend or family member exactly where you’re going (and with who) and ask them to call you after the date ends to ensure you get home safely.
You should never feel bad about checking up on a blind date’s background before you meet. In this day and age it’s not only advisable, it’s necessary to be tuned in and informed when it comes to meeting new people. Keep in mind you’ll want to save some facts for the getting-to-know-you process, too, so don’t feel the need to go overboard. But if you have doubts about what someone’s telling you before your date you should never be afraid to trust your gut.
Ryan Currie is a Product Manager at Spokeo, a leader in people search and reverse phone lookup services. In addition to working on Spokeo, he also enjoys history, pop culture, and following the latest new in the movie industry.
