Your OkCupid Date is Waiting For You!

If you are going to date online, you have to change the way you date. This is not a classmate, or a man your coworker set you up with -- this person is a complete stranger. Meeting up with a man from an online dating site can feel like the equivalent to inviting a bum into your house, but don't worry! Here are some things to consider before your date with a psychopathic murderer...

1. Lurking - If its possible to get a glance of your date before you meet up with him, do that. Always pick the location. Find a nice lurking spot like a tall parking garage or a large planter with a bush. Tell your date exactly where to meet you so you can get a good look at him, just like a crazy stalker. Does he look like he's wearing fresh clothes? Is he your type? Do people naturally avoid walking too close to him? Try to keep your face covered so he doesn't see you. Wear a cape if you have to. Or a mask.

2. Feel Free to be Fake - This person has probably only seen pictures of you, and maybe talked on the phone once or twice. If you're shy, guess what? You don't have to be! If 5 minutes into the date you realize you are not digging him, feel free to have fun with it. Make up a story. Lie about your job. Speak in a British accent. We only live once, right?
 


3. Bring a Recorder - I am a huge supporter of recording blind dates. People say hilarious, ridiculous things when nervous in front of a stranger. You never know when you might hit gold, so stick your recorder in a convenient place, hit the "On" button, and observe. You'll have plenty of good stories to tell your friends.

4. The "Quick Escape" - Remember, you don't know this guy. You're have no obligation to hang around if you're trapped on a bad date. And guess what? You don't even have to excuse yourself. If he's not what you thought he was, just leave. Here's a few of my favorite "quick exit" strategies:

• Say "I have to go to the bathroom." Take your purse with you. Never come back.
• Conveniently lose him in a store. It helps if you're within walking distance to your house. ;)
• "Fake call" a friend. Look down at your phone and exclaim, "Uh-oh, I gotta take this!" Then have a fake conversation talking to no one. Make sure your phone is on "silent" so it doesn't start ringing in the middle of your fake emergency phone call. Oopps! Busted.
• Tell him you left your jacket in your car and you're freezing. Again, never come back.

Remember, all of the above methods are tried and true. It helps if your date doesn't know where you live, which reminds me -- don't EVER have a stranger pick you up from you house if you live alone! NEVER NEVER NEVER.

5. The "Long Escape" - Okay, you're definitely not going on a second date with this guy, but he's cute and "fun enough." Let him buy you drinks. Get drunk. See a movie with him. Make out a little if you want. At this point, I highly suggest my favorite method of abandoning a date: excuse yourself to use the bathroom and leave (as outlined in "The Short Escape.") Randomly leaving dates is one of my favorites things to do. It's pretty addictive.

A side note: I am not a supporter of "One Night Stands." You don't know who this guy or where he's been, and where are you going to have sex -- his car?Never, ever get into a strangers car. If you do, prepare for this man to cross the border with you so have your passport. Nothing kills an impromptu kidnapping like forgetting your passport. Of course this guy wants to get into your pants, but that is gonna cost a bit more than one nights worth of drinks. Have your fun, get a good buzz going, then go home and enjoy a sexy episode of True Blood and cuddle up with your "real" boyfriend, Mr.Jack Rabbit.

6. Uh-oh! You abandoned him at a restaurant and now he won't stop calling you! Guess what? You don't have to pick up.

And there you have it -- 6 Quick Tips to online dating

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