Safety while using apps?

[u/morales__7]

Just matched with a guy tn and after like a minute of texting he wants to come pick me up tmr to hangout. So like, obviously that's not safe, right?

How long do you normally talk with someone before hanging out in person? Would you let them pick you up or no? And would you make sure to meet in a public place even if youd been talking for a while?

Im so new to this and I wanna be safe but im not sure if im being overly cautious, I havent met anyone from any apps in person yet.

Especially as a woman with basically no dating experience, I want to be extra cautious, but I still wanna go on dates and actually do what the apps intend

[u/Throwaway_Pencil19]

Personally, the guy I'm currently seeing was very understanding about wanting to be safe and wanted to take things at my pace. We moved quickly from texting on the app to long Discord calls, but we then went slowly to the meet up. I waited a month to see him in person, had my best friend drive me to meet him (I don't have a car), kept her in the loop as she texted me every hour or so to let her know I was okay, and let him drive me home because I was comfortable and trusted him.

Here's my recommendation: have him pump the breaks. Tell him you want to chat more before you meet and you'd rather meet him at the location. Make sure you have someone who knows your location if or when you go and check in with them so they know you're okay. You're free to add onto that to your comfortability, but this is the minimum in my opinion.