1. Always have an exit strategy.
2. It’s not a bad idea to let a friend know where you are going. Email them the pic of the person you’re about to meet and whatever information you have before hooking up with them. Keep your cell phone handy, even if you spend the night.
3. Always bring protection! Carry condoms with you – safety here is not negotiable. Also bring a small bottle of lube and keep it inside of a zip-locked bag so that way there aren’t any messes.
4. Try to have your own transportation. If things go bad, you could always try to get to your car and lock the door.
5. Keep your wits! Don’t drink/smoke to a point where you can no longer trust yourself.
6. LOOK before you drink: On the 1st date, TASTE your alcohol. If it doesn’t taste like wine, chances are that it’s not. (Many drugs/chemicals when crushed have a bitter taste, but are definitely discernible from alcohol.) Also LOOK at your drink before you drink it. It can take some time for a poorly crushed drug to dissolve, and most times some powder will settle to the bottom.
7. Don’t demand a deep last relationship before you’ve even met. Some of us guys are aware you have been hurt before – but please be wise. We’ve been hurt too.