20-Plus Locations and Tips for a Fun and Safe First Date

The first date is a time when couples get to know one another, feeling their way through potentially awkward situations, until they make a decision about whether or not to follow up with more dates.

If you are a female planning to date someone you have never met in person, a first date can also be a time of danger. Read this article and you will receive several suggestions and tips for successful - and safe - first dates.

Essential First Date Basics

For the purposes of this article, I am assuming that your potential date is a stranger. It is therefore extremely important that you retain some degree of anonymity - and security - until you are reasonably sure that he is a safe person with whom to begin a relationship.

Carefully observe the following dating rules:

Do not have your date pick you up at home. Initially, your address (and telephone number) should remain a secret.

Always make sure that a friend or relative knows exactly where you will be going and when you will be returning.

Arrange for someone to contact you via cell phone at specified times. If you don't pick up, it is a signal that you are in some kind of trouble.

Always plan your first few dates for public places. The less confident you are of your date, the more careful you should be to select locations where video surveillance is in place.

If you have a camera cell phone, discreetly snap a photo of your date. When the opportunity arises, excuse yourself to use the washroom facilities, and e-mail the photo to a friend.

Never leave your drink unattended - not even for a second. It only takes a quick sleight of hand for a guy to drug your beverage.

Do not choose a noisy place for your date. This is your opportunity to talk and get acquainted.

First Date Locations

The following date ideas are generally arranged with the more secure and safer locations first; i.e., they are public and more likely to have video surveillance.

Be very observant on this date. Do you have similar tastes? Or are you total opposites? Although opposites attract, they do not usually result in the greatest long term relationships.

Go on a double date with another couple whose opinion you trust.

Meet for lunch in a shopping mall food court. This is your chance to watch your date's eyes. Do you they stay glued to you - or do they wander to check out every girl who walks by?

Meet at a local Starbucks. Starbucks serves great coffee and they are often next door to a book store. You can have coffee and then stroll through the book store together. A guy's choice of books reveals volumes about his personality.

Go for a window shopping jaunt. Take mental notes of his preferences. Are they similar to yours?

Get together for lunch at a small restaurant. If the weather is warm and dry, try to find one with sidewalk tables or a balcony.

Amusement parks can be a blast with the right man. You can talk while waiting in line or while walking from ride to ride.

Meet at a zoo or aquarium. Does he feel the same way you do about animal cruelty, conservation, and the environment?

Book tickets with a local bus tour or day cruise that you haven't tried before. Most people don't visit local tourist attractions. If the date doesn't pan out, you'll experience something new to talk about with the next guy you meet.

Explore a local museum. Museums are great settings for leisurely talks while you stroll and pore over all the exhibits.

Attend a local sporting event. Most spectator sports get the adrenaline pumping - and you can chat during intermissions or lulls in the play.

Try a sport like tennis, badminton, or squash. You can talk later as you grab snacks at a nearby fast food outlet. There is nothing like one-on-one sports to gauge a guy's patience, temperament, and competiveness.

Mini golf is enjoyable - and you'll have lots of time to chat.

Try volunteering for a charitable organization in some kind of group activity like a bottle drive or environmental cleanup.

A horse-and-carriage or hayride is a 'funtastic' event (if neither of you has allergies).

Here are a few more date ideas: planetarium, train ride, plant or butterfly conservatory, bowling, game arcade, roller skating, ice skating, driving range, picnic in a public park, billiards/pool, wine tasting tour, flea market.

Use your common sense to ensure that your first date is safe - but try to make it enjoyable as well.

(c) Copyright Becca Bee and Advice4Daters.com. This article is free to publish as long as links in the author's resource box remain clickable and the author's byline is included.

Becca writes regular dating advice articles for Advice4Daters, and adult getaway articles for Adult Escapes. She also works behind the scenes at 1st Rate Articles.