Dating can be tricky. No we aren’t talking about love’s tricky and elusive ways. Meeting people who are essentially strangers, going places with them, sometimes going over to their place, all of this is tricky business. Caution and care need to be exercised where dating is concerned. Of course, many of us think that nothing bad can ever happen to us, that we could never be subject to creepy, scary episodes.

In the news today is the story of how a Delhi University student was killed by a man he met on a dating application. As the country reads details of the story in horror, we thought it was crucial to remind everyone common safety steps one should take when going on dates and even meeting people they corresponded with first online.

Here are a few things to be kept in mind when meeting people you came across online.

1. When you are going on a date, inform at least two-four people. Friends, siblings, family, anyone, give them complete details of where you are going, who you are meeting and don’t hold back from sharing the number of the person you are meeting.

2. I know it’s laughed off as stalking, but cross check all facts on search engines and social media sites to know for sure you are meeting the correct person. It is essential to check the person’s authenticity.

3. Meet up with them in a place which you are comfortable with and know like the back of your hand. Needless to say, meet in a public space where there are going to be other people around.

4. Daytime meetings are underrated – brunch dates, early evening walks, breakfast dates are all a good bet if you are concerned about your safety, especially for the first few meetings.

5. Trust your gut – our instincts are far more powerful then we give them credit for, so if you get a hunch that the person you are meeting isn’t all that, or you get some bad vibes from them, call the whole thing off.

6. Don’t meet someone right off the bat. Talk to them for a while, chat, text, call, get to know them and then meet them after.