Online Dating Tips Part III : Meeting in public

When you want to meet offline after meet in online dating site, choose well‐lit place is best, a café or restaurant with other people around.
If you would rather meet at a bar or a club, remember to get your own drinks. If you drink at all, drink only a bit. Intoxication may be seen as a vulnerability.
If someone insists on getting your drink for you, tell them no. If they still don’t respect that, please do not to take the drink and consider ending your time with the person.
Another advantage of meeting in public is that you can bring friends with you. They can watch your back and they can let you know their impressions of your date.
If you decide to leave with the person, get the address of where you’ll be and their phone number. Introduce them to the bartender, friends, or acquaintances before leaving. Let them know you gave info to your friends so they know where you are for safety.

Asserting Your Boundaries:
Use your voice.
Will someone really stop if I tell them to? What if I just make them angry?
One should always take verbal threats seriously, but know that verbal self‐defense is a great first line of defense. Resistance breaks the assailant’s script and places doubt in their mind about their ability to commit the crime. Note: there is a difference between being aggressive and assertive. Being aggressive is often perceived as confrontational and threatening. To de‐escalate a situation, it is important to criticize the behavior, not the person. We can exercise our rights without denying the rights of others by choosing to be assertive Below are steps to assertive communication:
Maintain confident body language‐ Stand/sit tall, keep your head up, shoulders back
Make eye contact.
Respond firmly and quickly.
Speak in a steady, calm voice.
Use clear, command‐type language, and use “I‐statements” (i.e. “I feel uncomfortable when you talk to me that way and I want you to stop.”).
Be specific as to what behavior it is you want stopped.
Send a clear and consistent message with your words, voice, eyes, and body language.