Blind dates are one of the ultimate taboos in the world of young adults. As students strive to find the right person, they are bound to run into ones who are not right for them. It seems like everyone has a story about the girl who only talked about her crazy cats or a guy getting drunk and belligerent.

But, oftentimes students trust someone they might not know anything about when they go out on blind dates. Something as simple as riding in a car to a movie is something that should be treated with caution.

Remember the old parental saying not to get into cars with strangers? Students should not completely throw that mentality out the window. Young adults still need to be defensive out in the real world.

Here are a few tips to stay safe while attempting to find a soul mate.

1) Pay attention to the pattern of behavior beforehand.

If the person is not really engaging in a conversation and seems disinterested, yet is still nodding and agreeing with everything being said, this might be a red flag.

“This could be one of two things,” said Dr. Lisa Cravens-Brown, an Ohio State psychology professor. She explains that many predators work very hard to be liked, and this is something they might do to make the person feel at ease.

“But, it could be that they are not interested in you at all,” Cravens-Brown says.

Also, if the person is persistent about being alone with their date, that might raise a few questions. If they insist on driving to dinner or a movie and are unwilling to take “no” for an answer, reconsider spending time alone with this person.

2) Be aware of your surroundings and be proactive.

Being constantly mindful of the surroundings is something else students can do to stay safe.

Rick Amweg, Assistant Chief of the University Police Department, has spoken to thousands of people on this subject.

“My one piece of advice is one word: awareness,” Amweg said. “There’s more to it than just that, but my message is this: If something seems wrong, then take some action to correct it.”

Amweg also suggests students do things to protect themselves in the future.

“Escaping the situation is always important, but having a defensive plan is equally important,” Amweg said. “That’s where programs like RAD (Rape Aggression Defense) become vitally important.”

3) Be informed about where you can get help if you need it.

Another thing that students can do to protect themselves is to be well informed about where to get help if they need it. There are always phone numbers available to students in need of help.

“The only emergency number people need to know is 9-1-1,” says Amweg. “Students can also call University Police at 292-2121 if the situation is a non-emergency and they will be able to talk with an officer about their situation.”

If officers need to come out and take a report, they are not there to simply document the crime, Amweg said.”

(The officers) offer support and advice and guide victims to appropriate counseling and other services.”

4) After the date, you are not obligated to do anything.

Let’s say after a student goes out with someone, their date come knocking at their door a couple of days later unannounced. This alone could be seen as a red flag. But this can be an uncomfortable situation because they might feel obligated to invite that person in.

Cravens-Brown suggested trying to be courteous but strong. For example, ask them to wait outside then suggest getting a cup of coffee.

“You always have the right to say ‘no,’ especially if you are feeling uncomfortable,” Cravens-Brown said.

5) Do not worry about going on a formal date until you get to know the person better.

Many students find that the best thing to do when they meet someone who they might be romantically interested in is to get to know them in social settings.

“I would never go out with someone that I didn’t know very well,” said Andrew Shives, a senior in chemical engineering. “I would probably want to get to know them extremely well before I became romantically involved with them.”

This is one of the safest things to do for protection. Make sure they are trustworthy before getting romantically involved.

Alex Drumm can be reached at [email protected].