h2g2 The Hitchhiker's Guide to the Galaxy: Earth Edition

If the date is ever to happen, you have to meet up.

Chances are, you don't really know each other's grasp of theloca area, sense of direction, sense of timing and so on, so keep your meeting arrangements *simple*. Make your meeting point unmistakeable: public - for safety if the other one doesn't arrive, but not somewhere so busy you miss seeing each other.

If the other person names a renezous that you don't know, speak up and say so until you choose somewhere mutually familiar If you don't you'll spend too much of the time worrying about getting lost or being late - you've got enough to worry about!

As you may guess from this: I've managed to miss someone on the first date (or maybe they missed me!) I went off with another guy, who the next day told the first guy all about it. It's almost surprising, isn't it, that I ended up marrying the first guy after all? See how close we came to missing out for good!

Although meeting at a public place is good, and definatley suggested, I wouldn't suggest somewhere like a resturant. If you get stood up you look like a fool to the staff and feel even worse to yourself.
Somewhere like a pub, somewhere that's you'd be comfortable on your own in case you end up being on your own. You then don't feel as bad if it goes horribly wrong.