I been very lucky and got to people all over the world from the Net, face to face and although I am Male, meeting anyone has risks.

Other than what has already been added, another trick is the phone call after the first x minutes, when you get a friend to call you and they check that you are ok. It also gives you an out if you feel uncomfortable with the situation, as you can easily say your friend is in trouble.

Anyways met in a cafe for coffee before lunch, that way you have options to stay longer for lunch if you like the person or leave saying you have to be someplace else for lunch. Make sure the cafe is popular and you have parked your car (if you are driving) someplace close that is not in some back street.

Meeting people is incredibly rewarding, I wish you the best.