Just to add to this, when meeting for the first time make sure it's in a nice, public place. Also it's a good idea to do this in the middle of the day and not at night. Lastly, make sure you're not dependent on your date to get you home. It's all common sense, but too often forgotten when meeting someone you think is all right.
It should be quite a fun topic, by the way, to post chatlogs of the situations you all describe here. I know I would be entertained. : )