Oh don't apologise denuseri, this thread has an excellent balance of the good & bad sides of D/s relationships & first meetings. You're very welcome to talk about your experiences.

Life is about balance- you pay insurance in case your house burns down, but you sure hope it doesn't. I believe that being aware of the dark side of things shouldn't mean that we never aim for the stars.

A good comment that you should be able to tell your prospective Dom about your safety precautions- if he's genuine he'll encourage it.

I also believe any Dom who has a problem with being doubted is sending out warning signals. If he's genuine, a new sub's safety & welfare comes way before his own insecurity.

Comments such as the one by Oz in another thread that 'no one would ever meet' if they we were all suspicious & took proper precautions, are nonsense.