# Let's just say...



## Sasquatch! (Aug 10, 2010)

...you wanted to meet an online friend in real life. Where would be the ideal place?

Somewhere located exactly halfway between where they live and where you live?


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## Paquito (Aug 10, 2010)

Sounds fair. But if this you trying to meet up with me, we would probably end up in the middle of the ocean.


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## Sasquatch! (Aug 10, 2010)

Yeah, I'm thinking the Azores would be our safest bet, Paquito.


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## Paquito (Aug 10, 2010)

I am SO getting lucky.


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## theronin23 (Aug 10, 2010)

Sasquatch! said:


> ...you wanted to meet an online friend in real life. Where would be the ideal place?
> 
> Somewhere located exactly halfway between where they live and where you live?



Mall...coffee shop...somewhere public with lots of people around. Just sayin'.


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## Sasquatch! (Aug 10, 2010)

Shut up and kiss me, you caramel lion you!


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## Paquito (Aug 10, 2010)

Sasquatch! said:


> Shut up and kiss me, you caramel lion you!



Lovin' my life right now. Lovin' it nice and hard.

And yea, public place. With lots of witnesses.


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## Sasquatch! (Aug 10, 2010)

I'm getting a vibe it should be somewhere food related?

Also.....


> Lovin' it nice and hard.



......that is what she said.


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## slowpoke219 (Aug 10, 2010)

I'd recommend either where you or she live rather than someplace in the middle. That way you'd both be familiar with the area and would have a better idea of someplace good to go. Have and good luck.


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## Ola (Aug 10, 2010)

Well I guess it depends on how well you know or trust the person. Personally I've never met someone halfway, but I have either invited the person home or been invited myself. If it's a lady I tend to offer to come to them the first time simply because I figure the risks for them to meet up with an online stranger are much greater than for me. It basically gives them the option to both meet me up in a public place - presumably a train station since that's usually how I travel - and having the opportunity to leave me there and go home if they get a bad feeling from the encounter. That said, I've never had a lady run away from her first encounter with me. Not even when we've met for a second time!  

Anywhoo... If I'm meeting a guy it's been a bit different in the past. One gentleman came home to my place and stayed in the guest room for the evening, and another fellow I met out on town and just got drunk with. xD 

In any case, I don't think I could define an "ideal" place to meet up, because it depends so much on how well you know each other and if you have a healthy dose of paranoia or not.  But so long as the initial encounter is in a public place, I think the rest can be decided on a case-to-case basis.


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## ~da rev~ (Aug 10, 2010)

In the back of a rape van. :bounce:


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## rabbitislove (Aug 11, 2010)

Id have to to meet like half my message board crushes, but whatever, they can come to me since Ive given up on pursuing guys. 

They can also take me out for a nice vegetarian dinner and meet my mother. Who lives 20 hours from me.


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## Amaranthine (Aug 11, 2010)

~da rev~ said:


> In the back of a rape van. :bounce:



And offer an incentive of course.


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## Mordecai (Aug 11, 2010)

I've met internet pals on their turf usually. It gives me an excuse to visit somewhere.


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## djudex (Aug 11, 2010)

rabbitislove said:


> they can come to me since Ive given up on pursuing guys. They can also take me out for a nice vegetarian dinner



You, me and some tasty treats at MAD Greens.



> and meet my mother. Who lives 20 hours from me.



We'll have to talk about this one


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## JenFromOC (Aug 11, 2010)

Sasquatch! said:


> ...you wanted to meet an online friend in real life. Where would be the ideal place?
> 
> Somewhere located exactly halfway between where they live and where you live?



I try to stick close to my place...and I've met dates at a bar, a restaurant, and Starbucks.


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## Zowie (Aug 11, 2010)

That's so cool! Who are you meeting? Is it a girl?

But yes, public places are good for
both parties. Although never too far from homebase in case things go _really_ well.


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## orinoco (Aug 11, 2010)

bionic_eggplant said:


> That's so cool! Who are you meeting? Is it a girl?
> 
> But yes, public places are good for
> both parties. Although never too far from homebase in case things go _really_ well.



ummmm homebase?! do you have some sort of fetish regarding DIY store employees and power tools?  (i'm guessing this will fly over the heads of non-brits )


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## Sasquatch! (Aug 11, 2010)

orinoco said:


> ummmm homebase?! do you have some sort of fetish regarding DIY store employees and power tools?  (i'm guessing this will fly over the heads of non-brits )



Bwahahahahah!

And no, not meeting anyone in particular. Last time I met a young girl on the internet, the first time I met her face to face was when she came down to sign the legal papers *shifty eyes*


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## Tad (Aug 11, 2010)

I suppose it depends a lot on how far apart you live, and your relative mobility (if one of you has to be on call, for instance, obviously in their area!). 

That aside, I'd say somewhere that is interesting for both, comfortable for both, and obviously safe. Like, if you lived in cities a few hours apart, perhaps meet for lunch in a popular picturesque town vaguely between (even if off to the side), provided you could each get there easily enough. That way if you hit it off you could proceed to poke around the town a bit, admiring the architecture or antique shops or whatever it is they have, as an excuse to spend more time together. 

On the other hand, if you live more like an hour apart, eh, a coffee shop somewhere in the middle


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## RJI (Aug 11, 2010)

I've met a few online people at local bars/pubs. It is public and if you don't have a connection you can get a buzz to keep it from being a total waste.


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## retardia (Aug 12, 2010)

From a female point of view, I probably wouldn't invite anyone 'unknown' into my house and probably wouldn't feel comfortable going to their's either, unless we'd been chatting on the phone for a while and they didn't seem too psycho.

Meeting mid-way sounds good. Recently I met up with an online potential boyfriend (didn't work out, oh well) half-way, in a pub, then we saw a movie. Lots of people about, a couple of drinks to relax, and no preconceived ideas about spending the night.

Although, in the past when I was about 14 I'd just travel up on the train to boys' houses and stay the night with them (nothing dodgy; we'd stay up all night playing Elite Force online, laaame).


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## rabbitislove (Aug 16, 2010)

djudex said:


> You, me and some tasty treats at MAD Greens.



Ive never been, but they've opened one up near one of my favourite organic grocery stores. Now that a culinary rock star has brought it up, I may have to check it out. 

And I dont like to steriotype but asking fat guys about food is like asking Stephen Hawking about science. They know their shit.


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## TheMildlyStrangeone (Aug 16, 2010)

bionic_eggplant said:


> Although never too far from homebase in case things go _really_ well.




this. I personally enjoy homefield advantage but a road game be just as exciting, if not more.


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## Wanderer (Aug 16, 2010)

rabbitislove said:


> Ive never been, but they've opened one up near one of my favourite organic grocery stores. Now that a culinary rock star has brought it up, I may have to check it out.
> 
> And I dont like to steriotype but asking fat guys about food is like asking Stephen Hawking about science. They know their shit.



Hey, we don't get this big from breathing.


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## Buffetbelly (Aug 16, 2010)

I met up with a Toronto lady in Buffalo, which is the half way point from Cleveland. We met at the food court and when I was stuffed to her satisfaction she took me to Casual Male and helped me select some new (larger) clothes. Then we went to Torrid so she could spend her Canadian dollars (highly valued at the time!). A wonderful time was had by all!


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## Wanderer (Aug 20, 2010)

Buffetbelly said:


> I met up with a Toronto lady in Buffalo, which is the half way point from Cleveland. We met at the food court and when I was stuffed to her satisfaction she took me to Casual Male and helped me select some new (larger) clothes. Then we went to Torrid so she could spend her Canadian dollars (highly valued at the time!). A wonderful time was had by all!



You're one of the few people I know of to live a slice of gainer fantasy. Congratulations!


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## Kazak (Aug 21, 2010)

orinoco said:


> ummmm homebase?! do you have some sort of fetish regarding DIY store employees and power tools?  (i'm guessing this will fly over the heads of non-brits )



Late 80's/ early 90's there were some Homebase stores here in SoCal, but a couple years after they opened they became Home Depot stores. Buy out I guess.


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## BigChaz (Aug 21, 2010)

One day I will get to finally meet up with a nice lady from this site and here is how it will go. I've got this shit all planned out!

1) We meet for coffee someplace with good coffee. We talk, we laugh, we have fun.
2) We go do something physical - be it mini-golf (with the pre-requisite of stopping for drinks somewhere first, walking around the boardwalk at the beach, or climbing a mountain or three
3) We do dinner / dinners
4) Possible drinking here?
5) Improvise

See?


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## WillSpark (Aug 21, 2010)

6) ????
7) Profit!!!


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## Sasquatch! (Aug 21, 2010)

8)Open a chain of sandwich shops?


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## BigChaz (Aug 21, 2010)

9) Eat sandwiches and get fat


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## Paquito (Aug 21, 2010)

10.) Get too fat to get out of the sandwich shop?


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## BigChaz (Aug 21, 2010)

11) Go on the jared diet


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## WillSpark (Aug 21, 2010)

12) ?????
13) More Profit!!!


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## FishCharming (Aug 22, 2010)

BigChaz said:


> One day I will get to finally meet up with a nice lady from this site and here is how it will go. I've got this shit all planned out!
> 
> 1) We meet for coffee someplace with good coffee. We talk, we laugh, we have fun.
> 2) We go do something physical - be it mini-golf (with the pre-requisite of stopping for drinks somewhere first, walking around the boardwalk at the beach, or climbing a mountain or three
> ...



you have mountains in FL?


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## theronin23 (Aug 22, 2010)

FishCharming said:


> you have mountains in FL?



Not really, no. The tallest one in the state is man-made.


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## CastingPearls (Aug 24, 2010)

If by friend you mean love interest, I would prefer if he were to come closer to me first, rather than halfway because it's always a good idea for at least one to know the area and I'm kinda old-fashioned that the guy should come to me, but that's just me. After that though, half way, or somewhere along the way that's an area of interest to both of us, and also back and forth is good. Also, only fair.


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## Carl1h (Aug 25, 2010)

Women I have met have all wanted me to go to them, but I think the meetings would have gone better if they had more invested in it. Now I feel that someone who isn't willing to travel a little, isn't really that interested. I guess I am about where Rabbit is, I'm done chasing people but I can meet somewhere in between.

I also think there is something to be said for meeting people off their home turf, a bit out of their comfort zone and without some of the barriers they might otherwise hide behind.


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## theronin23 (Aug 26, 2010)

Carl1h said:


> I also think there is something to be said for meeting people off their home turf, a bit out of their comfort zone and without some of the barriers they might otherwise hide behind.



I think the only problem with that is, it's a VERY fine line. You bring some people out of their comfort zone too much and MORE barriers get put up.


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## warwagon86 (Aug 26, 2010)

do something fun and make it interesting at the same time!

why not find a theme park or something that you both enjoy or a baseball game or whatever you yanks or canucks are into at this time and meet there

that way its something you both enjoy doing, you can still chat etc, if you dont find the spark yous were hoping for and its awkward you can still watch or do something you enjoy


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## jewels_mystery (Aug 26, 2010)

For the first visit,I usually have the guys meet in my town. After that I meet them halfway. We usually go to a movie and dinner.


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## FishCharming (Aug 26, 2010)

every time i've met someone off the interwebs they've been local. i've never even considered meeting someone more than like 20 mins away because if we hit it off it would be too much of an inconvenience to see them on a regular basis. 

and it's always been at a coffee shop. it's a very social atmosphere and one that is conducive to conversation. Getting dinner or drinks just always comes with a subtle expectation...


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## Carl1h (Aug 26, 2010)

Yes, the problem is that when it comes to dating there are a lot of fine lines and a lot of problems.



theronin23 said:


> I think the only problem with that is, it's a VERY fine line. You bring some people out of their comfort zone too much and MORE barriers get put up.


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## deanbpm (Aug 26, 2010)

I have met a few people IRL who I have met online. Used to meet up with people in a nightclub I used to go to because they had quite a busy forum so we would arrange meet-ups and I have also met up with people who I play on Xbox Live with, even at their houses but in some cases I had been speaking to them for 3 years so knew them anyway and my opinion of them did not change after meeting them in person. Also met a few friends of friends I have spoke to on Facebook and what not.


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## theronin23 (Aug 26, 2010)

I've met people off the internet where they came to me, and I've met people off the internet where I went to them. Longest I've driven is four hours to meet someone.

Carl, I disagree. Completely. I don't think dating should be about fine lines. If you're so worried about fine lines, you never have time to be yourself. I'm more about just rolling with it, being myself, and letting the chips fall where they may. That's much different from how I used to be though lol.


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