I’ve gone on a million dates. Many were blind dates. They usually went something like this:

“He’s good-looking, has a great job, and knows all about you.”

(Translation: He's already Googled me.)

“Then why aren’t you dating him?”

“Oh, he’s not my type. But I'm SURE he'll be yours."

Riiight.

So: here’s a list of safety tips when diving into the dating world of the unknown. Learn by my error:

1. The Repo Man.
He picked me up in a huge truck. At the time, I didn't even know what a repo man was. Soon, he got a call; would I mind if we went quickly to do a small task?

Thirty minutes later, we pulled up next to a detective. “You wait here," he hissed. "I’ll go and scope the place out.”

“Uh. What’s going on here?” I asked.

“Don’t worry," replied Repo Man. "Nine out of 10 times, no one is violent. They’re just faking it to intimidate you.” (Violent? Who is violent?)

A moment later, my date had hooked a car to his truck; shortly thereafter, a gigantic man stormed of his house and stood between the car and the truck, screaming that he would call his lawyer. The second he stepped away away from the truck, Repo Man hit the gas, sped away and gave me whiplash.

LESSON LEARNED: Take your own car on a blind date.

2. The Harley Guy
This one was hopeless from the start: My friend who set us up “forgot” to mention that he was 20 years older than me. He wore his hair deeply parted on the right, dragging over extra-long bangs to hide his bald spot. He had yellow fever and wouldn't believe I’d never seen "Madame Butterfly.” I tried to ditch him in a mall, but he continued to follow me. He asked to see me again while I pretended to weigh the merits of various batteries at Radio Shack.

LESSON LEARNED: Go to a public area and tell him with authority to leave you alone. If he does not, go to a store and ask for security to walk you to your car.

3. The Hoarder
"I know a person like you would not be judgmental," he said, opening the door to a junk-packed living room marked with pathways that appeared to have been made by a very large hamster. He held my hand as he led me through the trails. How romantic.

LESSON LEARNED: Feel no obligation on a first date. Do not worry about being rude, bitchy, or selfish.

4. The Key Grip
We went to dinner with a large group, but he stared at me across the table until someone mentioned 9-11. “I ask you, where are the weapons of mass destruction?” he yelled. As he countinued to rant, the rest of the table shrunk with embarrassment.

LESSON LEARNED: There is safety in numbers, but it's even safer if you don't discuss politics, religion or “So You Think You Can Dance.”

5. The ER Doctor
Over dinner at a nice Italian dinner restaurant, he provided exacting detail about a recent patient who visited ER with a cucumber lodged in his butt. Before I could say "urban myth," he described its removal in painstaking detail.

LESSON LEARNED: Set a time limit. Have a girlfriend call at a designated time to check in with you. If you are ready to go, politely excuse yourself. And since you’re driving your own car, you can go home and pretend like it never happened.

An actor and women’s safety advocate, Candace Kita is the author of “The Hottie Handbook: A Girl’s Guide to Safety." As a safety specialist, Candace has been interviewed by People, Good Morning America, the Jay Leno Show, Inside Edition, the Los Angeles Times, 48 Hours, the LOGO Network and WHO Australia.