With the prevalence of social media, dating has become more dangerous than ever before. For most people, before they find their prince or princess, there are a whole lot of frogs! And for some, that first date after clicking their profile or swiping left on their mobile device could be walking into a bad, even dangerous, situation.
So in the northern corner of the United Kingdom, there is a new initiative called “Ask for Angela.” It is a pioneering new idea developed by the local government in Lincolnshire. It is designed to help folks who find themselves in a bad situation on a date. This initiative took off when a local woman, Isobel O’Brien spotted a “Ask for Angela” poster in the ladies room of a bar. She was so taken by the simplicity and power of the idea that she took a photo, tweeted the photo and watched in rack up 38,000 likes and more than 30,000 retweets. Obviously, this idea has taken on a life of its own.
Here’s what the poster said:
“Hi, I’m Angela.
“Are you on a date that isn’t working out? Is your Tinder or POF [Plenty Of Fish] date not who they said they were on their profile?
“Do you feel like you’re not in a safe situation? Does it all feel a bit weird?”
The poster continues:
“If you go to the bar and ask for ‘Angela’ the bar staff will know you need some help getting out of your situation and will call you a taxi or help you out discreetly — without too much fuss.”
Isobel O’Brien wrote on Twitter, “I saw this in a toilet, and thought it was important and should be a thing everywhere not just Lincolnshire!!!”
Well, Isobel, thanks to you, it has, it surely has! Let’s hope that many people are rescued from bad and even dangerous situations simply by
