The only time I've met online friends "in real life" was when I drove 400 miles to Kansas specifically for that. We all met at a shooting range, and everybody was armed to the teeth ... and then some. I think things were pretty secure around there! Of course we didn't take firearms just because we were meeting each other, ... after all, it WAS a two day shooting event we were attending! What a great bunch of folks and a super fun event. So don't avoid meeting others because of fear, you'll miss out on a lot of fun, but be sure where/how you're meeting is safe and secure.