"Many of us will accept other forms of verification besides references.  For example, I'm willing to see anyone that I can confirm their real identity (in other words, I know they're not a cop, and if they hurt or rob me, I know where to find them).

Many girls will also accept employment verification, meaning that they call you at work to make sure you're really who you say you are there (usually they call pretending to be "Mary from State Farm" or something like that).  

It can also be a good idea to join either Preferred 411 or DateCheck; each of these sites will do the above verification - they make you prove who you are - and then they vouch for your identity to the providers.  Then all you have to do is see a newbie friendly provider from that site who will then okay you after the meeting.  

It can be complicated - it's kind of like a new graduate trying to get a job:  they can't find a job because they don't have experience, but they can't get experience until they get a job.  But stick with it and be tenacious, and you will be successful. "

If some one called you out of the blue asking you to meet them in a location that has only you and the person, what information would you ask for? Some hobbyists don't want to give out information like work phone numbers that help make providers more comfortable about seeing them. Don't give out information like credit information or your driver license information to strangers, but you should be willing to give out your real name and some information that the provider or agency can use to verify you. Before you give out the information, confirm that the provider is the real deal and not a variety of the ripoff artists that orbit this business.