Will you have dinner with me tonight?

He sounded really desperate and unstable. If I was one of the people in that group, I would decline him at all cost. He's a stranger, we can't simply trust him and have dinner with him. It's not wise to hang out with a needy person in a very critical situation, if we agree to go to dinner with him, he will probably get attached to us and won't leave us alone. Even if I had lived next door to him, I would still decline his offer. He needs time for himself, to sort things out and figure out what he needed to do. This sounded like a pick up line to get a date easier, and it might not be safe for us to go with him.

I wouldn't go because in the first place, I don't know the man personally. Even if he sounded nice when chatting, I would still not accept his offer. There were people who have become victims because of trusting people they only have met through social networking sites (facebook for one).

It depends, this person might really need someone to talk to aside from his close friends. But nowadays, we don't know if people are just pretending to be a good guy. But if you really think that this person needs someone to talk to and you are willing to lend an ear, I would suggest that if ever you'd be going out with him make sure that it is on a crowdy restaurant. You can ask a friend to come along with you and just stay on separate table so that he won't be oblige to pay for the biils. In that way, if this is true then at least you were able to help him by listening to his problem.

Well if you have been talking for him for quite a long time and have interacted with him so often that you may have known a lot about the person too - I think that it would be okay. But it would be better if you would meet the person bringing a friend with you. Coz nowadays, there's a lot of crazy people that it's actually hard to trust someone who actually desperately seeking someone to talk with him personally. He can talk by calling anyone or chatting.

Propably i would not accept his offer and i would not even respond to him.Maybe i am wrong and the man just wanted a company to spend the night but i would never jeopardize my safety

It depends on how well you have known him in your group. If you and he have known for a while, and he also a reliable person, you can help him without a hesitation. In case you don't know him well, you must think carefully.

I'm looking at this in two ways. First, as a good Samaritan. What if he was the Christ, what would I do? Second as the person I am, how would I do it. Firstly, if the man was new to the community, he possibly didn't know anyone and due to circumstances didn't feel it was appropriate to discuss it with the group he was in. I've had someone do this exact thing to me, and here is what I did. I told him to be prepared to pay for four people at dinner if I was going to meet him. Of course, he asked me why four people. I informed him because I wasn't going to meet him, when I didn't know him without protection to guarantee my safety. Surprisingly he agreed to it. He never knew where I lived or how to contact me except through the internet. It was a lovely dinner and my two male friends (well qualified as bodyguards) had a great meal too, although they sat at a different table. The man needed the company of a woman who was not judgmental of his occupation and not interested in how much money he made. He was lonely and only in my area for around 90 days, which seemed to be about the length of time his occupation kept him in one place. While he talked to me at the dinner, the one friend with me checked him out through the internet and some other resources he had access to. By the end of the dinner, I knew all about him and what he did for a living. But I wasn't interested in him after that not even as a dinner companion. I know he picked up on it and it made him sad, but truth was we had nothing in common. It pays to have good friends who watch your back like I have. Thanks for the discussion!

Here's an idea... Instead of going out with him in person, how about having dinner on line... I travel a lot because of my work... There are times when I have to go on a business trip for few days & I can't be home to have dinner with my girlfriend & my daughter... My girlfriend has Skype on her laptop... There were times when I connect to Skype through either iPad or my laptop & my girlfriend would bring her laptop to the dinner table... I would set up in a small table in my room with my iPad's camera facing me so I can see them & they can see me & we would have dinner "together" that way... We still would carry on a conversation... You, or somebody from your social network, might be able to do the same thing... That way, he could have a dinner companion without somebody having to physically be there in person... I don't know, just a thought...

That is a tough one. Maybe I would but would bring another person and pay for them so that I would not be alone.

Me, personally, I would not have taken the offer - sorry to say. First of all, I don't know what kind of social networking site that is, but his offer sounds like what someone on a dating site would offer . . . and I certainly would not meet someone in person until I felt I had enough communication going to know I had an inkling of trust in this person. I'd have to ask further what he wanted to talk about and perhaps offer to chat about it online. But never would I even think of meeting someone in person like that! And besides - I'm married and have two little ones - I would never go out to dinner with an online stranger!!

Hi Porcospino To be honest, right now, I can understand this person better. There are times when you do need someone to share... maybe the good time or the bad time or even just a shoulder to cry upon. To me, I would have agreed to meeting this person if I was a friend, had been actively participating with him/her. I mean, may not be be comfortable with a complete stranger but still... Travel many a times is a constraint as you point out and if it is in the same city, or that the person can come to mine... why not give this a try? At end, there is only one of the two possibilities - I enjoy my time with him and return with a satisfaction that I could help or walk away if things arent heading the right way.

I won't be accepting that kind of offer from a stranger or a person which I only knew from the internet. Definitely not because we don't know if that person is just fooling me or just playing prank. Well, basically if he really need someone to talk with, he must console it with a friend.

I do not trust strangers on the internet. It would have to be verry public place and I would watch my food and drinks. IF I went!

actually,we do can have dinner with someone eventhough we are not in the same city,same country,same land..... we can have dinner together through the internet....... well, maybe the time differnce will make it lunch and supper or breakfast........and anyway....... we can have dinner together through the camera and chat i would do that

hi porcospino n ot in this day and age would I have dinner with someone I did not know at all. I might think he was just lonely and needed a friend but again maybe he could be a stalker . I had trouble with a stalker , went to dinner with him and refused to marry hin or accept his ring. He threw it on the floor then came arou nd and was shoking me. had not two big burly waiters pulled hin off me I would h ave suffocated. he went to prison for that. no I would not take a chance these days at all.

Porco, it is depending on the invitation was coming from whom. If i had known that person for quite a long time, then i will surely accept that invitation. Another thing is, since i am already married, i prefer only to accept invitation from another lady only. I hope to get invitation from you in future, to have dinner together. Hope you are doing fine over there, my friend...Have a nice weekend...

I don't know, but probably not. There are so many crazy persons in this world that you never know what type of person this guy can be. Of course that he could be a very nice guy that was only needing a friend to have dinner with him, but who knows, right? For safety, I would pass the invitation too.

Maybe i would if i personally know this person, but if not. I think i rather not go out with him. It's really difficult to trust somebody you really don't know. He might do something bad, right? I hope that if ever somebody is serious about going dinner with him, i hope she/his ok.