You can never fully ensure that a first date won’t go horribly wrong, but there are certain precautions you can take to make sure it goes as smoothly as possible. Reddit user AverageJane09 recently picked the brains of some fellow Redditors for their best tips for a successful first date and here’s what they had to say:

Skip the standby movie:

Choose your eats carefully:

Use your phone to your advantage:

Or maybe don’t use your phone at all:

Have the courtesy to give them an early out if they want one:

Because it also means you get an out if you want one:

Pay attention to how they’re responding to you:

Because in the end, this date is as much about them as it is about you:

[via HowAboutWe]