When responding to or placing a personal ad local, one of the biggest challenges can be finding someone who is truly compatible with you. It can be difficult to portray yourself accurately in an online ad and it's just as hard for someone else to get an understanding of your true personality from reading it. There can be safety concerns when meeting up with people that you don't know very well, so it's important to take steps to ensure that both parties are comfortable and safe when arranging a date.