Story from Jam Press (Dating Rules) Pictured: Beth Thomas and Molly Cookson. Dating duo BFFs reveal craziest dates and share ‘non-negotiable’ rules – including BACKGROUND CHECKS on men A duo of best friends tackling the London dating scene have revealed their craziest dates and “non-negotiable” rules for prospective partners. Beth Thomas, 30, and Molly Cookson, 26, are trying new dating techniques in a bid to make dating fun again. The quest has landed the two in bizarre scenarios including a ‘triple date’ with another pal and three men, and Beth having a Hinge date drive for 10 hours to pick up a new puppy with her – having only met the man once before setting off across the country. Their four top rules include making the date come to your area for the first date, arriving earlier than them, doing a “small background check”, and sharing your live location with a loved one. Sharing the tips on TikTok with their 30,000 followers, Beth says: “Make them come to your area for the first date. How much effort are they putting in from the start? We need to see some effort is what I’m saying. “Number two – I like to arrive earlier than them. I love to be sat there with a drink while you see them from afar looking nervous, being on their phone and scouting the room to try and find you. “Three – do a small background check. I do like to search them on LinkedIn and every other social platform to see if I can find them. “I also like to go on their tagged pictures on Instagram and see who their friends are – is that a bit much? “Number four – safety first please, let’s be sharing our location with someone else.” In a YouTube video published on Shera, ( ), a digital platform dedicated to empowering women, the two shared all on how they came to join forces and tackle the dating world. After testing several dating apps, the two women discovered dating to be a trial, with many attempted relationships falling flat. The two came up with a plan to triple date, having their friends share the experience with them. Beth added: “I like Molly, and she likes me, so we knew if we went on a date with two other people, we would at least like one person there. “We both put on our Hinge profiles that we were both looking to double date and I had a match. “He said he had another mate who he lived with that would be down for a triple date. “Molly suggested starting a group chat and we added some rules. “The date itself was very fun. We started the day with a massive house clean, everyone came here beforehand, we played some games and then it was time to do the escape room,” said Molly. “Some of us had more successful parts of the triple date than others. “It was clear for me and the guy I was paired with that it wasn’t really a romantic vibe from the offset but it was fun to meet new people.” For Beth, the triple date was a huge success, landing her in a relationship after the fun evening. Now the girls share their tips on TikTok ( ) with 30,000 followers, discussing their red and green flags, awkward stories and what gives them the ick. Molly said: “My biggest red flag is if someone is overly insinuating sexual things, that’s disrespectful. “My green flag is being honest and communicative. “An ick for me is when you get to the end of the first date and they wait for the bus to come with you and then you have the awkward, are we going to kiss are we not, snogging at the bus stop.” Beth added: “My red flag is someone who is such a mansplainer. “My green flag is someone who knows how to communicate with you, you know where you stand, you know what’s going on.” The best advice the pair give is to be yourself and trust your gut, only doing what you are comfortable with. Molly said: “Trust your gut. If you don’t feel ready but people are being like, get out there, trust your gut go on the rebound, trust yourself. “You are the person that knows you the best so whether that is trusting your gut with the people you are dating, dating at all, how to go about doing it, there’s no rules. “Everyone’s situation is very different – dating can be really fun.” ENDS EDITOR’S NOTES: Press must include mention of Shera and digital press must include hyperlink: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zIg8_dmhU0 Please note that Shera is a platform owned by Jam Press and all permissions are in place for usage. FULL VIDEO CAN BE FOUND HERE – PRESS WELCOME TO EMBED: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=_zIg8_dmhU0 Video Usage Licence: (NON-EXCLUSIVE) We have obtained a non-exclusive licence from the copyright holder. A copy of the licence is available on request. Video Restrictions: None.