Eh, I used to feel that I had to have a phone conversation. And then, after about, oh dozens of awful in-person meets after great phone calls, I decided to just skip straight to the meet.
I've had literally hundreds of online dates, several relationships, etc.
What I've learned is that is simply no substitute for in-person chemistry.
Has nothing to do with safety. You still meet in a public place, blah blah blah. Whether you had a delightful phone call or not, the safety issue is the same.
But no, I'd rather just get to face-to-face, as quickly as possible.