I have been on a Dateline binge recently which has really taught me a lot. So I have created this list of things to look for in a significant other—red flags…things that should make you pause for a second. Had people been aware of these little rules of thumb it may have saved their lives.

By the way, every single one of these is from a real episode of Dateline.

So here goes…

Top 10 Things I have Learned from Watching Dateline

If your partner does any of these, it’s best to high tail it out of there…..

10

If your husband invites you on a romantic vacation to a remote location and tells you not to bring any luggage.

9

If your boyfriend has you pre-write and sign postcards before your vacation.

8

If your girlfriend often points out oleanders on the side of the freeway and says they’re a great way to poison somebody without getting caught.

7

If you meet someone on a BDSM website and they invite you over to come see their dungeon.

6

If you wake up and your husband is hovering over you with a mallet and a pillow, and then later blames his rather bizarre behavior on getting stung by a jellyfish.

5

If you’ve just been dating someone for a few weeks and they say they think it would be a great idea for you guys to buy life insurance policies on each other.

4

If your wife goes to Home Depot and buys zip ties, duct tape, welding gloves, a hack saw, a shovel and a 50 gallon rubbermaid tub.

3

If your wife shops at Home Depot in disguise.

2

If your husband has taken up crafting hand made concrete anchors in the garage and you’ve never known him to sail.

And number 1….

If you’ve been suffering from a mystery illness for weeks and your loving husband keeps offering you Gatorade.