@Soros Shorts
so the escrow thing with giving him cash seems safe no?
i mean, yes he could technically run away, but this profile
https://localbitcoins.com/accounts/profile/israeliboy/ seems very safe to me atleast, i have zero experience, but with a profile like this, would you feel 100% comfortable giving him cash and waiting for him to press the release button?
You have to make your own judgment whether you want to carry $500 in the location that you agreed to meet. FWIW I was always the seller, so my focus was on how not to get jumped AFTER the transaction. I've done way more than $500, though, if that should put you at ease.