I too am in the SoCal area. Yes, there are flakes. Maybe because I’ve been on so long my sixth sense has gotten really keen…the percentage of SA contacts I move on to directly conversing with via text and/or messengers has dropped dramatically from when I first started with seeking. The percentage of those that I actually arrange to meet, also is low.
No, as mentioned above I’ve gotten much more selective about who I’m comfortable taking the next step with. Lots of experiences, none dangerous/bad but some sad/frustrating.