And my answer is simple: yes, you should definitely talk to someone on the phone before going out on a date as long as you want that date to totally suck.

Should I call her before the date?

A phone call is still the best method to ask a woman out if youve met her in person already or a friend is fixing you up. If you met online, though, I recommend just scheduling the date over email, sans the call. In addition, its best to confirm (generally done by the guy) a day before the date.