How do you get passed them not wanting to meet?

I don’t know if it’s a joke. Almost everyone I talk to when it comes to an invitation to meet, always say the same thing and it really bugs me.

“How do I know you’re not an Axe murderer?”

“I was taught to never meet with strangers”

It perplexes me and I often wonder if it’s a test, or just another way to say they aren’t interested without actually saying it.