How to make a friend request

I often get a friend request out of the blue with no preamble. I think it's better to send a message to someone to introduce myself and explore the reason I would like to request a friendship. I live in Arizona. So far, I can count on one hand the TN members that I have met in person. I never accept a request from a newby from the east coast who by the way is usually not certified or been on TN for more than a few months. Anyone agree?