Next time someone gives you a signal in traffic, it may not be to indicate a right turn. Or to invite you to race. Or even to express road rage. It could be the start of something romantic.
The highway has become the next stop on the Internet dating scene. A free Web site, Flirtingintraffic.com, debuted six months ago as a way to link drivers who catch each other's eye.
"The hook is that someone can meet you instead of never seeing you again after the light changes," said Jennifer Litz, 24, of San Antonio, Texas. A blogger, Litz was chosen last month from hundreds of candidates to be the Web site's flirting expert.
Site visitors can complete an online biography and upload a head shot. They will get a Flirting ID that can be printed on an oval bumper sticker. Drivers can flirt from behind the wheel or take it further by jotting down the ID and getting acquainted online.
Law-enforcement officers say the flirting might attract someone dangerous.
But Litz says the flirting can be subtle and relatively safe because people initially communicate on the Web site rather than by personal e-mail. The site had more than 1 million hits in June and has pulled in 7,500 members nationwide.