|
Revving it up: Flirting with other motorists |
|
|
|
|
|
|
Written by Terry Lee Goodrich, MCT
|
|
Friday, 11 August 2006 |
|
|
|
|
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 people who catch each other’s eye while passing by.
“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.
Some people groan at the notion, seeing flirting as one more driving distraction on a list that includes chatting on a cellphone, watching television, applying makeup and eating. And law enforcement officers say it might attract someone dangerous.
But Litz says the flirting can be subtle — “don’t hang out the window and wave” — 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.
Wooing from behind the wheel helps people winnow out candidates in ways that many Web sites do not, Litz said.
People can tell immediately whether they feel the “spark” many consider crucial to a relationship, she said. The approach is more efficient and realistic than wading through old photos some people post on dating sites or trying to make conversation in a bar.
The bumper stickers that flirts use as ID are maroon and cost $4.99, although thrifty folks may print out their own in black and white on adhesive labels, said Ilyse Shapiro, a site publicist in Wynnewood, Pa.
The founders of Flirtingintraffic.com are thinking about offering a rainbow bumper sticker for gay people. It could be a timesaver for people like one Fort Worth, Texas, woman, 24, who registered on the site to search for other women.
Some romance seekers prefer to flirt in traffic without a Web site as a go-between. A month ago, Angela Clements printed cards with her first name, her phone number and a picture of a rose printed in pink. She has given cards to about a dozen men.
“It’s all about multitasking,” said Clements, 35, an executive assistant who works in telecommunications. “I figure this is utilizing your time.”
After all, the average person in Dallas-Fort Worth is stuck in traffic about 60 hours a year — the country’s sixth-worst gridlock, according to the Texas Transportation Institute.
Clements said her direct approach has led to pleasant dates.
But some guys erroneously figure, “fast car, fast girl” when they spot her silver Pontiac G6 with a sunroof.
Some people are unnerved by in-traffic overtures, among them Matt Hurd, 31, a plumbing/heating/air-conditioning specialist.
While in his truck at a stoplight, he spotted a woman looking at him in her side-view mirror.
“I could see her mouth moving and thought she was cussing at first,” he said. “I drove fast and passed her, but she weaved in and out of cars to get to me. She rode my bumper, then pulled up and kept pace with me. I had to look over, and then she did the phone signal.”
He pulled over, and she handed him a card with the message “Wanna Be Friends?” and her name and phone number.
Hurd said he prefers less-aggressive women.
“It alarmed me,” he said. “I thought maybe she wanted to lure me to her lair so she and her husband could kill me.”
Good point, said Kennedale, Texas, Police Chief Tommy Williams.
A flirt might be Mr. or Miss Right — or a stalker or worse, he said.
Clements said she insists on meeting a man in a public place. She does not hand out her cards after dark. And she slammed on the brakes, figuratively speaking, when a 20-something wanted to meet her at a hotel at 2:30 a.m.
Sometimes, her prospects are puzzled.
“One guy just thought I was trying to tell him he had a flat tire,” she said.
But Litz says the confusion will clear up as the word gets out.
“If you like the person’s looks and have made that initial eye contact and they haven’t tried to road-rage you, maybe at the second light you can maintain the eye contact and see if you can get some kind of banter going without crashing,” Litz said.
“If you can do that, that bodes well for your future communication.”
———
ONLINE: www.flirtingintraffic.com
FLIRTING TIPS
The winks and fluttering eyelashes that people once used to flirt might be mistaken these days for a nervous tic or grit in a contact lens. Founders of www.flirtingintraffic.com have designed bumper stickers and personal IDs to be more direct. And once behind-the-wheel flirts meet online or in person, here are ways to fan the flames.
Don’t rely on cliches online — like overdoing wink icons — or be suggestive.
When you meet face to face, look into the other person’s eyes, but don’t stare.
- Be attentive; don’t interrupt.
- Lean forward in your chair to show interest.
- Touch but don’t maul. A light hand on the arm is OK; a bearhug is not.
- Speak softly (assuming you are not in a boisterous place) and smile often.
- Guys, be chivalrous. Open doors; offer to fetch drink refills.
- Use a little humor but no ribald jokes or poking fun at the other person.
- Females with long hair might wind it around a finger; guys, arch an eyebrow.
———
SOURCES: Robin Webber of Boston, marketing coordinator of 8minuteDating; Elaine Wang, 18, graduate of Lamar High School in Arlington, Texas, former writer for the Star-Telegram’s Whatever section; Billy Monroe Fite, 73, of Fort Worth, described by friends as “a professional flirter”; Jennifer Litz, flirting expert with www.flirtingintraffic.com | Only registered users can write comments.
Please login or register. |
|
|  | "Humankind cannot gain anything without first giving something in return. To obtain, something of equal value must be lost. That is Alchemy's first law of Equivalent Exchange. In those days, we really believed that to be the world's one, and only truth." | |
|  | We're not that bright, even though in our own little world, we're geniuses. We like 80s hair bands and one-hit wonders, but among us we have respectable tastes, too. Metallica, Iron Maiden, U2. Pursuit of all things trivial is a lifestyle, not just a game. We like some sports, love other sports, and can find something to say about anything. We watch TV and movies and we've read a book or two, even a few classics (Yes, Classic Comics count!)
We call it insight, you call it what you will. | |
|  | Felix Wong is an outdoor enthusiast living in Fort Collins. A mechanical engineer by day, he is especially passionate about bicycling, running, and backpacking. | |
|  | Hola Amigos! I'm Sandra. I like to believe that people are 70 percent good and 30 percent dumb. I'm stickin to that story. Reading this blog might make you want to be good, but probably just dumb. | |
|  | Donovan Henderson is editor of NEXTnc. | |
|  | Here at Nextnc we have some characters. Get a sneak peak behind the curtain and find out what amusing antics our staffers get themselves into on a weekly basis. | |
|  | What is up FoCo?
I am a recent college graduate of Minnesota State University Moorhead. After recieving my B.A. in English and Mass Communications this past August I moved down to Colorado.
I enjoy long walks on the beach, candlelight dinners, and heavy metal. My hobbies include reading and writing, music, movies, and getting drunk. Some of my favorite contemporary authors include Bret Easton Ellis, Chuck Palahniuk, and Kurt Vonnegut. My top movies are anything directed by Kubrick. I enjoy listening to anything that rocks.
Right now I am just trying to get to know Colorado and FoCo better. Mostly in order to find the best drink specials on each day that ends in Y. So if you know where I can get a cheap drunk on, let me know!
--Drew | |
|  | Life's little morsels of inspiration, observation and encouragement seen through the eyes of the Nextnc reporter.
| |
|  | Ms. Giles currently lives in Colorado where she stars in her own private reality show. She writes aphoristic accounts of her life, taken completely out of context, and embellished with characters and situations disguised to resemble something close to interesting. | |
|  | over and out | |
| | My name is Michelle Turley and I'm 28 years old. I live in Severance with my hubbie, Brandon. We have 2 dogs and a cat. We enjoy camping, four-wheeling, and just being in the mountains. I like to cook, clean (go figure), flea market, and play poker. I have so much to say about poker... | |
|
|
