You're stopped at a red light on Massachusetts Avenue when you notice the attractive person in the car next to you. Your eyes meet, each of you spontaneously breaking into a smile.
But before you can roll down your window and beg for the person's name or even cell phone number, the light turns green.
Your potential flame heads towards Harvard Square, your last view of him or her nothing but the flash of tail lights.
Previously, those in such scenarios had nothing to do but watch as their potential flame drove off into the distance.
But entrepreneur Ben Phillips is determined to help lonely drivers get in touch, by way of his new Web site, FlirtingInTraffic.com.
Flirting in Traffic, still in its early stages, was launched this year on Jan. 25. The site allows members to set up very basic Facebook-like profiles - which other users can view when they know a member's "flirting ID."
When a member signs up for the service, he or she receives a small, oval-shaped bumper sticker in the mail. The sticker is printed with a number that becomes his or her personal "flirting ID"- similar to a screen name.
Placing the sticker on the back of a car or bike is the final step: Once that's done, you're officially ready to start flirting in traffic.
Members, or "flirts," who notice each other while on the road, can log on to the Web site, and can look up each other's profiles using the "flirting ID."
If the person is of interest, members can correspond through Flirting in Traffic's independent email system.
"This is a whole concept to meeting people," Phillips said, insisting that flirtingintraffic.com is not simply the newest fad in internet dating.
"The site is set up so that [people] pretty much had to have met in real life somewhere in order for one person to get the other's ID number," he said.
In the case of unwanted contact, the Web site also allows members to block correspondence from certain users.
"All you do is click 'Block' when on the harassing member's summary profile and they will never be heard from again," Phillips explained. "You can also edit your blocked list in case you make a mistake."
Though still in its first month of release, Flirting in Traffic is already attracting attention across the country.
Phillips reported 1252 "flirts" nationwide as of 5 p.m. on February 9, with members signed up in as many as 44 states. California currently boasts the most users.
"We had a one-minute interview on KROQ out in LA," Phillips said. "And since then, it seems like word of mouth has California in the lead as far as members, which is very encouraging!"
However, many Tufts students seem skeptical of the service, and feel that it is unnecessary in a college community where it is already relatively easy to meet people.
"If I was a little older and was commuting to work everyday, it might be interesting," said senior Ariel Rudolph, adding that he didn't see the service having much success within the Tufts community.
"The thing with a lot of those Internet dating sites is they're a phenomenon for people in their 30's," senior Sarah Morrison-Cohen said.
She also added that many people have trouble meeting prospective partners after they graduate, but that during college, there is a lot of social contact.
Senior Martha Dietz agreed and cited living in dorms as the easiest way for students to meet each other.
"College kids just have to walk down the hallway," she said.
Other students also said they wouldn't be inclined to use the Web site, citing lack of privacy as one of their main objections.
They pointed to AOL Instant Messenger and websites like Facebook and Social Monkey as examples of how many students are almost always "accessible."
"It creeps me out to think that people could see me somewhere and look me up," senior Shaina Tofias said.
She also thought that the Flirting in Traffic concept took some of the fun out of checking out fellow drivers.
"A lot of the attraction when you see people in other cars is that it's anonymous and mysterious," Tofias said.
In an attempt to involve such skeptics, Phillips is already busy preparing the release of two other Web sites.
Both are aimed at fostering romantic connections between students who don't see flirting in traffic as a viable way to meet prospective partners or friends.
Flirtingoncampus.com, for example, will have the same basic concept as the traffic model, but instead of using bumper stickers to display "flirting ID's," it will feature special luggage tags which can be affixed to purses or backpacks commonly carried around campus.
"We're unveiling Flirting on Campus at the Valentine's Day basketball game between St. Joe's and Temple [University]," Phillips said.
"We will be giving out free memberships and luggage tags with members' 'flirting ID's' at our booth during the game," he added.
The second website, flirtingatthebar.com, takes a slightly different approach to Internet dating and is more based in an initial face to face meeting.
Rather than use a bumper sticker or luggage tag which is visible to the anyone in the general vicinity, Flirting at the Bar will use business cards which members can give to someone who they might chat with but to whom they don't feel comfortable giving a phone number or email address.
"Cards will contain the members 'Flirting ID' with our logo," explained Phillips.
"You flirt with someone, or maybe the waiter or waitress, hand them a card, and ask them to look you up later," he said.
"This helps remove the fear of rejection and the uncomfortable situation that can arise when asking someone for their phone number," he added.
