Flirtingintraffic.com -- who knew?

Answer: Growth rings. High-rise condos. Light-rail transit.

Question: What are hot topics related to the Charlotte-area boom in population during the past decade?

With the explosion of people comes more flirting. You got it – flirting. There are tons of single folks who are buying up the 800-square foot lofts and who are spending more than an hour a day driving up I-77 or down I-85. And the dating Web site http://www.flirtingintraffic.com/ is banking on those single commuters who love to flash a smile at the cutie in the Honda Accord in the next lane.

I had never heard of the site until a couple weeks ago, when I saw a sticker on the rear window of a girl’s Ford Explorer in rush-hour traffic. The sticker, strikingly similar to the OBX and LKN oval ones that are ubiquitous throughout Charlotte, had an ID code and the Web site listing. Curiosity got the best of me because as soon as I got to work, I logged on to the site, and I immediately thought, “Wow! Why didn’t I think of this?”

The concept is elementary. Sign up for a sticker ID by submitting your zip code online, order it for $4.99 or print out your own for free, slap it on your car, drive down the highway, bat your eyelashes and hope someone logs on to send you a message.

“The idea and the site are really catching on,” said Nikki Brash, a media representative for flirtingintraffic.com. “We might cater to singles but the site also attracts people who just want to meet friends to meet up for coffee.”

Brash said the site, a venture started a year ago, has approximately 15,000 users. Because the only required field on the online registration is zip code, the only stat relevant to our region that she could provide was that about 2,000 users between North and South Carolina are currently registered. The site attracts the most users from California, with 6,000 people logging on.

I’m not entirely convinced this is the best way to meet your future spouse, but you have to admit it’s not much different than buying a gal a drink at the bar and hoping she’ll come over and talk to you. This way, you’re just hoping to get an e-mail instead of a hangover.

The best part about the site: Not only can you add a photo of yourself to your profile, but you can also upload that close-up shot of your car!

Why didn’t I think of this?