Social network helps commuters meet others on the go

We’ve seen a variety of businesses launched to help travellers connect during the course of their journey — KLM and Air France’s Bluenity, for example — but relatively little offering similar capabilities for daily commuters. Now, however, there’s Bumped.in, an online community for people on the go. Users of Bumped.in begin by signing up with the free service and creating a profile or signing in through Facebook Connect. They can then enter any upcoming travel plans — whether it’s the daily commute or a longer trip — and Bumped.in will automatically tell them which other users are travelling in close proximity. From there, users can browse the profiles of those fellow travellers, send messages and connect in person; they can also share tips, photos and recommendations about everything from new routes to new restaurants. California-based Bumped.in explains: “Every time we travel, we cross paths with people who could potentially enrich our lives. But oftentimes, we’re missing an outlet that allows us to connect, network and interact.” The site is designed to offer just that; in fact, “why not start a book club on the subway?” it suggests. Ad-supported Bumped.in supports real-time transit alerts for many rail systems as well, including New York City’s MTA, Chicago’s CTA, Boston’s MBTA and Canada’s VIA Rail. Meanwhile, a mobile app for Bumped.in is coming soon, as is a developer API. One to help bring to other parts of the world? (Related: Trip-planning site helps find others to travel the world with — Connecting airline travellers for a shared cab — Londoners share lifts to Luton airport — Enhanced networking for business travellers — Sympvertising and secrets for business travellers.) Spotted by Maria Dahl Jørgensen