How do you define a "real" relationship? (No, I'm not trying to be snarky.) I tend to prefer to discuss stuff online -- though, admittedly, I am not big on FB and have yet to participate in Twitter. As I understand it, those media are both prone to very shallow types of interaction. Discussion boards, IM, and email are all more inclined to encourage serious, in depth conversation. I have belonged to email lists and discussion boards that foster in person meetings for members and lead to real relationships (sometimes including marriage). I don't happen to think interacting face-to-face makes a relationship automatically more "real".

Food for thought: I find that being without a car and accepting rides to and from work has been an interesting social experience. Some of these folks really become friends. A car is a private setting where two strangers can be alone together in relative safety, in part because you have privacy in terms of speaking but the outside world can still see you. Therefore, you can have more personal discussions than what typically happens at work in the break room or at someone's desk. The whole awkwardness of trying to determine how much eye contact is right is avoided because you sit next to each other and face forward. The driver has no choice but to keep their eye on the road if they are actually going to drive.

I guess accepting rides has some parallels to the practice of making friends via hobbies: It provides an opportunity to talk if you happen to hit it off without requiring it. It seems to me if you want to make friends, you need a means to experience that kind of thing with people -- the ability/opportunity to talk openly without pressure or expectation to do so.

Good luck with this.