Turning down a ride because something feels off isn’t overreacting. It’s being smart.

Unease is information, even when you cannot put it in a sentence. Something about the driver, the hour or the group has registered underneath your thinking, and the pressure to be polite is exactly what makes those moments hard. Being wrong costs you one awkward minute. Being right and ignoring it costs considerably more.

Keep a way out ready before you need it: enough money for a different ride, somebody you can call, a reason to leave. Use it without apologising, and sort out the embarrassment afterward.