An Awkward Ride

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Today I had to go back to Oroville, a town about an hour away from me (I thought it was closer but lately it takes an hour to get there) for an appointment with my gastroenterologist. The appointment went well, but man was the car ride uncomfortable. The driver didn't speak the entire time and wouldn't even turn on the radio, so we just sat in awkward silence. The only sound was the wind whooshing outside the car and the sound of one of us coughing. The rides are a lot less awkward and go by faster when the driver is friendly and chats with you, or at least turns on music for you to listen to. This guy was just rigid and weird. When he picked me up for the return trip, I said "hello again!" as I was climbing in the car, and he didn't even respond. I have really bad social anxiety and it makes it worse when someone just sits there and doesn't even acknowledge you've said anything. Ahh, well, at least I got there and back in one piece, and hopefully I won't ever have that driver again. He wasn't the worst I've ever had -- that honor goes to the big, dirty guy in short overalls who took me to Oroville once a couple months ago -- he looked like something out of "Deliverance," and his speech was almost unintelligible; he kept crunching ice out of a Big Gulp cup, and he stunk of B.O. really bad...he also didn't talk most the ride and wouldn't turn on the radio. I'm grateful my insurance covers these rides to my appointments, but I don't know about some of these drivers!