Fancy a lift?

Every weekday morning I walk to the train station.

It's a walk I enjoy. Through the park, past the same friendly faces. It takes about half an hour and the extra exercise means I can occasionally eat a lump of hydrogenated snack food without too much guilt.

But... at least three mornings a week, my friendly neighbour passes in her car and stops to offer me a lift to the station. It's a kind and neighbourly offer and, so far, I've always accepted. I'm too bloody polite to tell her I don't want a lift, that I prefer my leisurely stroll, just me, the park and James Taylor on the iPod. You see, I don't want to offend her because she's really nice and I occasionally don't mind getting a lift, especially when the rain is chucking it down.

To some, a half hour walk in the near pitch-dark at 7.30am is an act of pure mentalness, but to me, it's the only time of day I get to be alone (apart from a couple of visits to the toilet but I'm not sure they count - mind you, imagine how weird it would be if SHE DID pop her head over the toilet partition wall and said: "Morning! Need any help?")

So how do I tell her that, thanks very much but I prefer to walk to the station in the morning?

Will she be offended and never offer me a lift or any other neighbourly hand of friendship ever again? Will she watch me from inside her warm car, swerving closer to the kerb to deliberately splash me with a puddle?

Or will she politely say "That's fine, any time you DO want a lift, just you let me know" and we'll both be on our way, except I'll feel like a total shit and she'll think I'm an ungrateful twat who thinks he's too good to get into my car?

I await tomorrow morning with dread.

You just don't need that kind of shit in the morning do you? (no reference to above toilet scenario intended)