[swiggy]

I wanna take a second to say thank you to Chemda (and indirectly Kyle) for sharing that they struggle with these sorts of interactions.

I'm autistic, and I'm female. Navigating small talk with strangers is sometimes like climbing Mount Everest. Not only do I have to pay attention to the content of the message, I also have to pay attention to body language & eye contact to be sure a person is actually interested in what I'm saying. Due to this, I've become comfortable in telling strangers trying to engage in small talk (when it's not necessary) "Nothing against you, but I'm not into talking today, thank you". Then I'm just quiet. If they keep talking, I don't respond. Having headphones is helpful. I've come to accept that this stranger might think I'm an asshole/bitch, but that's on them. It doesn't affect my life.

To hear that neurotypical people have the same struggles is kinda reassuring, but I'm wondering if it's because Kyle and Chemda are female, and the social pressures on females is different then males. On top of this, there's a fucked up social ranking system with car-ride services. Would Kyle's "social rating" in regards to Uber's system be lowered because not wanting to talk to someone, and making it clear to that driver she doesn't want to talk, makes her a less desirable passenger to a male driver? Males can be cold & stoic with less worry of the ranking system, not having to worry about "bitch" label. I mean, who cares if it's a stranger. But in this case, there's a social ranking system that has affect for future rides.

Is there no way to notify the driver ahead of time requesting the ride be quiet (no small talk)?