<p>In my day, an officer accepting a ride from an enlisted, especially a junior one they didn’t know, would not have been proper, no matter how cold and/or wet they were. For just this type of reason. You become beholding to the individual and in his debt. What would you do if, later on, you were assigned to a courts martial board and, low and behold, there is your friend being court martialled? Doesn’t really matter if they are in your chain of command or not.</p>