I don't consider myself particularly timid- I routinely fly my own plane
between -4 and +8 g, although it's rated for a lot more, and am pretty
comfortable flying upside down equally well. I also have quite a few hours
flying in the back of F-16's with live ordinance hung off the wings as well,
sitting in a hot ejection seat with a rocket motor. This has nothing to do
with timidity.

I just choose not to jump in any stranger's plane for a joy ride. In
particular there seems to be a disproportionate number of Cirrus crashes
where the pilots apparently had more money than judgment.

If he sounded like he was mature and was known and respected by the FBO
owner, then perhaps this was good enough for you. On the other hand, there
are two pilots on our field who had just purchased new planes- an SU-29 and
a brand new Pitts, and both damaged their planes significantly in landing
accidents within the first 10 hours of ownership (one of them also had an
SR-22). Both are experienced and mature individuals, and not risk takers.
Would you have wanted to be on board for a joy ride during one of those
flights?

Don't mistake good judgment or cautiousness for a lack of macho.