Thank you Ma'am

Wren

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I don't mind it. I've been called ma'am since I was 16 and worked at Walgreens. Around here you are called ma'am or sir if someone wants to talk to you (and be polite), but they don't know your name. No one says miss around here, so ma'am seems to be the only alternative. I don't mind. I've never taken it as an old person thing, especially at 16.
 
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Luther073082

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Does anyone else get this when they go out? I *hate* it, I'm like do I look old to you? Usually teenagers or sometimes people who are around my age do this.

How else do you address a woman (respectfully) when you don't know their name?

Don't be offended by it. I sort of have the opinion that if someone doesn't mean something to be offensive then its stupid to be offended or hurt by it.
 
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Inkachu

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How else do you address a woman (respectfully) when you don't know their name?

"Miss" - if she's a young woman.

If she looks old enough to be your mother or grandmother, then I'd use "Ma'am".

Better to err on the side of flattery than on the side of insult!

I used to hate it when someone called me "ma'am" when I was in my early 20's or so. Now I don't mind, because I'm of the age where I could easily be married, and "ma'am" is what you call a married woman.
 
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deliciousBass

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Well, considering I was in the military, it's kind of drilled into you to call officer's sir or ma'am and I worked around officers a lot so it's routine for me to call anybody I don't know sir or ma'am if they are older than me.

I dread the day when somebody calls me sir because of my age :(

Yesterday somebody said I looked older than 25! :cry:
 
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Wren

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I actually prefer it if someone doesn't know me to call me sir.

I'm the same way, although with ma'am. What's the alternative, hey you (if they want to get your attention kind of thing)? I don't want to be called miss because it would feel weird seeing as no one is called miss around here unless they are like 10 and under.
 
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Luther073082

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I'm the same way, although with ma'am. What's the alternative, hey you (if they want to get your attention kind of thing)? I don't want to be called miss because it would feel weird seeing as no one is called miss around here unless they are like 10 and under.

I was going to say, the oldest person that I've ever called miss was like 14.

Of course much of the time when they are a kid, I give them the apparently very controversial "hon" or "honey" or for the boys "buddy", "bud" or "son".
 
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In most of the businesses I've worked, if someone looks to be around my age or older, we are told to call them "sir" or "ma'am". It would be alright to call them "miss", except for the fact that I've had some customers who take offense to it because they're married. I've never had an unmarried woman take offense to being called "ma'am" when I'm on the clock at my job.

In my personal life, if I don't know their name, it depends on how old they look as to how I get their attention. If they look around my age, I say "Excuse me...". If they look older than me, I'll say "Excuse me, sir" or "Excuse me, ma'am". I've only ever had one woman take offense to that, but she also told me I was degrading women by holding the door open for them (despite the fact there was a guy right behind them that I also held the door for).
 
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Manda_24

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I was raised to speak to people you don't know, especially if they are older then you as "Yes sir" or "Yes ma'am"

I was too, it's what's polite.

That said it feels a little weird when someone says it to me. I remember the first time a kid called me ma'am, I was surprised at first but then was really glad that there are kids that have manners.
 
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