Does it make you feel crappy when teenagers call you sir or m'am?

I am 27 years old and this has been happening to me more and more frequently over the past couple years.





I know they're just being polite, but doesn't it make you feel old?Does it make you feel crappy when teenagers call you sir or m'am?
The first time that happened to me, I looked at the teen square in his eyes for a full minute until he blushed. With my sharp detection skills I concluded that no malice was intended.





Good thing.





He was being nice.Does it make you feel crappy when teenagers call you sir or m'am?
For me, it's the other way around. Haha. When I order something off the phone or when I talk to someone over the phone that doesn't know me, they call me sir and i'm only 14. lol. Like when i'm ordering pizza or something, they would call me sir. But it's cool when people talk to each other formally.
nothing wrong with some respect..
Just be glad they are giving you some respect instead of some guff. 27 isn't anywhere near old. :)
It used to bug me until I realized how much nicer it is than how most teenagers (and other ages) talk to people. It's not that they think we are old, they were just raised with manners. That unfortunately doesn't seem to be all that common anymore.
I feel ya. I'm 24 and get it more and more...I refuse to admit I'm getting oldER.
I like it and have always liked it. It shows me that they were raised with some manners (unlike most teenagers nowadays).
Nope--it makes me feel good that our future generations are respectful. It means that things aren't as bad as some want you to believe.....
I am 34. This happened to me for the first time about a month ago walking into a restaurant with my wife and son. I held the door open for a teenager and he said ';thank you sir'; to me.





I felt . . . old. Oh well. Better than him being a smart azz to me. Damn kids these days . . . when I was their age I would walk five miles to school in four feet of snow . . . up hill . . . both ways. Kids these days with their PSP3 and iPhones and such . . . when I was their age we had cassette players and Betamax video players and we listened to Michael Jackson when his skin was still somewhat dark.





But hey, at least I still have my hair ;-)
I am 33 and I love to see younger people with respect. I also call people sir or ma'am. It is just a form of respect.
No, it makes me happy to see teenagers that have respect for people that are older than they are.
Its only respect. Lots of young people have no respect nowadays
As a teenager (18) who works in a restaurant and has to address strangers politely every day, I am a sir/ma'am sayer. I mean, I guess it's just instinct; I don't know the customer's names, so I can't call them by that, and I would never in a million years say something like ';hey, you'; to a customer.





Someone called me ma'am the other day, though, and I was absolutely shocked, so I guess I can understand the dilemma.
it should be thats the reason that i do it!!!
its use to when I was younger but at 43 its more a respect thing and I guess we all love having respect handed to us!


sometimes it makes me feel old and I am certain they are speaking to my mother (lol) but hey Respect the older adults they enjoy it!
i don't have a problem with teens calling me ma'am as much as people that are my age or older calling me ma'am. i'm 25 but don't look it half the time.
No. at least they have manners... don't find that too often anymore.
to address a person as ';sir/ma'am'; is a matter of respect. not only teenagers who do that, but even in offices, banks, restaurants, etc. they will use this word to call you in a polite form. every time i entered a bank, eventhough they are older than me, they will greet me ';good morning ma'am, how can i help you?';


you have to be proud of yourself that they are respecting you in some ways.


what if these teenagers call you ';hi s.lut'; will you feel happy?
Not really, just a form of adressing someone, whether their speaking to my age or otherwise and accept it as such. It's not a issue unless I choose to make it one. The way the world seems today, I could be treated worse let alone called worse.


I was raised using those terms as a sign of respect and honor for ones elders. The older I get the more significant these things are to me because I believe that in honoring and respecting those around us, elder or not makes one honorable and respectable. Thus helping to turn the tide in areas where it's so easy to turn to hate. God bless them.
I first noticed it when I was 25, it was brief and rare but on occasion the pimply store clerk would call me ma'am :/





Yeah it made me feel old, considering I was only in my twenties for pity's sake. But I realized something, when it comes to costumer service, people are trained to say things like ';ma'am'; or ';sir'; when talking to anyone over 18 (or whatever the legal age limit is where you are). So, it's nothing personal, they're just doing their jobs.





Could be worse, ';ma'am'; is a whole lot better than ';hey old bag'; ;)
haha, you know I don't know if this will make you feel worst, but I'm also 27.......but I have a baby face and people still think I'm 19.





I get young man, from people who are 2 years older than me.
It is a compliment when the younger generation shows you respect. There is not enough of that these days. It makes me feel good to know that a few people are still teaching their kids what is important. Some old fashioned values.
I can understand how we all crave respect in a crazy world, but the whole sir and ma'am thing feels very antiquated to me. That's how you can address my grandparents.
YES....I'm 34 now...but in my middle and late 20's teenagers did the same to me. I would say...';I'm not old enough to be a ma'am'; I tell them to call me ';Miss'; instead. Now that I've gotten ';older'; I don't say anything anymore. I remember when I was a teen...25 might as well have been 55.
No, it is called respect!!
I'm a truck driver ,we call everyone sir or ma'ma or Hon.
No, it's a sign of respect. It means you are an adult woman, not an old lady. Obviously you are not from the South, or a military brat!


It's when they call you a body part that you should be insulted.


Wait until your kids start trying out words on you [ they learn a lot of them at school ].


I would drive my son and his friends around, and listen to all the 'cuss words' they used as adjectives.


My response would be 'No f*****g in the car' or wherever else we were. After initial shock, they modified their language around me.


Second response ' That can't suck, they have no lips. '


We have very interesting conversations in the car.
No, they are showing you respect. I live in the south and people here addresses each other as Sir or Ma'am it is their way of showing respect. Plus you are only as old as you feel.
I'm a teen, and I call people sir or ma'am. I feel that it is disrespectful to call them anything else (ex. hey you or hey lady). My parents always taught me to respect my elders. I don't think any teen that respectfully calls you sir or ma'am means to make you feel old.
I don't mind the respect. Yes it does make me feel old but then again to some I am. I also use it for older people then my self.
You are old. Deal with it