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You know you're getting old when...

I have a question for this thread today… when do you transition from being called “mate” or “buddy” by people in customer-facing roles to being called “sir”? I’ve noticed people starting to call me “sir” lately and it does make me feel more… mature, shall we say!

It also dawned upon me the other day that when we used to watch X Factor, the category that everybody used to think of as being comparatively geriatric was the over 25s… and I’m only 3 years off falling into that category myself! That spooks me a bit…
 
Matt N said:
I have a question for this thread today… when do you transition from being called “mate” or “buddy” by people in customer-facing roles to being called “sir”? I’ve noticed people starting to call me “sir” lately and it does make me feel more… mature, shall we say!

It also dawned upon me the other day that when we used to watch X Factor, the category that everybody used to think of as being comparatively geriatric was the over 25s… and I’m only 3 years off falling into that category myself! That spooks me a bit…
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Over 25’s was diabolical 😂

I had a cafe job when I was 16 and tbf even then all the people would refer to me as ‘that man’
 
It's less to do with age, than the type of place.
If I go to the corner shop, where I've know the guy for twenty years, he greets me by "good day, sir". If I go to the pub, they call me "mate". If I go to a fancy eatery, they call me "guys".

Back when I worked in Pizza Hut a quarter century ago, it was always "sir / madam" or you're fired.
 
DiogoJ42 said:
It's less to do with age, than the type of place.
If I go to the corner shop, where I've know the guy for twenty years, he greets me by "good day, sir". If I go to the pub, they call me "mate". If I go to a fancy eatery, they call me "guys".

Back when I worked in Pizza Hut a quarter century ago, it was always "sir / madam" or you're fired.
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The context for one particular interaction was at Paultons Park last month. The ride host on Velociraptor asked me things like “How many rides are you on now, Sir?”.

By contrast, I’ve definitely had people in other parks call me more childish things like “mate” or “buddy” in the past.
Dhev123 said:
I had a cafe job when I was 16 and tbf even then all the people would refer to me as ‘that man’
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I may have put this in this thread before, but I had a double take moment when I went on the bus about a year ago and a woman getting off with her small children said “Mind out, kids; that man wants to get on the bus!”.

I was the only one at the bus stop, so I looked around, wondering where this man she was referring to was… and then it dawned on me that I was the man! That was a… strange moment!
 
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It's nice when someone calls you sir, provided its not followed by "your making a scene"

Think its more down to manners than anything, especially in a customer facing role. Suppose how you follow up that initial interaction may change how they address you in future interactions.
 
Matt N said:
It also dawned upon me the other day that when we used to watch X Factor, the category that everybody used to think of as being comparatively geriatric was the over 25s… and I’m only 3 years off falling into that category myself! That spooks me a bit…
Click to expand...
Don't worry, soon you'll be in a shop buying a beer and the cashier will come over to approve it and press the "Clearly over 25" button just a little bit too quickly for my liking.
 
It reminds me of that scene in Only Fools & Horses where the work experience kid calls Rodney "Sir" and he looks round to see who he's talking to!

But it really just depends on how people talk, rather than your age. Personally, I find it a bit too formal and don't think businesses should make their staff address customers like that, but that's just my preference. Some people seem to genuinely feel they're more polite by using that term, which can only be a good thing.
 
East Coast Mariner said:
It reminds me of that scene in Only Fools & Horses where the work experience kid calls Rodney "Sir" and he looks round to see who he's talking to!

But it really just depends on how people talk, rather than your age. Personally, I find it a bit too formal and don't think businesses should make their staff address customers like that, but that's just my preference. Some people seem to genuinely feel they're more polite by using that term, which can only be a good thing.
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Wasn’t the works experience kid Max Branning from Eastenders?
 
Alsty said:
Don't worry, soon you'll be in a shop buying a beer and the cashier will come over to approve it and press the "Clearly over 25" button just a little bit too quickly for my liking.
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Stopping getting asked for ID in America was a real wake up call, had to ask the server if they were being serious when they ID'd a friend a few minutes later.
 
More "you know you needed more sleep when", but...

Autopilot my through morning ablutions.
Stumble in to the kitchen, fill kettle, put it on base. Grab Talocan mug, add tea bag.
Notice kettle has not yet been switched on, so do that.
Return to mug, add two spoons of sugar, then two spoons of instant coffee.
Add powder to washing machine and start load.
Pour kettle in to mug.
....
Realise something looks and smells very wrong.
Swear, tip unholy cofftea abomination down sink, and start again.
 
Probably should start a new thread: "You know you're tired when"

Some of mine include trying to put the cereal in the fridge, pouring juice over my cereal instead of milk, and making a cup of tea without boiling the kettle first.
 
I know the resident pirate likes big number jumps...
Listening in to good old Tony Blackburn on my way to work at half six this morning, chuckling at his **** jokes and sixties pop hits.
Just like I used to working in the family shop half a century ago on a saturday morning...precisely.
Same jokes, same songs, same voice...a full one thousand three hundred weeks later...same **** on a weekend morning.
Arnold the dog.

I'm a proper old *** me.
Meet you in the single rider queue.
 
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