Old dude called me ma'am and i'm only 25

Is this normal? He was like 55ish with his son that was close to my age and I accidentally didn't see him on line and stepped in front of him because he was like 15 feet from the cashier! I'm thinking 6 feet is the norm with social distancing so I didn't expect this guy to be 15 feet back and when I stepped next in line, he just shouted MA'AM WHAT ARE YOU DOING!!!!

Scared the crap out of me and made me also wonder why an older dude was calling me ma'am when I'm still ID for buying alcohol. Ma'am to me means at least 50+, it's not meant for younger people at all especially not some guy old enough to be my dad calling me ma'am, da fuq is that?

Is this normal?

Voting Results
92% Normal
Based on 26 votes (24 yes)
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Comments ( 48 )
  • Cliche1234

    First world problem...and ma'am is supposed to be a polite way to address a woman of whatever age, for fuck sake.

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    • It's not first world problems if someone is calling ma'am and thinks I look old

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  • Mammal-lover

    What would you prefer. Bitch,sir, hey you, slut, female standing there, cunt, whore, etc. Basically my point is shut up

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    • No, "miss"

      Ma'am is for older women

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      • Clunk42

        It is not. Ma'am is for any female who's not a child or teenager.

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      • Mammal-lover

        Miss? Thats defintly for old people

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  • TerriAngel

    What should he have said?
    Yo bitch, why you cuttin in line?
    He was polite, that should be ok.

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  • COVID-19

    Next time someone calls you ma'am, DEMAND they address you by your proper title: dumb bitch.

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    • Why the need to be more rude? I'm here to ask a simple question not to be berated.

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      • COVID-19

        Fair enough, I apologise. From the other responses here though it's clear that you have nothing to worry about.

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        • Thanks

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  • missywishy

    What’s so bad about being called Madam??? You could be called worse. I’m only 21 and I’ve been called madam and Miss since I was 16. (I’ve got a baby face too)
    it’s nothing to do with looking old it’s just a polite way to address a lady.

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    • Are you in a place where that's the norm though? It's an insult when we hear ma'am where I live as that usually implies over 50.

      At my work, all my older coworkers call a 25 year old miss, I can only imagine the reaction if they ever used ma'am on a 25 year old.

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      • donteatstuffoffthesidewalk

        madams run whorehouses

        maams are women

        misses are girls

        youre 25 so despite the fact you obviously cant handle the thoughtsa bein an adult youre more than across that line

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  • Meowypowers

    It is kind, hes probably from the southern usa

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  • SkullsNRoses

    When I worked in a department store we had to call all female customers madam or ma’am regardless of their age.

    But it might also be your canyonesque wrinkles.

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    • What's canyonesque?

      Yeah I mean sometimes on the phone I'm called ma'am by certain people calling like secretaries at doctor's offices but not usually in person.

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      • SkullsNRoses

        It means like a canyon.

        The real test of whether someone thinks you’re old is when they ask if you have grandchildren. It happened to my mum a year ago and she’s still furious.

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        • Lol well damn I hope at 25 no one asks me this question

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  • bbrown95

    I've always thought of "ma'am" to apply to females of any age, not just older women.

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    • Are you from the south though?

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      • bbrown95

        No.

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  • TerriAngel

    What should he have said?
    Yo bitch, why you cuttin in line?
    He was polite, that should be ok.

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    • Polite when he nearly screamed? That was far from polite lol

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  • clitoriajustice

    people do this a lot, even to 25 year olds. i personally think people shouldnt assume gender tho

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  • UpsetHamster

    I'm pretty sure that's called being polite

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  • Sad18yo

    I’m 19, I look 12, and people call me “sir” all the time. It’s just a polite gesture.

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  • bigbudchonga

    It's just a polite expression. I think it's normal that you're freaked out about this; I've seen quite a few occasions where women get freaked out over it, they tend to think that it's an age thing.

    It is no; it's just purely for respect. It's like calling a guys sir. I would called a 20 year old woman mam in a professional setting just as I would call a 20 year old guy sir.

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  • olderdude-xx

    Young Lady. Please understand that most older dudes were taught that Ma'am or Madam was the polite way to address any female who is obviously not a child.

    You are concerned that you are being addressed by the old standards of politeness?

    You cannot adjust that other cultures and generations have different customs,and that everyone must comply with your younger generation customs? I suspect that you will find your employment and professional development options limited after a few years.

    The ability to work with team members of all ages and from all backgrounds is essential to moving to the higher levels of responsibility and pay in this world.

    Understanding that this gentleman is addressing you respectfully and not being offended by it is a start.

    Now if you were to develop a closer working or other relationship; you may ask him to address you in your preferred fashion. To expect a total stranger to address you in your personal desired for of address for whatever you consider polite is not a reasonable expectation. To expect someone to address you in some form of polite expression is a reasonable expectation, and this gentleman did so.

    I wish you the best in life,

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  • Somenormie

    That is basically normal.

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  • raisinbran

    It only happens to women who are extremely ugly, which is sometimes mistaken for aging.

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    • What are you implying?

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  • FromTheSouthWeirdMan

    I call almost everyone sir or maam

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    • Yeah but I'm not from the south and I know it's common there. Here ma'am is for older women.

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  • RoseIsabella

    At least he didn't call you missy.

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  • Tommythecaty

    Saying that was just his finding a more polite way of saying,

    “what the fuck does this stupid bitch think she’s doing”

    It has nothing to do with your age 🤣

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    • How is it stupid when he was so far back, I didn't even see him? He was nearly standing at the back of the store he was so far back, way beyond six feet. Plus I just got off a long shift at work so I was completely sleep deprived, I wasn't expecting a guy to be so far away, people typically space six feet now, not over 15 feet.

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      • Tommythecaty

        I didn’t say you were being stupid, I mean HE thought you were, hence his calling it out like that. I don’t agree with him.

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        • Fair enough, I appreciate the response

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  • Iluvcox

    so you're 25 there ma'am? are you into sugar daddies, cause I'm 50 and need a sugar baby...ma'am

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  • McSorley

    LOL, wow...the shit that offends chicks, these days.

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    • Being called old at 25 is commonly seen as offensive.

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      • McSorley

        Hey, you're the one choosing to be offended. What the fuck do you care what some old coot says to you? Who the hell is he? Only someone with serious insecurities would give a damn about something so lame.

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  • litelander8

    I expect my 8 and 3 year old to use manors. Therefore I use manors with them.

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    • EnglishLad

      Manners*. A manor is an expensive house, usually in the arse end of nowhere.

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    • raisinbran

      Your kids are lucky to have their own countryside mansions.

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      • litelander8

        Ha. Ha. Ha.

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  • XYXY

    There could be multiple reasons why he waited so far back. You don’t know this guy or anything about what’s going on in his life. It could have been a lapse in concentration on his part so he didn’t notice the queue had just moved forward. Perhaps his nearest and dearest has recently died (we are living in a pandemic) and he had other things on his mind other than walking forward a few paces the second the person in front moved. Maybe he has a hidden disability or a mobility problem that causes him to take a few moments to move forward.

    Whatever his reason for not moving up doesn’t make it ok for you to cut in, not just for his sake but for all those behind him as well. He may or may not have realised you did it by mistake. But quite clearly he wanted to draw your attention to the fact you cut in so you could go to the back and take your turn like everyone else. Addressing you as ma’am was clearly not intended as an insult but as a polite way of speaking to you. As such you should be gracious enough to recognise that. It’s not like you were going to form some sort of long relationship with this guy, and have to put up with him addressing you in a manner you don’t like for the next 50 years. It was a one time meeting and exchange of a few words. Non of it was life changing and to be honest your reaction show a considerable lack of maturity, are you sure you’re not a teenager pretending to be 25?

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