“Here you go honey,” the young woman in the drive-thru window says as she hands me my order.
After depriving myself of anything tasty for a week, my stomach steered me to Wendy’s and an order of French Fries on a recent Friday night.
But my good mood was interrupted by this smiling young face handing me fries my nose could detect long before they passed out the window and into my vehicle.
Her mistake ? Calling me “honey.”
I’m not sure what disturbs me more. The fact that she called me “honey” or that it bothers me when a woman half my age calls me "honey." As recently as a few years ago, it wouldn’t have affected me. Suddenly “honey” from someone so much younger seems too informal, fake and almost patronizing. Half my brain tells me to lighten up and roll with it. The other half feels disrespected. The half that is telling me to lighten up is right but I just can’t accept it.
Let me know what you think.
Tuesday, November 3, 2009
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4 comments:
Nothing upsets me more when complete stranger call you a term of endearment. It's a peeve. I agree that it comes across patronizing and fake. I don't know you and these people don't know me. Yes a mutual exchange might be occurring but there's no reason for the informality.
"Honey" just brings you down to as if you are a little kid. I never heard of someone younger saying that to someone *cough* older.
I could go on and on I just hate all the "honey" or worse "hun" "sweetie" "dear" etc.
While it is irritating, and probably patronizing, is it worse than most exchanges that take place in public today? For instance, is it better to be acknowledged questionably, than to be ignored? I find nothing worse than dealing withsomeone that obviously doesn't want to be serving you, or talking to you for that matter.
Then again Ralph, mayube she thought you were cute!
Dave makes a good point. The service the young woman gave was excellent and she did it with a smile. That is better than bad service and no "honey."
I also appreciate his raising the remote possibility that perhaps she thought the older guy she was handing french fries to was cute for his age.
As always I appreciate Mariel's participation. She is a real sweetie.
Calling people pet names like honey, baby and such is very common in some areas of the country and in particular cultures. Recently while traveling, a waitress called me baby and it felt very strange. She was about my age and seemed to address most of her customers with some form of endearment. Guess it's much better than some things people could choose to call you.
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