Greetings

Walk into a department store, fast food chain, and other shops inside a mall, and you'll surely be greeted by the employees. It is usually an all encompassing "Good morning/afternoon/evening, Ma'am, Sir". Understandable if the people being greeted is a couple. But most of the time, the employees just mouth the words without thinking while going on about other tasks.

When you are at the receiving end, sometimes it's funny, sometimes it's annoying, sometimes, you raise an eyebrow and wonder if those people really saw you. For me, I'd rather they not greet me if it is out of reflex (?) or muscle memory. I don't like people greeting me if they are not sincere. More so nowadays.

When I was bald and always had a hat on, I was never mistaken for a guy. Now that my hair's grown and I go without a hat, I am sometimes addressed as "sir". This has happened a couple of times. In both instances, the person greeting me never really saw me, just an automatic reflex. And when they turn their attention to me, they realize their mistake and turns red in the face.

Good day, sir! er, ma'am!