Yes. no. thank you Sir/Ma'am to just about everyone I come into contact with. Just courtesy and respect to me and I think I picked it up in boot camp.

Now days they want to charge you with a crime of " Misgendering " . Choose wisely ..

Raised mostly in the south in the 60s and 70s, sir and ma’am are part of me. If they’re older of if I don’t know them, they’re “ma’am” or “sir” until they do something to prove otherwise. I sometimes use “Miss” with young ladies after one giggled when I used ma’am for her.

Had a Yankee friend tell me it was insulting to imply his wife was a madam and ask me not to use it.

Yeah, in Commiefornia it seems Ma’am is as likely to offend as be seen as a sign of respect. I tend to use “young lady” instead. It always seems gets a smile out of the older women.

I was raised by very southern parents, yes mam'am and no sir were simply part of the family dialog. I've carried that the rest of my working and social life, it simply comes naturally. I even open doors for women, admittedly I get some strange looks, but most ladies will smile and some even say thank you.

I enjoy the hell out of opening doors at the restaurant or anywhere else for the old gals. I always step in front of them open the door and say allow me ladies. They just love it. I did that for two old gals at our favorite place awhile back and they both just giggled. One looked at me and said I guess chivalry is not dead. As they walked away the other said and he's so handsome too! Haha!! Try it sometime it puts a smile on everyone's face.