[OldPossum]

I open doors for LADIES....and if older,anyone. Say good morning to strangers,(if in the right neighborhood), will ask anyone who can’t reach something in the supermarket if they need help, and say “yes ma’am” and “yes sir” to most who are waiting on me. It started when I was 10 or so, it’s a habit.

I do the same things (except for addressing strangers...just not a habit of mine). I may be dead wrong but I associate the "yes ma'am" and "yes sir" to be related to my Southern upbringing.

P.S. I'm finding it harder and harder to find people older than I to open doors for.

[Tax-chick]

I may be dead wrong but I associate the "yes ma'am" and "yes sir" to be related to my Southern upbringing.

I do it because I grew up in a military family. Now that I'm well on in middle age, if the other person is clearly quite a bit younger than I am, I might say "Son" or "Hon."