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What brought this on? nt MADem Jun 2014 #1
Too long a story to relate (nt) Recursion Jun 2014 #2
If you can't explain it, why mention it? DetlefK Jun 2014 #4
I prefer to be pithy (nt) Recursion Jun 2014 #5
There is pithiness with distilled wisdom or pithy with vulgar obscenity & little wisdom. Bernardo de La Paz Jun 2014 #49
Apparently the OP is too pithed-off to share the circumstances. nt Hekate Jun 2014 #52
DUzy! nt MADem Jun 2014 #56
++ Ed Suspicious Jun 2014 #57
Well played! nt Bernardo de La Paz Jun 2014 #69
Because presumably... jberryhill Jun 2014 #12
Or, possibly ... 1StrongBlackMan Jun 2014 #38
not at all. you're to ignore that their gender is not blatant or knowable to you, and treat them as bettyellen Jun 2014 #39
The challenge in customer service is that we're strictly to address them as sir or ma'am, Mr. or Ms. DesertDiamond Jun 2014 #42
Well, bosses should be advised if it is a problem, and then you folllow their guidelines. bettyellen Jun 2014 #90
I think the idea is to interact with persons of ambiguous gender without needing to djean111 Jun 2014 #40
Good - get a job in which you will be fired unless you use "Mr.", "Ms.", "sir" or "ma'am" jberryhill Jun 2014 #63
I took "mind your own fucking business" to mean "you probably do not need to know djean111 Jun 2014 #64
I have no idea what the OP meant jberryhill Jun 2014 #66
Or, maybe you could get guidance from your manager if it's actually a problem? bettyellen Jun 2014 #89
I read there may be 50-60 genders.. it's a continuum Leme Jun 2014 #3
i guess it matters to me if Leme Jun 2014 #6
you've been on a roll PowerToThePeople Jun 2014 #9
only then does it become relevant -- if you're looking for sexual compatibility unblock Jun 2014 #10
it might help to know Leme Jun 2014 #16
And once you know someone well enough Ms. Toad Jun 2014 #22
are you talking to me? if so.... Leme Jun 2014 #24
You posted in an open thread, on a public forum. n/t Ms. Toad Jun 2014 #26
yes, on a public topic... but I didn't ask a personal question...you did. o well Leme Jun 2014 #29
You set up the scenario Ms. Toad Jun 2014 #50
o well, you are who you are Leme Jun 2014 #51
And they are who they are - Ms. Toad Jun 2014 #53
Post removed Post removed Jun 2014 #54
And the jury results are in... aikoaiko Jun 2014 #78
indeed, our society is extraordinarily obsessed with sexual identity and roles. unblock Jun 2014 #7
"jane just had a baby!" "wow, boy or girl?" Answer: Yes! FSogol Jun 2014 #11
nice one ;) unblock Jun 2014 #13
probably ? Leme Jun 2014 #17
Wonder what The Magistrate does in this situation? n/t JimDandy Jun 2014 #80
But I was really curios....Had a customer at an auto garage I never could tell.... Boxerfan Jun 2014 #8
Was that person's name Pat? (SNL reference) nt betsuni Jun 2014 #14
Yes- Boxerfan Jun 2014 #15
Thank you for adding that detail - Ms. Toad Jun 2014 #23
OR if you need to know for pronoun sake AtheistCrusader Jun 2014 #18
no matter how polite, Leme Jun 2014 #28
Then my options are AtheistCrusader Jun 2014 #31
i was not paying close attention Leme Jun 2014 #36
Ok, here's the thing justgamma Jun 2014 #19
What if I am curious? SkyDaddy7 Jun 2014 #20
If you're attracted why do you care his or her gender? Recursion Jun 2014 #21
Because my interest in a sexual relationship depends on their gender. You really think that's weird? thesquanderer Jun 2014 #61
I always liked this clip jberryhill Jun 2014 #65
priceless. staged, but priceless. aikoaiko Jun 2014 #82
No it is not! SkyDaddy7 Jun 2014 #81
If you are attracted to them, Ms. Toad Jun 2014 #27
Yes, I would seriously say that. More or less. thesquanderer Jun 2014 #62
How about have a general conversation and get to know the person gollygee Jun 2014 #76
My neighbor contiually refers to my cat Samy as "she" snooper2 Jun 2014 #25
Everyone knows... TeeYiYi Jun 2014 #43
Sometimes it's important for business. Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2014 #30
And is asking "Mr. or Ms." that awful? Recursion Jun 2014 #32
If I'm writing a letter or email? Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2014 #33
It's 2014. I open with "Hi Pat:" Recursion Jun 2014 #34
Again, context still matters. Even in 2014. Tommy_Carcetti Jun 2014 #83
Monty Python's The Meaning Of Life edbermac Jun 2014 #35
Sometimes you want to address someone with something more respectful than "Hey You!" IronLionZion Jun 2014 #37
You say- "Hi, I'm XX!" and proceed accordingly. Let's not pretend it's an actual problem, LOL. bettyellen Jun 2014 #41
That's pretty much what I said above. You can get around it a lot more easily in personal DesertDiamond Jun 2014 #46
Unless your business is fucking. Spitfire of ATJ Jun 2014 #44
Is this an 'Orphan Black' reference? randome Jun 2014 #45
More embarrassing than anything. When u call someone a he when ErikJ Jun 2014 #47
Kind of makes it hard to be polite on the phone, though Ilsa Jun 2014 #48
I work in a call center, and I run into that all the time. Orrex Jun 2014 #55
"Hi, this is Zorra. To whom do I have the pleasure of speaking?" Zorra Jun 2014 #60
I'm sorry to say that I don't care for that line when I call customer service Orrex Jun 2014 #68
It works great for us. nt Zorra Jun 2014 #70
Again, I don't doubt that you manage it just fine, but... Orrex Jun 2014 #71
I think it's pleasant, respectful, and effective. No one has ever complained. Zorra Jun 2014 #72
:thumbsup: Orrex Jun 2014 #75
Strangely enough... Orrex Jun 2014 #91
"I'm Pat." LOL. (Or Jordan, Blake, etc) Ilsa Jun 2014 #84
Less than helpful Android3.14 Jun 2014 #58
Count the colors KamaAina Jun 2014 #59
I don't know about that.. butterfly77 Jun 2014 #67
There's the problem: you talked. Don't. randome Jun 2014 #73
Lol! butterfly77 Jun 2014 #74
maybe starbucks had the right idea with asking people for their name JI7 Jun 2014 #77
If there is a reason I need to know a stranger's gender, I'll ask. tridim Jun 2014 #79
I'm one of those unfortunate pipi_k Jun 2014 #86
ha, and if in doubt... see step 1. nilram Jun 2014 #85
Or, you could say, "Hey, SMILE!" WinkyDink Jun 2014 #87
I'm a grey haired white male. needledriver Jun 2014 #88
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