"LAL" had some very interesting things
to say about Mom [OT]:

It's not to make you feel ancient, it's to show respect. As a proper GRITS
(Girl Raised In The South), I will use ma'am to women I ~know~ are younger
than me when they're in charge and I'm asking them to do something for me
(IE: at the DMV getting my licence renewed, in a store asking for help).
Remember, it's not always what happens to you. It's how you choose to
react.

When I was working in tech support [and I suspect this'll happen on my
new job too], I'd very frequently have Southern-sounding callers who
sounded old enough to have children or even grandchildren my age
calling me Ma'am. :-)

--
"Don't mess with major appliances unless you know what you are doing
(or unless your life insurance policy is up-to-date)." - John, RCFL