Dont call me Babe. « Singletrack Forum

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Dont call me Babe.

356 posts & 75 voices | Started 3 months ago by mcboo | Latest reply from don simon

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mcboo - Member

I love the Guardian, I do. But sometimes it does disappear into delicious self-parody. In Scotland the collective working-class term of endearment used to be Hen, that still the case?

http://www.guardian.co.uk/commentisfree/2012/feb/01/dont-call-me-babe-on-the-bus

What is my crime? Just politely contacting my local bus company to let them know that I don't like it when their bus drivers use terms such as "love", "darling" and "babe". I pointed out that I generally find their drivers friendly and courteous but that when some of them use that language I find it demeaning. I wasn't angry, I didn't ask to make a formal complaint, I wasn't trying to get anyone into trouble, I'm not trying to get anyone fired, I didn't threaten legal action – I just thought they might like to know how the actions of some of their staff made me feel.

Posted 3 months ago #
grum - Member

Er....

Posted 3 months ago #
The Southern Yeti - Member

Why not babes?

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Long since been the standard for public employees - are you still living in the 70s?

Posted 3 months ago #
don simon - Member

I often use sweetheart, I am often surprised at how often people see it as some kind of insult or attack. Some people are just too sensitive.

Posted 3 months ago #
iDave - Member

round here they call you 'shug'. no idea WTF it's supposed to mean, it's bloody annoying though.

Posted 3 months ago #
D0NK - Member

What she wrote sounds fair enough to me

<edit>I don't like it when strangers call me "mate", I'm not your mate

(and "excuse me mate" is normally a prelude to either trying it on or requesting me to do something I probably don't want to do)

Posted 3 months ago #
jota180 - Member

Sounds like she needs to calm down a bit

They always take it positively when you point out that calming down helps

Posted 3 months ago #
b r - Member

I call all women 'love' and men 'mate', mainly as I have the worlds' worst memory for names - but with a broad (well Southerners' think it is) Yorkshire accent it seems all accept it as fine.

And tbh my misses (Southern girl) calls everyone 'darling', or her good lady-friends 'chick'.

Posted 3 months ago #
binners - Member

OI! TJ! PUT YOUR NICKERS ON! AND MAKE ME A CUP OF TEA!!!

Posted 3 months ago #
jota180 - Member

Posted 3 months ago #
PJM1974 - Member

It's not a term I'd ever use. I leave gender specific terms of endearment for my g/f although I do reserve the use of the word "sweetie" to female pals who've done something above and beyond the normal call of duty. Like giving me cake.

Posted 3 months ago #
radtothepowerofsik - Member

www.youtube.com/watch?v=5eoejedW7a4

Posted 3 months ago #
jota180 - Member

Sugar tits is a favourite of mine - not really got a favourite for the girls though

Posted 3 months ago #
D0NK - Member

good shout Rad

BR if I've met someone atleast once mate is OK but not complete strangers.

BTW I don't go mental about this sort of thing, just irks me a little.

Posted 3 months ago #
CaptainFlashheart - Member

Binners, that's post du jour for me. Well done. Have a gold star.

Posted 3 months ago #
Rusty Spanner - Member

Everyone says 'love' round here when speaking to someone of the opposite sex.

I think it's a very nice term of endearment.

Posted 3 months ago #
grum - Member

What Donk said, it's actually pretty difficult to argue with any of what she says, though I notice mcboo hasn't actually bothered to make an argument so it's just trolling really.

I used to get called 'love' by male bus drivers in Leeds though, which always seemed a bit odd.

TBH love seems ok to me, but sweetheart or darling do seem a bit patronising. Dunno why.

Posted 3 months ago #
The Southern Yeti - Member

'shug'?

Proper West Ox locals use 'shag'.

Allllroiiyyyte Shaaaaag?

Posted 3 months ago #
mcboo - Member

Its the epic snobbery implicit in the article, working class folk everywhere talk like this.

Me I've taken it to an extreme, where I call the 50yr old SE London geezer sitting opposite me "Suger-Lips" and "Hot-Stuff". He's getting used to it after 2yrs but I do get the odd "Shaaaaaaaraaaaaap" in retaliation.

Posted 3 months ago #
jota180 - Member

They tend to call everyone duck around Notts/Lincs sort of area

Posted 3 months ago #
D0NK - Member

working class folk everywhere talk like this.
Sweeeeping generalisation.

Posted 3 months ago #
grum - Member

Its the epic snobbery implicit in the article, working class folk everywhere talk like this.

Hmm, shouldn't the same standards of behaviour apply whatever your social background? Apart from anything else in a customer service role it's just a bit unprofessional. I've worked in call centres before and would never dream of saying love, or even mate.

You are the one bringing class into it, who's the snob?

Posted 3 months ago #
Edric 64 - Member

The one I hate is "my friend" when used by strangers usually shop assistants .As in hello my friend can I help you ?

Posted 3 months ago #
Edric 64 - Member

Old Bristolians still call people babber ,as in alright me babber ?

Posted 3 months ago #
richc - Member

personally I find it degrading when wimmin, call me: pet, love, darling or drive

Who do I write to get these evil patronising women fired?

Posted 3 months ago #
IHN - Member

Some people are just looking for stuff to offend them.

When the phrases babe, hen, love, mate, fella, me duck, guvnor, sweetheart, darling etc are used by a cabbie/bus driver/person behind a counter in a shop/whomever, it's generally an indication that they are not a po-faced, miserable git.

Anyone who finds those terms offensive when used in that manner, generally, is.

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

mcboo - Member

Its the epic snobbery implicit in the article, working class folk everywhere talk like this.

Oh the irony. You really do have no idea do you. How snobbish does that make you

Posted 3 months ago #
Peyote - Member

Isn't "Shug" short for Sugar?

I quite like being called "Treacle" by the Chip Shop lady! Always used to get "Moi Luvver" when down Bristol way too. I don't think I've ever been offended by it though, it's nice to be informal.

Also, did anyone else automatically think of "Voice of the Beehive" when reading the thread title? No? Oh, okay...

Posted 3 months ago #
TandemJeremy - Member

Or

Posted 3 months ago #
GrahamS - Member

Yep. People casually using terms of endearment and friendship.
That's what's wrong with the world these days...

Posted 3 months ago #
MSP - Member

Last year when visiting Cornwall with my German girlfriend, the bloke behind the counter at a bakers said something along the lines of "hello my lover, what can I get for you then", to which my girlfriend turned to me in a state of shock and proclaimed she had never met this man before in her life.

I laughed uncontrollably for a very very long time.

Posted 3 months ago #
mcboo - Member

TJ I'm as common as muck and proud of it. How's your po-face this morning?

Posted 3 months ago #
IHN - Member

to which my girlfriend turned to me in a state of shock and proclaimed she had never met this man before in her life.

The lady doth protest too much

Posted 3 months ago #
grum - Member

Noticeably its all men criticising the woman quoted in the OP. I guess you might feel differently if there was a cultural legacy of men being belittled and discriminated against (and still got paid less for doing the same jobs).

Posted 3 months ago #