Howdy, Chief!

I'm getting set to go on another long drive this weekend, so I headed down to get my oil changed yesterday afternoon. While I was there, I was reminded of one of my numerous pet peeves. During my visit, the Jiffy Guy called me "Boss" at least 85 times.

"Hey Boss, do ya want the 10W-30 oil?"

"Hey Boss, you have a hamster stuck in your air filter!"

"Hey Boss, for another $57.50 we can grease your muffler bearings for you!"

"Hey Boss, you're all set! That'll be $375, plus the hamster removal fee!"

Blah blah blah.

Pal, I am not your boss. Even if I were your boss, I'd really appreciate it if you didn't call me "Boss." And I'd agree not to call you "Pal."

Speaking of bosses, I once had a boss who called everyone "Partner." This was back in my radio days, and this guy owned the station. Oftentimes the hotline phone in the studio would ring, I'd answer it, and hear, "Hey, Partner!" And then he'd spend the next 10 minutes reaming me out for whatever DJ sin I had allegedly just committed.

Whatever the case, I really didn't consider myself to be his "partner" in any form of the word.

Even worse, he had a son who was being groomed to take over the family business, and he called everyone "Chief." Now that was really annoying. I happen to appreciate the opportunity to learn about the culture of Native Americans, particularly after visiting portions of Navajo Nation in Arizona and Utah this past summer. But I doubt very much that this qualifies me to be a Chief.

So in the future, I would appreciate it if people didn't patronize me with these silly titles. Please address me as I would prefer. "Your Highness" would work just fine.