For some reason I'm unable to shake off of this habit. I even do it to my friends!

Am I getting too "old" for a teenager?

Yes. Snap out of it man!

It is never wrong to treat someone with respect. An honorarium like Sir or Mam is perfectly acceptable.

Yes, sir. I'll gladly take up your words of wis--- oh wait.

This.

It's better than being a rude jerk with no filter on his mouth.

....

....

It depends where you're from. In America, use of sir for an elder seems to be required, but here in the UK saying it, even in a formula situation, is considered a bit strange. I work as a waiter for my student job, and when I used Sir, I got openly laughed at by customers.

On a serious note, I think treating people with respect is fine. Addressing friends as "sir" purely out of habit is something different completely.

Naw, keep doing what you're doing. Haters are gonna hate.

One of the things I absolutely hate is to be called "sir"

I view it as very unfriendly. If feel it puts a barrier between me and the other person. Maybe it is meant to be respectful, but I actually find it disrespectful.

It's a pet peeve of mine.

Of course I hate to be called ma'am even more, since I'm a guy

Agreed, there's a different take on it either side of the Atlantic. Some things we say here in the UK are considered insulting to our American cousins and vice Versa. A mutual language that is interpreted in different ways.

I agree with CCNA on that fully. !!!!

It sounds really nice...

Oh dear, you just need to find yourself a nice girl and a nice job and they will be calling you sir! Now go and fetch your grandma some fresh apples for applepie.

I'm almost 50 and I still use sir and ma'am. Never too old to show politeness.

i've always done that, it's a southern thing.

Yup.

When my friend or his son do something for me, I don't always, but usually say "thank you (good/kind) sir". (As they do to me from time to time as well.) I do find women tend to not like ma'am, as it makes them feel old (At least that is the impression I've been left with over the years though I could be reading more into it than is really there. One friend, many years ago, outright told me not to call her ma'am for this reason.) so I rarely say it to his wife or daughter, though I have on occasion. (They don't seem to mind.)

Same here, which happened recently when I phoned up a local business. D: My voice isn't that deep, surely...?

Can I call you govn'a? "Pardon me, govn'a."

I'm English and live in England, the only time anyone address's somebody as sir/ma'am here is in the military, royalty or maybe at school. Shows how the use of the English language varies from place to place doesn't it.

Just one question. Do you find yourself doing the following:

*tips fedora* "M'Lady".

??

If so then there's no hope for you.

Then how exactly do you address your elders and bosses?

I say, you know I think your right old boy!

Sorry, bit of a fumble with the post there.