To be narked that at a mandatory training session today the male delegates were addressed as "sir" and the female delegates addressed as "young lady"?

[SoftlyCatchyMonkey1]

We were a large group of professionals undergoing statutory and mandatory training and the trainer kept doing this. Got my hackles right up.

Ta I really don't mind at all. If they want to call me madam then go ahead. If they want to call me Ms Beepbeep then that's fine too- on long haul that shouldn't be a problem as there aren't many in a cabin. I don't mind not getting a moniker. I'm really not precious about it and I hope that's not the impression my post gives. It's more that sir is so much easier for them to say and they don't address men and women with the same level of title iyswim?

So, what title would you have them use?
esp as in cattle class there are hundreds of people

Personally I hate being called 'Madam'! I find it patronizing and pretentious. I'm 28, not in my freaking 50s!

I am in my freaking 50s and am not wild about madam either
but I'm not Miss either
so what do we want to be called ?

I haven't used Sir and Madam since sixth form, addressing teachers.

At least the school was fair, and did not pair Sir with Miss.

I had a training course yesterday, and no names or titles seemed to be needed at all, after the first 'round the room' into bit.

YANBU.
An air steward once called DH 'sir' and me 'love'. I said "it's madam, actually". Wanker

We all had name cards on our desks in front of us. It was just utter laziness from the trainer.
If I want to speak to someone in that situation I would look at the name tag first. If that was not possible I would gesture with my palm up towards them and look directly at them.
I felt very patronised yesterday. But then I looked around the room and no one else seemed to mind (though they might have done internally) so I wondered if it was just me!

It doesn’t matter that no one else appeared to mind. You minded, that’s reason enough to complain.

You don’t need popular support in order to challenge sexist behaviour.

That said I’m pretty sure you would have had support if you had mentioned it.

It doesn’t have to be dramatic or confrontational. Just a polite, “young lady is inappropriate while you are calling the men sir, it would be better to use our names”

Some women would take offence that madam makes them feel old.

I don't mind how they address me as such, it's the disparity that I object to. Saying "oy you" would be fine as long as they used the same for both genders.

I bet if they'd need calling the blokes "young man" it would have been raised immediately.

I don't mind how they address me as such
So you are happy with young lady then ????

Please raise this with them. Incredibly patronizing.

Reminds me of a mechanic who kept calling me 'love' and my DP 'sir'. Very annoying!

BUT WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE CALLED ????
Sorry but as a trainer this annoys me

Lots of you are saying what you do not like : but nobody is saying what you prefer

Rule one of Business is constructive criticism that is rubbish, this would be better
you are all failing at the first hurdle

WHAT DO YOU WANT TO BE CALLED?
Silence is acquiescence

If someone wants my attention then I would like someone to say my name, otherwise just look directly at me and ask me a question, perhaps gesturing politely with your hand so I know that you are talking to me.

Ta as I said I don't mind as long as there is parity. Madam isn't exactly my favourite word, but if you're going to use "sir" then it is the equivalent.
Or, exactly as Softly says.

softly
If someone wants my attention then I would like someone to say my name
in the small group training environment that is fair

I have groups of up to 40
so I tend to say "lady in blue jumper next to bearded chap"
or "bearded chap next to lady in blue jumper"

but as has arrived on the thread, what about on a plane ?

Its a real question ....
I am the sap at the front trying to work out how to address people so as not to offend or judge them

Women are routinely not referred to by the titles given to men. Whether you are offended by this or not, it is not coincidental. Deborah Cameron makes a good point (as always) about in on her blog:
debuk.wordpress.com/2017/11/26/mind-the-respect-gap/

allegretto
Indeed, but as the steward brings round the bubbly in business class
HOW DO WE WANT TO BE ADDRESSED ?

Until we have a THIS IS CORRECT
everything else will still go on
SO
WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE CALLED?

The men get away with "sir" in almost all scenarios
What is our equivalent ?
and then lets get it out there

I'd be interested to hear the views of @MNHQ on this ....

WHAT DO WE WANT TO BE CALLED?

Madam in that situation would be fine.
Miss Allegretto would not be condescending either.

I’d like to be called madam thanks. Since it’s the equivalent and the only reason I can see for women not liking it is that they are so shocked to get the same respect as a bloke it makes them feel weird or old.

I’m a teacher and I cringe at being called Miss - since it is both factually incorrect and not an equivalent of ‘sir’. I don’t judge my pupils because I know it isn’t conscious and they don’t mean the disrespect. I fear that it is meant on a societal level however.

I have a newish pupil who has joined us from a more enlightened school, he persists in calling me Ma’am which is obviously a habit from his last school. I quite like it and haven’t corrected him- I’d quite like it to catch on.

Madam in that situation would be fine.
read the post at 12.48 today ....

Miss Allegretto would not be condescending either.
So they assume you are Miss not Mrs ....
or
the passengers in cattle class do not have name badgers

Men are sir
Who are we ?

Does a small dance around the room,
somebody has come up with the one I think is most equivalent

, he persists in calling me Ma’am which is obviously a habit from his last school. I quite like it and haven’t corrected him- I’d quite like it to catch on.

Bring it on

Apple I suspect that my D.C. will return to the U.K. calling all their teachers “Ma’am” as they have got in the habit here.

Kids even refer to their parents as Sir and Ma’am when they are being told off.