Calling adult female employees 'girls'

[Mandytm]

I was just in the post office and there was a sign on the wall saying 'please do not use your mobile phone while the girls are serving you'.

There were 4 women working behind the glass, all aged between 40 and 60 I would say.

It makes me think of the 17th Century when a rich English household might have an adult black man servant and call him 'boy'.

Am I the only one who gets so bugged by things like this?

Thank you Tyrone for your valuable contribution to this debate

bump

So what do you all think of this: A large national chain of car dealers/car maintenance providers has toilets for its customers with "Boys" and "Girls" on the door.

I am no expert on driver licensing, but I thought 17 would be about the minimum age of customer to whom this company ought to be directing its marketing...

that wouldn't bother me as it's equal and also because "little boys/girls rooms"is just an in offensive phrase for toilet.

There is an offensive phrase for toilet??!!

I did think it was somehat patronising...for someone about to spend rather more than a weeks pocket money on a car.

Or perhaps it wasn't a car, maybe it was actually a "toy" ???

I am trying to get my work colleagues to stop referring to us as 'the Compliance Girls' (kill me now) by reffering to them as 'compadres' and hoping it catches on