Do you say "yes sir/no sir" (or ma'am) to employees at Taco Bell

[dead0man]

or any employee at low end places (gas stations, grocery stores, fast food, etc)?

[Kitteh]

I don't say "yes sir/no sir" to anyone

[tik 🪀✨]

I never call anyone sir unless I feel like being an asshole or ironic.

I'm generally polite, but calling someone "sir" or "ma'am" who isn't far older than I am seems silly. It seems like in my generation we weren't really taught to address most people this way. If I want to show respect, I'll address them as mister, misses, doctor, etc.

[Okay, maybe Mike Johnson is a competent parliamentarian.]

I address anybody I don't know except small children as sir and/or ma'am, so yes.

[Adam Griffin]

Only if they're in my low end place.

[Torie]

Yes, I often say sir and ma'am in certain contexts, regardless of the station of the person to whom I am speaking. It just "depends."

[Lief 🗽]

I don't think I ever call anyone sir or ma'am.

[🐒Gods of Prosperity🔱🐲💸]

I don't say "yes sir" or "no sir."   I sometimes say "sir" or "miss" after "excuse me" or when I'm trying to get someone's attention, but otherwise I don't.

[bedstuy]

I never really say "sir."  In Brooklyn, we tend to say "boss" instead in retail situations.  I'm also fond of "chief" and "buddy."

With women, I use "ma'am" on occasion.  I also use "lady" sometimes, but I should probably stop because of sexism or something.

Overall though, low-end retail employees in NYC often won't use words or speak clearly.  It's hard to be polite back to someone who only communicates with grunts and guttural noises.  So, I try to conform to that level of impoliteness. 

[morgieb]

I never say ma'am, but I do sometimes say sir.

As for Taco Bell, I've never been there.

[Хahar 🤔]

I don't use either of those words at all, and more generally I don't feel the need to address the vast majority of the people with whom I have impersonal interactions with any name at all.

[Tender Branson]

A) I never say "sir" or "maam".

B) We don't have such a thing as a Taco Bell

C) I only say "Sie", but only sometimes (and never to people in fastfood restaurants).

[Napoleon]

No, I prefer "old sport" to "sir".

[Small Business Owner of Any Repute]

Must be a red state thing.

[LastVoter]

This is only appropriate to say to a person senior of you in hierarchy who is not a capitalist.

[politicus]

This is only appropriate to say to a person senior of you in hierarchy who is not a capitalist.

Like a Central Comitee member?

[Associate Justice PiT]

     I don't use either, except in reference to a member of the military.

[dead0man]

Must be a red state thing.

The only two people to say yes so far are from MA and CA. 

I think it's a polite thing and most of you are just jerks.

[MASHED POTATOES. VOTE!]

I address anybody I don't know except small children as sir and/or ma'am, so yes.

[minionofmidas]

C) I only say "Sie", but only sometimes (and never to people in fastfood restaurants).

The common thing in Germany is to avoid if possible both the "Sie" and the "du" when talking to employees of fastfood restaurants, supermarkets, gas stations etc (unless they are fairly elderly), and if the customer is fairly young then the other way round as well. The plural serves well: "Habt ihr xy da", "kann ich mal eure Toilette benutzen", etc.

[patrick1]

Must be a red state thing.

The only two people to say yes so far are from MA and CA. 

I think it's a polite thing and most of you are just jerks.

IMHO, Ma'am particularly is mildly impolite around here. Please and thank you is what I use for anybody.
I think I only rarely use yes sir and that would be acknowledging a directive from senior person at work. (and subconsciously only really one from an older person)

[Grumpier Than Uncle Joe]

I address anybody I don't know except small children as sir and/or ma'am, so yes.

This.

[Hatman 🍁]

I think there might be one Taco Bell in the entire city.

Anyyways, if I do address them as 'sir', it would be ironically.

[H.E. VOLODYMYR ZELENKSYY]

I address anybody I don't know except small children as sir and/or ma'am, so yes.

[Leftbehind]

The only time I've said "yes sir" that I recall is sarcastically to someone being bossy.