Being called "boss" by random guys.
I do a thing at this place three days a week, and as I walk in today there's a new guy, age 20 or so. We're passing by each other and I say "hey, how ya doin'?", slightly upbeat. He responds with a low intoned "'sup boss." I might have done the slightest of double takes on it before immediately interfacing with my coordinator about my job today.
There's some Reddit debate about whether it's respect or patronizing. Now, I don't know about you, but I don't see it as respect. Mainly because most of the random guys who've called me "boss" looked to me in the moment like they were resentful or seething, like they wanted to kick my ass. "Oh, what, you think you're a boss? Wanna prove it?" It feels like that kind of thing. These have been people like certain car wash employees or auto repair, blue collar guys. Not all of them, not even most of them, but just the odd one here and there. And this kid presented like he's from an environment that privileges blue collar tough guys.
I imagine what they're doing when they say that is trying to trick me into believing they respect me when in fact they mean it as an insult, same as when people say "bless your heart." Insults coded as compliments or flattery. Maybe it makes them feel clever. But I've never liked it, and it always makes me feel slightly on edge if I have to keep hanging around them for whatever reason.
Well, at least no one I see on a regular basis does that.