Readers drive home their point on unwelcome comment

QIf you’ve already gotten 10 million screechy communications about this, please accept my sincere apologies for piling on.

Generally speaking, we older women don’t care a bit for the term “young lady” as you referred to a woman over the age of 70. No matter how well-intentioned, it comes across as patronizing, as if in the good luck to be alive and kicking in our so- called golden years, we’re somehow a negative thing. Trust me, we know we’re old. For many women, aging, in spite of its drawbacks, has given us a lot of freedom.

Trust that I’m truly not intending a heavy-handed PC swat. Just thought I’d mention it since you communicate with thousands of us out here, young and old alike.

— ClAire LomAx,

OAklAnd

A Uh, oh, others are also piling on.

Q Thanks for your article informing people 70-plus about DMV rules. But no thanks for addressing the senior woman inquiring as “young lady.” Incredibly patronizing and dismissive when we are addressed this way.

Imagine replying to your senior male readers as “young gentlemen.”

Do better. — SusAn SchectmAn A I need help, and when I do, I turn to Mrs. Roadshow to advise me on delicate matters like this. Her response: Q When I heard from you that, generally, readers’ feedback was not positive about your “young lady” comment, it did not surprise me. When I read the specific readers’ comments you included in the column, I thought they expressed it precisely. Read, learn, take heed, Mr. Roadshow. Their feedback is well-intended.

— Mrs. RoAdshow

A

OK. Never again will I refer to anyone as young lady.

Q

I’m reasonably sure that I’m not the first one who has suffered from this attack of stupidity and am now looking for the solution. I got new stickers for our car and managed to mistakenly affix the sticker where the month goes. Now the license plate shows years 2020 and 2021.

It’s obvious I need to procure a new monthly sticker, but steps are not obvious to me. I hope you can help.

To make it more difficult, I did this on my wife’s car. I need to fix this as soon as possible or face the consequences.

— NirAnjAn RAo A Your experience is useful for others who may have done this, too.

You stopped by an AAA office and wrote of your experience there: “They smiled, checked my membership card and new registration card and gave me the month sticker, no charge at all.”

Chalk the error up to being momentarily distracted, and thankfully, the problem is now solved.