Taiwan sign tells 'humans over 18' not to call boss 'Auntie'

台灣標語警告“18歲以上的人”不要叫老闆“阿姨”

Breakfast shop owner refuses service to customers who call her 'Auntie'


TAIPEI (Taiwan News) — Photos of a sign surfaced Monday (June 20) on social media asking "humans over 18' to not call the female owner of a breakfast shop "Auntie."

At 7:53 a.m. that morning, a member of the Facebook group Baofei Commune (爆廢公社) posted photos of a breakfast shop in Taoyuan City's Zhongli District, and wrote that he had asked: "Auntie, I would like a thick slice of smoked chicken with onion and a glass of cold milk." However, he said that his request was ignored and a customer sitting next to him pointed to a sign that had been hung over the front entrance.

The sign, which included a photo of the owner, said: "In order to maintain the quality of food orders, humans who are aged 18 and over, please do not call the proprietress Auntie." Similar to a case of a 50-year-old woman who took offense at a police officer calling her "Grandma," the manager of the shop apparently did not appreciate adult customers assuming that she was a generation older than them.

The author of the post wrote that after he had read the sign, he immediately rephrased his request to: "Beautiful lady boss, I would like a thick slice of smoked chicken with onion and a glass of cold milk." He then claimed that the owner looked at him and said, "That sign was made for you."

He ended his post by expressing his hopes that "I don't find anything weird in my breakfast."

Taiwanese netizens then weighed in on how to best address strangers of unknown age:

"Women should all be called 'Older Sister' and men should all be called 'Big Brother.'"

"If you call all of them 'beautiful woman' you won't have any problems."

"Beautiful Big Sister, I would like some poached eggs please."

One woman wrote that when she reached the age of 50, she called all females "Younger Sister."

Others pointed out that it is simply too hard to guess people's age, and it is better just to call men "Mister" and women "Miss."