What do you do in this situation?

Question

So, I had an interesting revelation while on my way back upstairs from buying my Diet Mountain Dew. You know how, often times, when you scan your card in the swiper thingy the security people will say, "Thank you"?

Well, most of the time I will respond with a quiet, "mm hmm," or "uh huh", or "no problem." But seriously, I say it so quietly that they have almost no chance of hearing it if they don't have super sonic hearing (which I suppose is possible... if that were a prerequisite for their jobs that would heighten security in office buildings). I mean, should I say, "You're welcome." in a normal voice? That seems awkward to me. I strongly feel that they don't need to thank me for my swipe, because my reciprocity forces me to respond, but not in a manner they can hear. It makes me feel better about myself, but do they see me as that ****** that never responds to their thanking me?

Has anyone ever thought about this?

Anonymous · Accepted Answer

No, I have never necessarily thought about that specific scenario, but I do occasionally wonder why we murmur quiet nonsense in different situations and we know nobody can hear us.  I have since adopted the practice of "saving my breath" even more and just opting to acknowledge the other person with eye contact and a nod, though I still occasionally catch myself with a quiet murmur every now and then.

On other occasions, if my mood dictates, I will belt out a loud and thunderous, "Thank ya!" or "Much obliged!" or even "F'n A!"

Hayseedless · Answer

It's being polite and making small talk...nothing wrong with it. Like asking someone "How are you doing?" We certainly don't expect any other answer than "Just fine"

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What do you do in this situation?

2 Answers