You know you're middle aged when

[Cudzoziemiec]

It seems this thread has become "You know you used to be middle aged..." 

For which we have topics such as:

Things that make you feel old

You know you're getting on when...

Plus others, no doubt.

So we do. Their relative brevity and dormancy makes my point, I feel...

[Kim]

The trainee GP asked if I was barakta's daughter. I suppose we're all equally ancient when you're about 12.

[T42]

I only noticed a month or two back that our GP was getting a bit grizzled. Turns out he's retiring at the end of the month.  When we first knew him he was in his early 30s.

[Cudzoziemiec]

The trainee GP, asked if I was barakta's daughter. I suppose we're all equally ancient when you're about 12.

Oops! I guess also they get into a routine of seeing people cared for by their offsprungs. FWIW I made the very same mistake recently: was talking to a woman in a village who must have been late 50s or early 60s. She then called a man to the door, I initially assumed her husband but he seemed significantly older and the way she was talking about him – he was recalling some village history from the 1960s and she was saying to him "Aren't you mixing that up with the recent ship getting stuck in the Suez Canal?" and to me "He gets terribly confused about things nowadays" – then made me think he was her father. But no, he was her husband.

[pcolbeck]

Our GP that we had had for 20 years retired and now his son is our GP.

[nicknack]

My wife (65, 152cm) has, on more than one occasion, been asked if I (68, 195cm) was her son.

In a similar vein - for the very first time ever, last week, a lady at the checkout queried whether I was old enough to buy booze. Although, to be fair, I was wearing a mask.

[Regulator]

Our GP that we had had for 20 years retired and now his son is our GP.

We had that when we first came back to the UK.  We registered with Paddy Headon's (friend of the family) practice and, when he retired, his daughter Olivia took it over.  We stayed with them for a number of years after we moved out of their practice area.  Paddy and Olivia were two of the best GPs I've ever had (and I've had quite a few).

[Mrs Pingu]

My wife (65, 152cm) has, on more than one occasion, been asked if I (68, 195cm) was her son.

In a similar vein - for the very first time ever, last week, a lady at the checkout queried whether I was old enough to buy booze. Although, to be fair, I was wearing a mask.

One year in Germany a woman thought that Pingu was mine and my brothers son.
I am 11 years younger than both of them. I was affronted.

[Lightning Phil]

When you stop upgrading the number of “speeds” on the cassette on your bike.

[robgul]

When you stop upgrading the number of “speeds” on the cassette on your bike.

Surely it's when you continue to squeeze the rear mech back to accommodate more teeth on the largest cassete sprocket?

[ian]

My wife (65, 152cm) has, on more than one occasion, been asked if I (68, 195cm) was her son.

In a similar vein - for the very first time ever, last week, a lady at the checkout queried whether I was old enough to buy booze. Although, to be fair, I was wearing a mask.

One year in Germany a woman thought that Pingu was mine and my brothers son.
I am 11 years younger than both of them. I was affronted.

My wife literally did a fistpump when she got carded the other year at the Other Half taproom in Brooklyn. Then the doorman deadpanned 'we have to do that for anyone who looks under fifty' so she floored him. I'm glad he said it first.

[Cudzoziemiec]

That's a point there. If our driving licences go app, as DVLA have kind of suggested, will they be checkable by randoms? And if not, what will we use a proof of age? (another special proof of age card of course)

[Kim]

I expect there will be an exemption for white people over the age of 50 from conservative-leaning constituencies.

[Lightning Phil]

When you stop upgrading the number of “speeds” on the cassette on your bike.

Surely it's when you continue to squeeze the rear mech back to accommodate more teeth on the largest cassete sprocket?

No, I’d say that’s when you know you are old aged.

[robgul]

When you stop upgrading the number of “speeds” on the cassette on your bike.

Surely it's when you continue to squeeze the rear mech back to accommodate more teeth on the largest cassete sprocket?

No, I’d say that’s when you know you are old aged.

.... that's accompanied by the electrical assistance!

[T42]

When you stop upgrading the number of “speeds” on the cassette on your bike.

Surely it's when you continue to squeeze the rear mech back to accommodate more teeth on the largest cassete sprocket?

No, I’d say that’s when you know you are old aged.

The trouble with that is when the granny gear gets so short that your age-impaired sense of balance can no longer keep the bike upright at 4 kph.

.... that's accompanied by the electrical assistance!

And the trouble with that is that all the eBikes on the market have been snaffled by neophytes and there are no bloody bits available to build more.

[andrewc]

You are camping, and need to work out the least painful way of getting up from sitting on the ground, rather than just springing nimbly to your feet.

[Tim Hall]

You are camping, and need to work out the least painful way of getting up from sitting on the ground, rather than just springing nimbly to your feet.

And doing it silently.

[Polar Bear]

Getting down to the ground can be equally entertaining for onlookers.   

[nicknack]

Getting down to the ground can be equally entertaining for onlookers.   

Yes, you get so far down and drop the rest of the way.

[nobby]

Not so much middle aged as old aged but this morning I met a six year old African lad at the bus stop with his Dad and as we parted I gave him a £1 for sweets.
He said to me, "Thank you, Grandpa". I was quite touched.

[cycleman]

Did he buy you a werthers original nobby 

[ElyDave]

You are camping, and need to work out the least painful way of getting up from sitting on the ground, rather than just springing nimbly to your feet.

And doing it silently.

I got up from the sofa the other day, one of the carers said "That was a very Dad-type noise to make"

[ElyDave]

When you stop upgrading the number of “speeds” on the cassette on your bike.

Surely it's when you continue to squeeze the rear mech back to accommodate more teeth on the largest cassete sprocket?

Then I ain't middle aged yet, this year is my fastest average speed since 2013, but with about 4 x the volume of cycling

[ian]

I used to climb trees a lot. I saw a tree that looked climbable and I climbed it. A couple of years back I got halfway up a tree and released that was it, I no longer had the strength to pull myself up another branch. So I hung there like a stranded monkey for several minutes before giving up and letting go and letting gravity make a fool out of me. The ground really did have it in for me too.

My wife, rather than offer sympathy and medical attention, just raised an eyebrow and said 'so you've done with that then?"

I hate it now when I see a good tree and I can't climb it.