I work in Manhattan. I went to the usual corner deli to get my breakfast on my way into the office. There were a couple of construction workers paying at the cash register ahead of me. They were joking around with the female cashier and everything was nice and light-hearted. I was only half-listening. Then I heard one of the guys say the word "spanking". The cashier looked very uncomfortable and turned to me and pointedly said, "Can I help you?"

She rang me up, and the guys were still standing there waiting for their food. So I turned to them and said, "I think one of you owes her an apology. I'm not sure which one of you made that comment, but you clearly made her uncomfortable." One of them asked what I heard, and I told them that I heard the word "spanking". He said, "That was me, I was only joking." So I said, "I don't think she found it very funny. It made her uncomfortable. You owe her an apology."

And he apologized!