By Karen

Recently, my husband and I went to a museum and walked up to the admissions desk to get entry tickets. At the desk was a sign giving a small discount to seniors, without specifying who qualified as a senior. The gentleman behind the counter looked at me searchingly, and then said a few times that he wanted to be sure I knew there was a discount for seniors.

I came away from that demeaning incident wondering why this museum did not simply tell visitors the price of a ticket for anyone over a certain age—as it did for children under 12. Why instead does the museum require that people self-identify, or be called out, as a senior in order to benefit from the discount? The age criterion speaks for itself.

And of course the museum is not alone. Many places adopt the same approach, though different institutions use different criteria. Look at New York City’s transit authority, which offers reduced fare cards to Senior Citizens—and then defines them as people over 65.

Why does this bother me? Because I do not identify as a senior citizen.

Senior citizens are also known as elderly persons or simply as seniors. Categorically, a senior citizen is a social demographic based on age. Someone who is 35, for example, cannot be a senior. Being a senior citizen typically means that a person is at the age in which they retire from work. They are transitioned from a working adult to a retiree.

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Culturally, a senior citizen is someone who is slowing down in their life. They have accomplished raising a family, having a career, or any other monumental feat in their adult life. An elderly person in the US is typically thought to be wiser or more experienced.

Economically, a senior requires financial support either in the form of retirement funds or savings or with the support of a caregiver. Since a senior citizen can no longer work they need to have someone or some account that can help to cover their expenses. As a result, seniors are often dependent on others for their welfare.

Medically, a senior citizen is more apt to have health problems, which are age-related. Loss of mobility, hearing and vision are the most common health complaints. However, elderly individuals can also be more likely to suffer chronic pain and illnesses, which require aid and support from outside sources.

Does this describe you? It does not describe me. I am 67, and have retired from my first career. But I am pretty much still able to walk and chew gun at the same time, anyway.

So what is the purpose of attaching a label with negative connotations—or any label—to a person based on her age? Let alone demanding that she admit to that label to gain a benefit?

Have you had an experience like this? Let us know.