excuse me, sir

i have a 'polite voice'. this is different than my everyday voice. i've always had it, but i've just been noticing it more and more lately.

whenever i am asking for something from strangers in customer service my voice goes softer and lighter (as in, up an octave) - dare i say 'girlish'. this often occurs at starbucks or when getting lunch. but it's most noticeable with cab drivers ('hello. i'm going to...') and airline personnel ('would it be at all possible to...').

van ramblings described this the other day as 'turning on [my] american charm' when we asked somebody to swap seats. are americans charming? nah, that's just my 'polite voice' kicking in.