Your opinion on being called 'kid', 'lad', or 'love', etc

What's your opinion on being called 'kid', 'lad', or 'love', etc, by people you don't know closely. I've grown okay with older women(mainly working class) calling me 'love'. That's just they way they are... affectionate. Since I've noticed that this even happens to men aged 60 odd years, I said it's not a big deal and isn't anything to do with me. Another one that annoys me is when people say 'go on' as a substitute for 'good bye'. It's like as if they're saying "go on, get away from me". Am I right, or is this just something that as become part of being Irish to such an extent that it's not considered rude any more.

I initially presumed it was a sort of thing that might be more inclined to be done to you if you were viewed as being young or inexperienced, so that's why I get annoyed it's done to me by people who are younger. It's something, that if you are seen to correct someone on it, you look like you're making a big deal out of nothing, but yet it does annoy me when someone who's younger than me(they might think I'm younger), and earning less money, says something like "no problem kid". The other thing is that usually it's done when you least expect it, like at the end of an interaction, and the second you realise it, the fella's gone. Then you realise what you thought was an interaction of equally, the other person viewed as one where by he was being nice/patient with you!

I think that it's down right rude to address someone as 'lad', the first time meeting them. And I for one can say that I wouldn't call anyone 'lad' just because I might think that I'm superior to them. It's like reminding someone that you think you're better than them, and yet get away with being rude! In a way, this makes me think that preferred the days back in secondary school when all thoughts were out in the open and there was a lot more confrontation, rather than the cold cliquishness.