"Do you know who I am?"

There is a current row in Australia over the use of the phrase: "Do
you know who I am?"

The context is a tinpot federal member of parliament who was asked, in
a restaurant, to change tables. The restaurant wanted to turn the area
in which her party was sitting into a dance floor. A row followed
between the member of parliament and the restaurant manager.

At this point the politician is alleged to have said: "Do you know who
I am?"

There has been an outraged response in the media to her using this
phrase, especially by those queueing to have their say on talkback
radio.

I can see the narcissism, and perhaps latent threat, in the
politician's question, but the extent of the outrage surprised me. One
radio host described the phrase as totally un-Australian.

I originate from England, but thought I understood most Australian
norms. Yet the intense response to this episode took me by surprise

I am curious to know what kind of response the phrase "Do you know who
I am?" would bring in other English speaking countries.
.

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