This is a pet peeve of mine. So often it seem to be one of the very first questions asked, it basically seems to be de rigueur these days (and I can understand

This is a pet peeve of mine. So often it seem to be one of the very first questions asked, it basically seems to be de rigueur these days (and I can understand why potential employers do it, from a negotiation standpoint). It's not that I think you should try to inflate your current salary or mislead in any way, but it just seems so forward and plain impolite. I'd be interested in any real-life experiences others might have had similar to this and whether you've managed to avoid coming off as sneaky/deceptive/dishonest as a result.