Can you ask for a phone number in any situation?

[Gamdwelf]

It is never ok to ask out a woman...ever.

[MarkoKnight]

Yee why not?)

[grimsanta]

You could do that, sure. You'll wanna build some rapport with them though, even if it's very short.

I dated a girl for 2 and a half years who I met while she was cocktailing at a local bar. I wasn't creepy about it, was looking good that night, and came off as confident but not cocky.

Honestly, if she thinks you're hot and you don't come off like a creep, it doesn't matter where you ask them out. That being said, some places are harder to not come off as a creep. The gym is very tough for example, unless you take classes and have a reason to talk to them outside of "you look good in yoga pants".

Work can be a bit creepy, but that's why you want to build a short rapport with them first. Women like being hit on if it's not ONLY about their looks. That can be part of it (telling them their cute is fine), but there needs to be something else there too.

[Noradin]

I see this happen all the time on tv shows but to be honest I've always thought it was kind of strange, because they're essentially trapped in a situation where they have to be polite to the customer.

You can say 'no' and be polite.
Nothing impolite about declining.

[Independent voter]

I asked a girl for her phone number while her sister in law nursed her baby. To this day both girls break into giggles when they see me. Not recommended.

[Noradin]

Bottomline.. the workplace is for work and anything regarding flirting/dating could lose you or them their job for reasons that are there and watching one of those silly human resource videos could tell you =P Try and keep that outside but sometimes there are severe exceptions and work arounds if it is important. A casual non important date is not worth the risk of problems at work.

Depends on the country you are in.