For thanking machinery?

[ObelixtheGaul]

I said 'thank you' to the toaster this morning. I offer gratitude to the green man at traffic lights. I thank the ATM for my money.
I have no idea why. It's not every time, but it is often and it just...comes out of my mouth unbidden. I feel a bit of an idiot afterwards and hope nobody heard me.
Anybody else?

I am sure others might come on to tell us that we are barking mad, but it's not just you OP... when the Tesco self checkout thanks me for shopping I always automatically say "you're very welcome, till" before I leave.

I thank Alexa for telling me the time. I also apologise to my fridge, it beeps if the door is left open.

manners, innit!

My husband thinks I'm barking for doing this, I always thank my Google assistant too. He'll be laughing on the other side of his face when the androids take over 😆

I do say 'thank you!' in a sarcastic way when a machine finally performs the sole task it was designed for after a period of malfunction.
I used to it a lot to the printer and boiler at work!

I listened to a radio programme on AI and someone said you shouldn't thank Alexa etc because it leads to regarding them as 'people '. They are very useful but not human. Just a thought.

I have a pasta jar in the shape of a cat. The head is the lid. Whenever I take the lid off I always say excuse me to it as it seems so rude not to.

Yes I do this as well.
I talk back to the radio a tremendous amount as well.
I've always put it down to the solitary life I lead.

I always say "good job Eufy" when he's finished his bimble around the house. I also thank Alexa when she does something for me.

I thank mine because when they take over, I hope they'll be nicer to me...

Not sure what you mean, surely there is a person constantly listening for a request, with a big pile of records, encyclopedias, recipe books, football schedules, train timetables etc?

I know there isn't a little elf or equivelent inside the box thing but how else could they do it?

I thank Siri when she does something. And I thank my robot vacuum.

Well, so far I am reassured that this isn't an unusual habit. I don't have an Alexa or Siri, but I understand responding to those because they do actually appear to be 'talking' to you.
It might feel less odd if my toaster said, 'Hello. How would you like your toast today?'
Or if the green man said, 'it is now safe to cross'.

Read Raising Steam by Terry Pratchett and you might get an insight into why. We give machines names. Our cars, lawn mower etc. It’s much the same thing.

Oppositely, I heard something on the radio about whether it's making people ruder because of the way you say short commands (it's not, for adults at least). But there are thoughts that it re-enforces negative stereotypes because Alexa etc have female voices.

OP I thank machines too, and pat my car and say we can do it when going up big hills!

If it makes you feel any better, OP, I said cheerio to the self-checkout in the Co-Op today...

I have often chatted to my Henry hoover on the way round, but I think you're supposed to.

I have also apologised to him when it's time to go back in the dark cupboard and once sat him in front of the TV for the evening after he fell over on the stairs.

I sometimes say good night to Alexa and I sometimes say goodnight to my DH.
Very occasionally Alexa initiates saying goodnight to me after I've told my husband goodnight with ever mentioning her name.

I'm going down the route of feeling it makes me more human to say thank you! I don't really care what Alexa or the radio makes of it. Alexa does say "You're welcome", though 😂

My Alexa has the male voice (British 2 in device settings) because I'm pissed off with the softly-spoken female tones that are default for every speaking device. Feels like a sexist stereotype, and I ain't having that in my house!

I have indeed read that. Massive Discworld fan that I am. But it's been a while, so might be due a reread.

My robotic hoover has a name, and the kids stuck huge googly eyes on it.

I have conversations with it as it’s bumbling past, or getting stuck. I tell him I love him a lot, because I love anyone that does the hoovering. We switch it off when we go on holiday and about a week in it’s tells me it’s dying, and I feel sad for a moment.

I always say Please & Thankyou to Alexa …

Me and DH thank the dishwasher every night. And sometimes I thank the washing machine if I feel like the dishwasher is getting all the glory currently