no thank you

there is something that people do all the time that is really starting to annoy me. they say "thank you" when they don't want to thank me. does anyone know what i mean? recently, a man walked up to me and asked me for directions to the bus stop. i had no idea where the bus stop was. he looked a bit annoyed, but said "thank you" before walking away. why did he say that? i did nothing deserving of his gratitude, and he didn't feel any appriciation towards me. as he said the words that mean, "i very much appreciate what you just did", he was really thinking, "what kind of stupid kid doesn't know her way around her own neighborhood?!" so what, pray tell, was the point in thanking me? just to be polite? he could've said, "sorry to have bothered you". that sounds a lot more honest. and recordings keep thanking me, too. you know, when you dial a number that's out of service, or if you leave the phone off the hook, or if you're put on hold, a recording always comes up, gives you a message, and then says "thank you". why is a machine saying "thank you" to me? machines are incapable of feelings, so it can't possibly feel any gratitude towards me, especially since all i've done was forget to hang up the phone. so why is this recording wasting my time thanking me when i know, and it knows, and everybody knows that it doesn't wish to thank me? what is the point of hearing the words "thank you" from a machine that cannot possibly mean what it's saying? it certainly doesn't make me feel appreciated. well, my rant is over. thank you very much, and have a great day.