Grandma's polite Google searches draw worldwide attention

WIGAN, England — A grandson made a surprising discovery when he opened his grandmother's laptop June 9.

Ben Eckersley, 25, was at his grandmother's house doing laundry when he noticed his grandmother, May Ashworth, types "please" and "thank you", whenever she types searches in Google.

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He shared an example of this on Twitter, when Ashworth wanted to convert Roman numerals into Arabic numerals.

"I asked my nan why she used 'please' and 'thank you' and it seemed she thinks that there is someone -- a physical person -- at Google's headquarters who looks after the searches," John told the BBC. "She thought that by being polite and using her manners, the search would be quicker."

His grandmother -- May Ashworth -- told the CBC she isn't computer-savvy and doesn't use Google often.

"I feel a bit stupid really 'cause I did it that way," Ashworth said. "I thought, well, somebody's put it in, so you're thanking them. I don't know how it works to be honest. It's all a mystery to me."

Google -- both in the U.K. and U.S. -- didn't seem to mind Ashworth's politeness.

Eckersley also seems to be enjoying his grandmother's newfound internet fame, sharing a selfie of him and Ashworth on Twitter:

"I can't tell you how funny it is," Ashworth said. "Just it makes me speechless, honestly."

Cox Media Group