[Solong] Rather silly puzzle

[Solong]

You mean there's not a little man in there?

[SurfingPikachu]

Are any of the following relevant? Computer? Television? Radio? Phone? Some other technological device? Involving communication?
Is the question actually being asked? Or is it just a way to describe a situation?
If actually being asked, by a sentient being? A person? HAM? Is the question asked genuinely? Rhetorically? Sarcastically? For humourous purposes?
Any cultural differences involved? Technological disparities? Extraterrestials? Time travel? Supernatural stuff?
"in there" refers to a location? An object? A living thing? A head? A heart?
"man" refers to a human? Some humanlike creature? (e.g. a dwarf)
"little" refers to physical size? Physical age? Intellectual or emotional age? Social or political status? Some type of simile, metaphor, or other similarity comparison?

[Solong]

Are any of the following relevant? Computer? Television? Radio? Phone? Some other technological device? This. Involving communication? Noish
Is the question actually being asked? Or is it just a way to describe a situation? It's sort of a rhetorical question, or a silly questioj.
If actually being asked, by a sentient being? By me, if that qualifies.A person? HAM? Is the question asked genuinely? Rhetorically? Sarcastically? For humourous purposes? Yes. See above.
Any cultural differences involved? Technological disparities? Extraterrestials? Time travel? Supernatural stuff? None of these.
"in there" refers to a location? This. An object? Thisish, too. A living thing? A head? A heart? No to these.
"man" refers to a human? This. Some humanlike creature? (e.g. a dwarf) or possibly this.
"little" refers to physical size? Yes.Physical age? Intellectual or emotional age? Social or political status? Some type of simile, metaphor, or other similarity comparison?

[SurfingPikachu]

Are you asking if a technological device is achieving its capabilities not by actually having a man inside controlling it?

[Solong]

Are you asking if a technological device is achieving its capabilities not by actually having a man inside controlling it? I know this device does not have a man inside controlling it, but I am being silly and pretending I don't.
And maybe I'm wrong - sometimes.

[SurfingPikachu]

So presumably I'm OTRT and now have to guess what this device is?
Is it one that could reasonably fit a man inside if its inside was entirely hollow? A child? A hamster? Or could fit multiple men?
Is it a device used by magicians? In the entertainment industry? In the finance industry? (e.g. ATMs) In the scientific/technological/technical industry?
Is the device electric? Electronic? Code involved? Artificial intelligence? Robots? Or is it a purely mechanical device?

[Solong]

So presumably I'm OTRT and now have to guess what this device is? Yes.
Is it one that could reasonably fit a man inside if its inside was entirely hollow? A child? A hamster? Or could fit multiple men?
Is it a device used by magicians? In the entertainment industry? In the finance industry? (e.g. ATMs) In the scientific/technological/technical industry? It is an ATM.
I am not involved in the puzzle myself, but how did *someone* discover that there is *not* a little man in the machine? Or is there?
Is the device electric? Electronic? Code involved? Artificial intelligence? Robots? Or is it a purely mechanical device?

[SurfingPikachu]

I personally see the inside of an ATM a handful of times a year, when I randomly walk past one and there randomly happens to be a bank personnel servicing it. Did a similar thing happen here?
Or did it happen that there was a fake ATM with a person inside? Perhaps pretending to reject cards while stealing card info? Or perhaps under the employment of the bank and actually fulfilling ATM duties? Or just roleplaying an ATM for the fun of it?

[Solong]

I personally see the inside of an ATM a handful of times a year, when I randomly walk past one and there randomly happens to be a bank personnel servicing it. Did a similar thing happen here? Yes!
Or did it happen that there was a fake ATM with a person inside? Perhaps pretending to reject cards while stealing card info? Or perhaps under the employment of the bank and actually fulfilling ATM duties? Or just roleplaying an ATM for the fun of it? No to all.

So in fact there was a man in the ATM. Only one more step. What happened that makes this puzzleworthy?

[Balin]

Ohhh, I saw this story. I'll refrain from spoyling.

[SurfingPikachu]

Erh... I've heard of many ATM shenanigans. But I'm also a little confused by why you said "Yes" to the question about seeing the inside of an ATM without a man, and "No" to seeing a fake ATM with a man inside, and *then* say there was in fact a man in an ATM. So presumably you saw an ATM with a man inside? And it was a real ATM?

And Googling "man in ATM" gives me only one story (despite the many I've heard): that of a man trapped in a room passing notes through an ATM asking for help. Is that the problem referenced here?

[CoffeeBean]

I saw this story too, and it's probably going to make a lot of other people question the mechanics of such devices.

Great puzzle.

[Solong]

Erh... I've heard of many ATM shenanigans. But I'm also a little confused by why you said "Yes" to the question about seeing the inside of an ATM without a man, and "No" to seeing a fake ATM with a man inside, and *then* say there was in fact a man in an ATM. So presumably you saw an ATM with a man inside? And it was a real ATM? Yes, and I didn't see any of these things myself.

And Googling "man in ATM" gives me only one story (despite the many I've heard): that of a man trapped in a room passing notes through an ATM asking for help. Is that the problem referenced here? Yes, exactly. that is the

****************************SPOILER*****************************************************
He was a repair tech who was accidently locked in the ATM room, - in a climate where you don't want to be locked in a small, airless room. And he had left his cell phone in his truck, so couldn't use it.
This happened very near where I live, in fact at the bank where my account is!!