Is it just me, or do people not understand hypothetical questions anymore?

It's twice now this year that it's happened.

Like I've asked "If you could pick/choose [...] what would you pick/choose?"

Then they end up saying "Well we're not allowed to choose/pick... or well we haven't decided that yet... or we can't pick our [...]"

I said "IF!" If there was a hypothetical scenario or if there was an option. Not literally!

Sorry, mini rant.