Honestly I swear there have been a string over the years that have actively encouraged this kind of silly behavior.

I agree mortals shouldn't be tickling gods but I also disagree with the assertion that in Thera mortals should be in awe of the gods. They are just walking around a fair bit and have very personal relationships with a lot of people. They are not so much gods as they are CEO's someone with a fair amount of authority and depending on your station you should modify how you interact with them but more of an in charge person then an all powerful being whose presence would be an honor to simply be in.