Old People and Technology

I really didn't think that I had anything to blog about today, and then the last twenty minutes of my life happened.

Let me set this up... Earlier today I went over to my great aunt and uncle's (both over the age of 80) to hook up their new digital signal box...you know, the converter box that people have to get if they are still using an analog television signal? No one was home, but I hooked it up and left a note for them to call me if they had any problems... Well, they had problems.

I live right across the road from my aunt and uncle and (because of that) have become the person who hooks up and/or fixes all of their technological problems. I am pretty sure they are the only people around who had to buy one of those converter boxes. They sure are the only people I know who do not have cable or satellite. All that to say, I had to go hook the thing up.

Fast forward to about twenty minutes ago... I get a call from across the road.

One word: "Help!"

I asked what was wrong. Apparently they couldn't change channels. Now, I had made sure the TV was working, but didn't go through the channels or anything. I told my aunt that I didn't read the directions on how to run it, I just hooked it up. (I was hoping she would take the hint and read the directions herself)

Silence (imagine crickets chirping over the phone line) I asked her if she wanted me to come over and read the directions.

Her response: "Yeah, We're old. We don't read directions very well."

Seriously?

I wasn't aware you could use excuses like that. Must be an old people thing.

So I go over to the house, pick up the remote and hit the channel up button. Nothing. I think about it for...oh...about 5 seconds and realize what is wrong.

All their extra equipment (VCR, DVD, and the new converter I just hooked up) is stored under the TV, in the entertainment center...behind a drop down door. Can you figure out the problem?

That's right. I had to drop the door down so the remote signal could actually reach the box.

I am still shaking my head in disbelief.

My uncle was mad and wanted to know how I had managed to change the channel because he had been "hitting that button until he thought he would break it." I told him I had dropped down the door on the entertainment center so the signal could reach the box.

See...before "the box" they had used the TV remote to change the channels and the TV sensor was not behind that door (obviously). They assumed they still needed to change channels through the television. I didn't read the directions, so I didn't know to tell them any different.

Ahhh...old people.

PS - If I can sneak over there soon, I will try to take a picture of the entertainment center with the drop down door.