TV REMOTE CONTROLS – Why old people go crazy in vacation rentals!

After 79 years I have just barely managed to work my TV at home. Now, every time I am in a new vacation rental, I face an impossible learning experience. I have yet to be able to turn on a TV with ease. Why, I am not sure. This week in Indian Rocks Beach, Florida, a favorite place of ours, was the worst.

There are three TV’s in the unit and NINE TV remote devices. Fortunately the master bedroom only has one.

The living room TV has 6 remotes.

The first night, and over the week-end, I could only make the TV in the master bedroom work; and that only by punching several buttons at random. The TV in the living room simply flashed “No Signal” and “35 Animal Planet.”

On Monday I went to the management company and they suggested that I contact the cable provider. They gave me a number.

The cable provider telephone call consisted of a series of messages and suggestions; none of which did any good and ended up suggesting that I unplug the system, wait 20 minutes, and attempt to restart. I did this. Nothing. I then unplugged the system again, waited an hour, restarted the system. Again nothing. So, I turned to drink.

After a few hours, I called the cable provider again, and by carefully punching buttons on my phone, finally got to a live operator. She was very nice. She must have a nice grandfather.

She suggested I punch “source” on my remote. At first I couldn’t find it; but then hiding at the bottom in small type, was a button that said “video source,” right next to the red button that said “light.”

I punched the video source button and got several choices. By sorting through them (it took me a couple minutes to figure out how  to go from one to another), I hit on one that turned the TV on. Not clear, but after a while the TV got to the point where  could find some familiar channels.

For the next several days, it took several attempts with the  remote to get the cable. I never could make it work in the guest bedroom, but….

Even after I managed to start getting the  cable channels, I got ads popping up suggesting that I upgrade this or that. There seemed to be no way to get away from them except by powering off and restarting the TV.

The one remote that finally worked has 63 buttons; each with small hard to read (and harder to understand) words.

On a prior trip, but a different condo, all of the clickers were dead. After a couple of days, and calls, we discovered that the batteries were not only dead, but corroded.

The remotes are not labeled. They each control a different tv, vcr, or some other electronic device.

I realize that I am 79; that my grandchildren were not with me; and, that I am not versed in “remotes;” however, I notice that a lot of old people rent condos in Florida during the school year, when things are quieter. You would think that there could be a simple solution.

Old people tend to watch TV. Imagine if my life revolved around Jeopardy? I would go crazy if the remote did not allow me to access that.

I have come up with a simple check list. This should help, not just with tv remotes, but with most of the problems old people have with electronics.

1. Don’t wait. Face the problem now.
2. Prepare- whoever you contact is going to want information that you don’t have, so get it.
   1. numbers
   2. time
   3. photos on your cell phone
   4. contacts – owner – manager
3. Think it through
4. Use your age as a bargaining chip. “I am 79 and need your help.”
5. Try everything. Whomever you contact will ask you.
6. Be nice.
7. Seek help; in person, if possible.
8. Finally, call your grandson or granddaughter.

THINK OLD!