The TV Static Incident: A Breakfast Room Battle

The breakfast room TV at work is always tuned to morning news. I prefer CBS Mornings, and The Drew Barrymore Show plays in the background as I clean. The volume is up for older guests; no complaints, except once.

Spring Break meant a packed hotel and a busy me. Coffee flowed, the buffet stayed full. I left to boil eggs in another building. Returning, six people were eating.

Washing my hands, I heard the TV volume drop. An older man fiddled with the wall-mounted TV’s side controls. Assuming he found it loud, I didn’t interfere.

He kept fiddling until the picture vanished, replaced by static – black and white snow.

“Can I help you, sir?” I asked.

“I was trying to change the channel,” he grumbled.

His audacity shocked me. I controlled the TV. But, avoiding conflict, I said, “Well, all you got now is snow.”

“Snow is better than what was on before,” he retorted.

I hadn’t been paying attention. What offended him on CBS Mornings? The war in Ukraine? The Capitol riot trials? The “Don’t Say Gay” bill?

I left the static on. Arguing seemed pointless. The room fell silent. Other guests whispered; the channel changer sat alone.

He stayed 10 or 15 minutes, unhurried. After he left, I tried restoring the news, but nothing worked. We were stuck with static. Sometimes “analog 3” appeared, but I was lost. This was a job for Gary at the front desk, our problem-solver.

Gary pushed a button near the ones the guest used. Options appeared; he navigated them, quickly restoring CBS Mornings. Gary saved the day!

Later, I learned the TV’s side channel button doesn’t work. Touching it creates static. Changing channels requires the remote, aimed at the monitor’s back.