Cross not a Hughes, Part-4:

Sometime in the early ‘80s we got our first color-TV.
I know color-TV had been around since about 1956, but I didn’t think it was worth it.
With the coming of cable-TV, and Sony’s Trinitron, I decided color-TV was worth it.
In fact, for years my wife and I had no TV at all. Our first TV was a black-and-white Sears portable with rabbit-ears.
There was Senator Sam wagging his craggy finger at John Dean: “Whatsoever a man soweth, that shall he also reap.”
We probably got that TV just so we could view the Watergate hearings.
Hearings over, that TV went back into disuse, except for the news.
My TV viewing us still pretty much the same: just the news, and not all of it.
So out to a small suburban TV store just east of Rochester (NY) to buy a Trinitron.
It was called “Suburban TV.” I guess they also did repairs.
I walked out with a Sony Trinitron, my first color-TV.
I plugged it in when I got home, and NOTHING.
I dorked around, but still NOTHING.
Back to Suburban TV.
They too tried it; NOTHING. But their demonstrator worked.
“It looks like you need a new channel-selector, Mr. Hughes. It’s guaranteed, but we’ll get it in about two-three weeks.”
“Wait a minute!” I yelled. “I just gave you guys $475; I think I’m entitled to a working TV.”
They were terrified; I was scaring off customers.
“You got one here that works,” I screamed. “Why can’t I have that one? I shouldn’t have to wait two-three weeks.
I work for Regional Transit Service, I’ll blast your store’s name all over my Drivers’ Room. No one from Transit will patronize your store.”
I walked out with their demonstrator, the Trinitron that worked.
I left their store-manager a quaking mass.
So now I wonder if I could grandstand like that since my wife died, leaving me with no confidence at all.
Probably.
So far I’ve recounted three previous incidents of not crossing a Hughes.
I guess it’s still in there; in each case my grandstand reaction was totally unplanned.
But with my wife’s death I feel like I have no confidence at all.

• “Hughes” is me, Bob Hughes, BobbaLew.
• My beloved wife of over 44 years died of cancer April 17th, 2012. I miss her dearly.
• For 16&1/2 years (1977-1993) I drove transit bus for Regional Transit Service (RTS) in Rochester, NY, a public employer, the transit-bus operator in Rochester and environs. My stroke October 26th, 1993 ended that. I retired on medical-disability. I recovered fairly well.