Sometimes “It Goes Without Saying”… Doesn’t

It’s the 1990s. My father calls me one night.

Father: “You have to come right now!”

He is a bit agitated and doesn’t even say hi or hello.

Me: “What’s the problem?”

Father: “I can’t set the date and time on my new VCR!”

Me: “Did you follow the manual?”

Father: “Yes! Of course! I have tried several times and it does not work.”

Me: “Are you sure you followed the manual?”

Father: “Yes! Come. Here. Now!”

I go over to my parents’ house, grab the remote and the manual, follow the instructions, and…

“Beep!” 

The date and time are set.

Father: “What did you do?!”

Me: “Just what the manual told me.”

Father: “You must have done something else! I tried several times. It didn’t work!”

Me: “No, I just followed the instructions.”

Father: “You must have done something else!”

Me: “Well… I turned the VCR on first…”

But the instructions didn’t say that you had to start the VCR first; I have to give him that.