Checkout line protests are actually catching on!

[Squinch]

The National Enquirer is a publication that has something to do with the low information voter's support of Twitler. It, and other supermarket rags, tend to be very conservative and like most conservatives they make a lot of laughable, bullshit claims, but apparently the magical rust belt voter believes what they peddle.

I have seen threads here before about "checkout line protests" where you turn around the publications that are so virulently anti-Democratic. Just turn it so the back page is what shows on the rack. It has the effect of hiding the anti-Democratic headlines, but it also prevents the impulse buy that those lurid covers encourage, so it hits the publisher hard in the pocketbook.

I've begun to notice that ALL of the rags are turned backward on the racks in ALL of the three local supermarkets in my area. It's surprisingly great to see it. You know that someone has come before you who supports what you support.

Now I've joined the party. No Enquirer is safe from me!

It's a small gesture, but I feel it's a good habit to develop in the New Year.

[greenman3610]

1. thanks, great idea!

[Dulcinea]

54. I like it!

I'll try it next time I go grocery shopping!

[tanyev]

2. I like to pick out some other magazine to browse through in line

and then 'accidentally' put it back on top of the offensive one.

[Squinch]

3. Or put the Enquirers on the bottom behind the stack of used baskets.

[bravenak]

4. I will do it too

[elleng]

5. Good to hear!

That protest hasn't caught on in the store I frequent; often I'm the only one who does it!

[Generic Other]

12. It puts a grin on your face

And that is important in Trumpland.

[elleng]

17. Yes it does!

Will check other somewhat-frequented stores, in a while.

[Madam45for2923]

6. Nice idea!

[FoxNewsSucks]

7. I've been doing that for a long time,

And I also hide or turn around all those high-priced Reagan memorial type magazines.

[kimbutgar]

8. I did it in cvs covering the time magazine cover of him winning.

And the other day in my Luckys I did not see one magazine with orange hitlers face. This was in San Bruno, CA.

[lastlib]

33. I was in CVS one day and saw a mag with his mug.....

so I took the whole stack of them over to the toilet-paper shelf.

[kimbutgar]

44. Good idea

[Dark n Stormy Knight]

51. Oh that's funny. And creative.

I've just been turning his smug mug away, but I like your idea.

[KatyMan]

9. we do this

at bookstores, like Booksamillion with right wing books.

[Generic Other]

10. yes!!

It is spreading. My friend says she even goes in the closed check lines to turn the magazines. If every time we do it, the Enquirer loses one customer, they will quit putting his damn photo in our faces.

[Vinca]

11. Great idea.

[LaydeeBug]

13. I used to put John Ashcroft's book in the tampon section.

[sheshe2]

14. ...

[3catwoman3]

32. I just snorted...

Last edited Thu Dec 22, 2016, 10:36 PM - Edit history (1)

...thru my nose and all the rest of the family looked over at me quizzically. Seeing as it is my husband and our sons. I chose not to tell them what I was chortling at.

[sheshe2]

38. Bwahahahahaha!

[Squinch]

16. I'm dying over here!!!

[meow2u3]

47. Now we can put Mike Pence's likeness in the tampon section

Same idea, different times. :evilgrin.

[LittleGirl]

72. excellent! eom

[sheshe2]

15. I am in!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love it, thanks Squinch.

[DemoTex]

18. I. Will. Be. Doing. THAT!

Thanks!

[MarianJack]

19. Thanks,...

...count me in!

PEACE!

[3Stones]

20. I do this and I don't care who see's me!

[femmocrat]

21. When I go to B & N, I turn RW books over and upside down.

I am glad to see this happening to supermarket tabloids!

[txwhitedove]

22. Oh yes, done that for some time now. Put GWBush's book with

the toilet paper once. Now always turn tRump pics around.

[LuckyLib]

23. The latest Time magazine cover of a full face

Drumpf is sickening. I flipped it at my grocery store.

[BumRushDaShow]

27. OMG I almost did that today myself

when I was at the supermarket checkout, except that I was afraid to touch it or I would get cooties.

[oasis]

24. Ewww. Enquirer has Trump family photo w/their roles in the new government.

When Obama and Bill Clinton were in high office, it was constant conspiracy bullshit.

I call that to the attention of those standing next to me in line.

[QED]

25. During the W era, I used to cover up books by O'Really, Rush, etc. at Costco.

Now it seems all the books are RW and there aren't enough others to cover them.

[TNNurse]

26. OOh, I like it, will do.

[byronius]

28. Regular habit with me.

[spike jones]

29. No library books were harmed during the making of these statements

The local library is very right wing and Christian. On the shelves they display those types of books in holders. I turn them upside or backward or replace them with progressive books. They do have a few of those.
Years ago I made paper book markers with a picture of Bush and Cheney and titled War Criminals Impeach. I would place them in books about them and their agenda.
There was a book case that had only fiction books about Christians. It had a sign on top "Christian Fiction." I would get two Bibles from the religion section and place them beside the sign.
BTW: When in the library please go to the biography section and get the Lance Armstrong book and take it to the fiction section where it belongs.
I hope to get my library card back next year.

[Liberal_in_LA]

30. Funny. I did that yesterday without knowing others do it

[Ellen Forradalom]

31. I've been doing this too.

The "Muslim Spies!" issue filled me with rage. I've been turning that around or covering it with magazines featuring decent people on the cover.

One guy in the checkout line behind me asked me when he saw me do that, "Your OCD kicking in?"

"No, covering up dangerous, racist shit."

He looked at it. "Aw, don't like Trump?"

I glared at him. "Ever hear of a paper called Der Stürmer?"

"No. No I haven't."

"It got six million people killed."

(Slight exaggeration but propaganda lays the groundwork for atrocities.)

[lunasun]

52. Yes propaganda does. Good reply to the guy

[crazycatlady]

34. Put Cosmo in front of them

Raunchy headlines and all....

[3catwoman3]

35. I was in line at the grocery store...

...yesterday. I had picked up a copy of the current People magazine with Barack and Michelle Obama on the cover, and was putting on the conveyor belt.

And older white guy in one of those motorized carts was next in line. He saw the magazine and said, "You don't want that guy's picture in your house do you?" I shot him a mind-your-own-business look, and said, fairly loudly, "Don't start wth me."

He did indicate that he did not like either candidate this time around. I did not ask who he voted for, as I did not wish to engage any further.

I am going to try to be like Joy Reid, and not take any crap from anybody, which will be a real stretch for me. Shy and retiring both have my picture next to them in the dictionary.

[Squinch]

37. I am the same. I'm not letting any comments go by. Lately the easiest thing is to say,

"Do you like your Medicare? Trump and the Republicans are going to take it away from you next month."

[Jim Beard]

63. Glad you raised your voice in response. FOX News

has their people think liberals are wenies. I d the same, I floor them.

[JudyM]

79. Every one of us who doesn't react as you did, helps normalize them since many others will laugh and

agree/reinforce their "cleverness." We need to show our faces so they don't believe the bull crap he feeds.

[CK_John]

36. Amazon will change this, No line or cashier.

Amazon has staked out a new venue for making retail super convenient: Corner stores.

The e-commerce technology company announced on Monday a new Seattle location, Amazon Go, that has no registers. Instead, shoppers scan into the store with their free Amazon Go app, shop as normal, and leave the store with the items billed to their Amazon.com account.

While some stores have used a wedding-registry technique to allow this kind of shopping, Amazon takes it one step further. Using computer vision — the kind of technology that lets self-driving cars "see" — the store recognizes the user, making it unnecessary to individually scan items.

According to the Seattle Times, the 1,800 square-foot store, featuring ready-to-eat meals and snacks, is open to Amazon employees participating in a testing program. The store will open to the public in early 2017.

Read More:
http://www.cnbc.com/2016/12/05/no-waiting-at-the-register-new-amazon-go-store-bills-everything-to-your-amazon-account.html

[Augiedog]

39. Count me in too.

[iluvtennis]

40. + 1 nt

[SunSeeker]

41. Excellent! Great idea!

I have been so annoyed by those covers. They used to be just laughable harmless stuff about celebrities giving birth to alien babies and that sort of thing. But now, they are very political, and they are very Pro-GOP/Anti-Dem; and virtually everything they report is a lie. Now I have a strategy to combat that crap. Thank you!

[underpants]

42. Will do

[old guy]

43. I do this every chance I get. Have for years.

[jeffreyi]

45. I turned an enquirer upside down today

I live in a very red area of California, so I was sneaky. Felt good to do this!

[IrishEyes]

46. I was at the magazine rack yesterday

Trump was on the cover of a magazine looking smug and ugly. I picked up a copy of Vanity Fair and put it in front of the magazine.

[3catwoman3]

48. Perfect...

...choice.

[GeorgeGist]

49. I also do it to books by reich wing hacks ...

like Coulter, Billo, etc.

[jimlup]

50. Go idea

I've been turning books with conservative figures on the cover upside down for years. I'll add this to my repertoire.

[DoctorMyEyes]

53. Have none of you ever worked in retail?

I do. And I hate these stupid passive aggressive/zero effort "protests". All they do is giving overworked people more work to do. I know the "regulars" who do this in my store and no, I do not stop them - but I resent them and their petty "protests" that they feel so clever about. I'll never go out of my way to assist any of these makers of needless work that doesn't make a damn bit of difference. It only makes you feel clever and subversive. I hope whoever does this gets poked with their own stupid safety pin.

[Jim Beard]

62. Sorry it is bothering you so much. Just

talk to your boss and see if the store will quite selling them.

[DoctorMyEyes]

68. Why don't you talk to the boss?

Me complaining about my work or your behavior isn't going to do anything except make me look like a complainer TO MY BOSS. You're the "customer who is always right", and spending money in the store. Instead of sneaking around turning magazines and books over like you're making some kind of noble contribution to the cause YOU could talk to the store manager. Or even better - write letters to the buying office or corporate big wigs.

[LisaM]

73. Great point!

It would have a lot more inpact for a customer to ask the boss not to carry the publication than to expect an employee to do so. I worked in a bookstore and I don't move books though I will occasionally flip one over.

[Jim Beard]

89. If you knew me, you would know I have pleanty of guts........I

was once banned from a Supermarket home office for something I felt very strongly about. Many others felt the same way but didn't have the guts. Yes, I will indeed bitch to management but if you keep turning them back around, they will think its just me bitchin. I have learned to grow balls. (It comes with age, I'll be 70 next year.)

[Nevernose]

77. I don't understand: that's your job, right?

Straightening up after idiot customers? Thats just the gig.

If the only parts of the job were parts that didn't annoy us, we'd do them for free and call them hobbies.

[camelfan]

84. And there's the rub...

...idiot customers. I'd like to think the Democratic Party is the mature party, not given to childish things like petulant tweets or turning books/magazines around. But not all of us are. And I'm sorry, but this seems to me to be an attempt to suppress free speech as well. We don't like what they say, but we should let them say it. Think of Toby Ziegler giving the Russian journalist a press pass to Air Force One, despite the fact that her newspaper is a tabloid. We should rise above this garbage and set an example that we're proud to pass to our children. Which is why the Dems should also give confirmation hearings to whomever Trump nominates to the Supreme Court. They might be childish and petulant; we shouldn't stoop so low. If we want them to do their jobs, we can at least do ours in return.

"I consider it a symbol, and I leave symbols to the symbol-minded." --George Carlin

[DoctorMyEyes]

88. Annoying working people is an effective form of protest?

This book/magazine turning HOBBY is not going to change a single mind or heart - is not going to sway or speak to anyone. It's not going to impact the retailer or the publisher. But carry on...

[Nevernose]

90. I argued neither for nor against

Nor did I denigrate anyone's occupation as a hobby.

I do, however, feel that there is a legitimate issue with the National Enquirer, specifically. The owner is painfully pro-Trump, even more than the Murdoch mags are painfully anti-liberal. There are legitimate ways of dealing with this. Perhaps by turning them around -- a simple form of protest, granted, and ineffective if nobody knows why it's done. There are perhaps better ways of approaching the daily outright propaganda (and if you don't think its propaganda, you clearly haven't seen it), such as speaking to corporate store ownership and advertiser boycotts. That having been said, gathering them all up and leaving them in the diaper section hurts no one and only hides what is clearly ridiculous conservative bullshit.

No peoperty is destroyed and no one is injured. The WORST thing that could happen is that an employee is paid to do their job: straightening up the store after customers move shit around.

[DoctorMyEyes]

91. I'm not arguing this point

I'm not going to argue this or post about it over a period of days in order to convince anyone this is stupid and accomplishes not a damn constuctive thing. It's a statement of fact. Full stop.

If you all feel like "soldiers" (as someone in this thread referred to themselves!) by making more annoying work for someone else and actually in many cases PROMPTING customers to PICK UP the book or magazine that they might otherwise have bypassed - because people being people they JUST HAVE TO SEE what you're hiding/what's behind the curtain then knock your silly selves out.

I posted from a perspective that seemed to have not occurred to a single soul in this thread. Now you've had an opportunity to consider that perspective. If you choose to reject it... rock on with your bad self.

[yagotme]

92. I also, have worked in a retail store,

and "straightening up the store after customers move shit around" was part of the job. So, being paid minimum wage, and usually busy doing the other parts of my job, why do you want to make my job harder than it is so you can "protest" a magazine that is sold in nearly every grocery store in CONUS? I had a cashier that really disliked me for some reason, and just working around her was hard enough without someone coming along and purposefully moving stuff around to make themselves feel a little better.

Rant off.

[Squinch]

85. LOL! Yes, I've worked in retail. And I got paid by the hour so stuff like this didn't

bother me overly much.

I was also one of the customers at my local grocery store who waged a successful campaign to get rid of the automated checkout stations. Many of the people who work there are seniors or people with disabilities who would have a very hard time finding other jobs. Believe me, they are not bothered by an increase in the necessity for tasks that cannot be done by a machine.

[niyad]

55. I have been doing this kind of thing for years (phyllis schlafly's books were the start). even

the guy who stocks the mags and books in our supermarket knows what I do. he just requested that I at least wait until he leaves to start in again.

[cry baby]

56. I'm a checkout line soldier.

I've done it on and off since W was prez.

[putitinD]

101. I've been doing it since the Raygun years.

[MFM008]

57. I do it

Or rip covers in half.

[Doitnow]

58. Another kind of store +protest---

I refuse to go thru the self-check-out. In a few of the stores where they have them, invariably a clerk will call me over to one and I respond a bit loudly, "That's a job killer." I'm elderly and can wait longer in line for someone to wait on me, but I understand most people are in a hurry, but that's my little bit.

I have a son who works in finance, which means working for a large company whose higher-ups can't see all the time wasted by workers because of silly rules, outdated computers, tedious work-arounds, etc. I tell him often he should be in some kind of time-management field. He has given up trying to improve things for the companies by making suggestions that go nowhere. At any rate, in many cases, it would mean laying off workers, so why bother helping companies especially in this day and age, when good jobs are so hard to come by.

[Jim Beard]

61. Worse yet, someone will steal his idea.

[7962]

75. See post #36. THATS a job killer.

And the push to instantly raise min wage to 15 will only hasten the replacement of ALL those types of jobs. Sad, but reality

[Squinch]

86. Except where it has been instituted, that hasn't happened.

[7962]

96. give it a yr or two. McDonalds is already opening them

[Squinch]

97. It's been more than a year or two in some places. Hasn't happened.

[7962]

98. Some places adopt slower than others; here's the future happening now;

http://www.businessinsider.com/self-service-kiosks-are-replacing-workers-2016-5

There's no turning back either.

[Squinch]

99. All the more reason why the jobs that remain have to pay decently.

[7962]

100. Certainly someone will maintain the units,

but each tech will handle several locations.
Each location wont need 1/2 the people they currently need. Then grocery stores will be next. Amazon is already opening "no checkout" locations. No cashiers needed; cheaper to drop the position.
Sure, SOMEONE will get 15 an hr, but more will lose their jobs because of it. IF it was implemented in 1 move. You cant double labor costs & not expect an adverse reaction to it. I'd rather see 50 employed at 10.00 an hr than 20 at 15.00.
Pres Obama has the right idea with a gradual increase over the years. But too many people dont get it.

[Squinch]

104. I'd rather see the enormous profits of mechanization distributed to more people than

.01 percent of the population.

Mechanization is going to happen. It can't be stopped. Profits from mechanization usually go up, usually by enormous amounts. Right now almost ALL of those profits are going to about 1000 people in the US.

Mechanization should lead to a society in which there is much more leisure for everyone without sacrificing income and quality of life. Instead, there are insane profits for .01% of the population and everyone else is a hamster on a wheel trying to make ends meet.

The answer is not to reduce pay and try to stem the tide of mechanization. The answer is to reduce the profits that go to the .01%, and increase the pay for the remaining jobs by a large amount so that the population can still be supported by the fewer jobs.

Anyone I know who works a fast food job can't make ends meet on the job. So they work two or three other jobs. Let them make ends meet on that first job and two or three jobs open up. Once upon a time not too long ago you could raise a family on one salary if you were a bus driver or a grocery store employee or a server in a restaurant. How about we start by going back to those levels of pay?

The profits from mechanization are actually quite insane. No one in the .01% REALLY needs that second, third or fourth billion.

[Cha]

59. Good for you guys, Squinch.. I don't usually go

to those places. My local health food store doesn't have them, of course.

But, I was in drug store line after the election and it was sickening what the NE had on their page.. calling Hillary corrupt, criminal and some other crap. Said Obama was going to pardon her.

The brainwashing of America to those who let others do their thinking for them.

[ailsagirl]

65. I've had to train my eyes to avoid looking at those rags

[Jim Beard]

60. I'll join in. Going to the store tomorrow and can't wait.

I think I will pick it up and look at it very briefly and THEN put it back in backwards. Too many cameras so I need to make it look good.

[DoctorMyEyes]

70. OMG!!!

Yeah, be really slick. You wouldn't want to get CAUGHT in this terribly effective subversive act! You might have to suffer having a worker roll their eyes at you behind your back! It's torture, Jim. Be safe.

[ailsagirl]

64. Too bad the NY Daily News isn't on those checkout stands

They rock, for sure!!

Fie on the trashy enquirer

[alfredo]

66. I used to move religious books to fiction or mythology

[MadDAsHell]

67. Yes, my daughter works at our grocery store...and has to fix all of these. nt

[DoctorMyEyes]

69. And I guess she's told you that it happens

and I'll bet she's no happier about it than I am. Grown ass children turning books and magazines over and hiding things in different parts of the store... Conservatives and liberals...... All they're winning is the ill will of the people who you might want to one day offer you some assistance while you're shopping. Hold your breath... Silly, unimpressive, ineffective, immature.

[7962]

74. Just feeds the opinions the RW already has about the left

silly childish nonsense that actually accomplishes nothing.
Just like those who put "trump" on their coffee cup so the barista has to holler out "trump!" when the order is ready.

[Squinch]

87. Work that can't possibly be done by a machine in a field where people are in immediate

danger of being laid off due to mechanization. A win all around!!

[Duppers]

71. Been doing that for YEARS!

[Nitram]

76. Will do.

[stage left]

78. I just started doing this.

And it feels wonderful.

[NastyRiffraff]

80. I didn't know about this

but what a good idea! I'll definitely do it. I go to 3 different supermarkets plus 2 different drug stores and they'll all get the treatment.

[Bonx]

81. THESE PROTESTS ARE POINTLESS AND CAUSE NEEDLESS WORK FOR LOW LEVEL EMPLOYEES

Including my sis in law who already has back and foot problems.

[drm604]

82. It's much more effective to complain to management about the offensive magazines or books.

If they get enough complaints they might actually stop selling them.

[GoneOffShore]

83. I'm a great fan of Post-Its and Avery labels.

During the era of Shrub and the lead up to the Iraq War, I printed up mailing address size labels that said:

Bush Lied, Thousands Died.

Those labels ended up in men's rooms in restaurants (always ones that had lots of graffiti or band stickers on the walls).

Chalkboards in bathrooms are also good.

Any ad or billboard is fair game for being defaced, as Banksy says. And the small labels attract attention and can carry a pithy message.

[irisblue]

93. last night @ Krogers easily done

[Takket]

94. will do this tomorrow!

Noticed the horrible covers last week and read on here about how N.E. is basically a Trump propaganda magazine now. not surprising since his entire campaign was basically a N.E. article.

so tomorrow going out for beef and veggies to make Christmas stew and will cover these up in the line!

[nutsnberries]

95. i did this yesterday & didn't know it was *a thing*

- i couldn't help myself.
i guess i'm going to have to keep doing it now that i know!

[oldtime dfl_er]

102. YAY!

My little action group started doing this a few days ago. So thrilled to know it's being noticed!!!

[Binkie The Clown]

103. Sign me up. I'm joining the fight. n/t

[Freethinker65]

105. I saw some elderly woman in front of me buying a copy of NE ...

Never gave it much thought before, but after the election, and glancing at the headline I thought to myself I bet she believes this shit. Another useful idiot.