I thought of him just last night when I was walking up a broken escalator at Sears and caught myself thinking, "An out of order escalator is stairs. The sign should say, "Escalator is out or order, sorry for the convenience.""

Too bad his addictions finally got the better of him in 2005.

The city is a great city because many diverse interests are represented and there is a strong cultural identity that is supported by local businesses. You contribute to that by becoming part of that community, not by being weird for the sake of being weird. Generally, those people end up contributing the least to the identity of the city because they have nothing of their own to bring to the table, which is why they have to fall back on "being weird" as their sole defining trait.

...But that's a rant for a different day.

Again, there are shades of grey...

I agree (see my comment above this one). And granted, some of the stunts were rather benign. But what I found particularly troubling was the fact that Consumerist was glorifying the more disruptive stunts. "It's all very badass and has several stores in a tizzy."

What it comes down to is, the kind of shopdropping that Consumerist is glorifying isn't going to cause any corporations to change their ways or anyone to stop and think. The only people who it adversely affects are the shift workers on the lowest end of the totem pole who have to deal with the ensuing confusion. Ironically, those are the people who profit the least from (and, if you want to go so far, are exploited by) the very thing these shopdroppers are trying to attack.

improper analogy

Right. And at the end of the day, we look at what those actions caused and decide whether or not it was worth all the trouble. So, take your example of the American Revolution and decide for yourself.

In this case, what exactly did we gain as a result of these "shopdroppers"? A couple self-important 'artists' getting their jollies and the teenager behind the counter at the local MegaMart getting a giant headache from having to deal with it. Sounds pretty noble to me, huh? After all, "It's all very badass."

Again, what it boils down to is, we're condoning immaturity and obnoxiousness simply because there's a "message" behind it. Granted, this isn't as malicious as, say, throwing the drinks at the drive-through workers. But it's about as cool and grown up as saying "Anarchy Rules!" over the paging system at your local Mega-Mart.

(BTW, wrt Austin's weirdness being canned, some of it is; some of it isn't. Certainly, the kind that isn't isn't what the "Keep Austin Weird" folks are spending their money promoting... but if you're hanging out with the right sets of people, Austin is indeed a very interesting place. Not that I hang with those people much these days, but I still have a certain fondness for them).

@RvLeshrac:

"speak frequently and loudly," rather. Yeesh.

@chili_dog:

Actually, folks that are upset over the founding and actions of America are *more* welcome to live here and work to change the country.

That's the entire purpose of our Constitution and Bill of Rights, you know. The founders of the country didn't want another England, where the rulers were absolutely powerful and 'did no wrong.' They wanted a society where the norm was "speak frequently and often," not "shut up or have your head lopped off."

However, folks that are "upset" over the founding of and actions of the capitalistic society that is America, are more then welcome to go and live where their ideals exist.

@chili_dog:

I hope that was sarcasm!

If not, well... the truth doesn't change just because someone wants it to.

If some people tried to do the same things that were done during the American Revolution today, we'd call them terrorists and torture them half to death.

One man's terrorist is another man's freedom-fighter, after all.

I suggest you leave America.

Have you never worked a retail job in your life? For those of you who haven't (think back to your summer job at *insert store here*), let me clue you in. Dealing with stunts like this is bound to be annoying as hell.

Again, what it boils down to is, we're condoning immaturity and obnoxiousness simply because there's a "message" behind it. Granted, this isn't as malicious as, say, throwing the drinks at the drive-through workers. But it's about as cool and grown up as saying "Anarchy Rules!" over the paging system at your local Mega-Mart.

P.S. The only reason $CITY can afford to be so "weird" is because it is permanently subsidized by $MASSIVE_LOCAL_UNIVERSITY students and rich suburbanite high school kids who think that shopping on the drag equals culture. Don't get me wrong, I love the city, but its "weirdness" is about as canned and superficial as anything I've ever seen.

I disagree that these varieties of "childish immaturity" are the same thing at all... shopdropping (particularly adding new items to inventory, as opposed to relocating existing inventory -- the latter is making work for people, after all) is far less so.

Have you never worked a retail job in your life? For those of you who haven't (think back to your summer job at *insert store here*), let me clue you in. Dealing with stunts like this is bound to be annoying as hell.

Again, what it boils down to is, we're condoning immaturity and obnoxiousness simply because there's a "message" behind it. Granted, this isn't as malicious as, say, throwing the drinks at the drive-through workers. But it's about as cool and grown up as saying "Anarchy Rules!" over the paging system at your local Mega-Mart.

P.S. The only reason Austin can afford to be so "weird" is because it is permanently subsidized by UT students and rich suburbanite high school kids who think that shopping on the drag equals culture. Don't get me wrong, I love the city, but its "weirdness" is about as canned and superficial as anything I've ever seen.

@swalve - apparently it is ok when you think it's funny or agree with their message.

I hate anarchists.

We'd sneak the diskette in a computer and start the software, play a bit with it, then ask a sales clerk about that software which seemed to "do exactly what we need"…

Most of the time, the salesmen was trying to bullshit his way into showing how he knew the software to sell it to us…

@kc2idf: Still there, just use the Google. I'll have to download both of these when I get home...

@AngrySicilian: I think that would become an SKS check...

@Shred: I would argue that since some of this is actually illegal it isn't really an "available avenue".

What's annoying about it is:
1) Someone has to fix it after you've moved or tampered with the products. They can't leave the Bible in the fiction section just because someone decided to move it there.
2) Moving and tampering with the products makes it hard for people to find what they are looking for. This could even result in lost sales if customers assume you are simply out of the product.
3) People don't like it when you leave stuff on their property. You wouldn't like it if someone dumped a bunch of t-shirts in your front yard.

@machete_bear:

Agreed.

I'm all for free speech. I love free speech. I can't seem to convince people like this that these things do *IRREVOCABLE DAMAGE* to that right.

I had a roommate once who insisted that things like burning the flag during the presidential inauguration and pelting the President's car with vegetables was "exercising free speech," and I can't argue with that. I can, however, argue against it being *appropriate* or *beneficial* in any way.

I don't know if we'll ever be able to convince these types of people that smashing in the windows at a Starbucks or throwing things through the front door of a McDonalds is simply wrong, and that this is no different - putting additional items on the shelf puts the retailer at great risk - what if the shirt you've dropped off is filled with lead (assuming the ones at the store aren't), the stickers you've placed on the canned food contain the wrong ingredient list (I hope you can live with yourself after killing the guy with the corn allergy!), etc. etc. etc.

@crankymediaguy:

I'm sure Penn would respect his opinion on the matter.

Of course, the vast majority of the religious public seems to be incapable of accepting that, and he'd likely goad Penn into calling security, at the least.

I find it amusing that an atheist will more frequently just shut up when confronted with someone whose mind is not going to be changed, while a religious nut will argue the point for years until it is conceded.

I really don't think they're trying to convince the OTHER person...

Grow up and get a real job.

There used to be (maybe still is) a web site called the Droplift Project, which had, available for download, a full CD worth of copyright-infringing found-sound music. The idea was to take the music, burn it to a CD, download and print the cover art, make it look all professional, and then shopdrop the CD in the record store(s) of your choice.

Uh, why don't you go to Las Vegas so you can tell Penn Jillette to his fact that he (an atheist) is a "lefty"?

Being against organized religion is not inherently a left-wing point of view, no matter what Bill O'Reilly tells you.

What these people do is stick stickers on the labels. I found one on a red bull can that had the bulls screwing each other. It stuck over the main logo. What you propose is a slippery slope, which when presented like that, makes adding a sticker akin to sticking pins in cans of coke.

Also, I do not get how anyone can compare thoughtful political commentary with throwing a soda at a drive-thru clerk. Nor do I understand what annoys some of the commenters about people who attempt to respond to the incessant advertising onslaught or to engage in a public dialogue through the few avenues available to those without boatloads of money.

Why does it seem that The Consumerist is frequented by thoughtless, non-political, capitalist-happy, er, consumers who think that consumers who get screwed by corporations somehow deserved the screwing? Are they the majority of Consumerist readers or just the most vocal? How about a readership survey with published results, dear editors?

But moving the Bible to Sci-Fi? I worked at a bookstore for six years, I know the type that does that. They aren't trying to make a point, they're trying to be "better than those people." They're rubbing their opinions in other's faces.

Same goes for the people leaving pamphlets, actually. Neither is something I would consider interesting. The homemade t-shirts actually are intriguing, but then they show some thought and effort.

That said, I generally agree: Anyone who sees this as a serious proselytization mechanism is barking up the wrong tree; having some fun and making the world a weirder place is a much more achievable outcome.

Tampering with food labels is one step away from tampering with food. I am not bothered by someone leaving a T-shirt, a CD or pamphlet in a store to make a point. Replacing food product labeling is moving into a territory that becomes dangerous. What is someone thinks it's funny to put soup labels on dog food cans or vice versa? Is that cool with you? If someone wants to put a food label on something, then they should produce some food and put a funny label on it.

Keep putting those Bibles in the fiction section, while you are at it put some in the cooking, photography, or computer sections.

Silly heatherns, they don't know they are doing God's work by getting the message out.

@JustRunTheDamnBallBillick.: I think dalejo was being sarcastic.

I don't get why this is even worthwhile activism. I mean, a religious person sees a Bible in the fiction section and goes, "Huh. I guess it is." Or someone pro-choice sees an "Abortion" sticker on a stop sign and thinks, "Damn it, they're right. Pro-life, baby!"

It doesn't bother me and as someone upthread said, life would be boring if everything was Very Serious but this seems sort of juvenile and ineffective.

@dalejo: Well then, affirmed...

@JUSTRUNTHEDAMNBALLBILLICK - you totally missed the point. You are saying the same thing I was. The nuts on the right have as much "right" as the nuts on the left but probably most people commenting here wouldn't be cool with bible thumpers putting anti-gay literature in gay related books and such. Or how about some good 'ol KKK material being put out there?

As for hate-mongers, they are also on both sides of the fence. The left is just as guilty pushing their opinions as the only correct ones.

If I owned a business and any group came into my store and tried this crap, I'd do everything possible to make sure they are held responsible. Just because it might be a corporation they are messing with doesn't make them any more just in this action.

But then, you can't be too bright if this is how you spread your message. Intelligent conversation and debate is right out, yo, let's bother people and laugh when they become confused or uncomfortable. Viva the cause!

@Sam: i love mitch hedberg

@dalejo: Wait, so its ok to put the Bible in the fiction section, or express other lefty ideas, but the moment someone on the other side takes the same tactic they are hate-mongers and deserve to go to jail?

Nice double standard.

S 145.14 Criminal tampering in the third degree.
A person is guilty of criminal tampering in the third degree when,
having no right to do so nor any reasonable ground to believe that he
has such right, he tampers with property of another person with intent
to cause substantial inconvenience to such person or to a third person.
Criminal tampering in the third degree is a class B misdemeanor.

S 145.30 Unlawfully posting advertisements.
1. A person is guilty of unlawfully posting advertisements when,
having no right to do so nor any reasonable ground to believe that he
has such right, he posts, paints or otherwise affixes to the property of
another person any advertisement, poster, notice or other matter
designed to benefit a person other than the owner of the property.
2. Where such matter consists of a commercial advertisement, it shall
be presumed that the vendor of the specified product, service or
entertainment is a person who placed such advertisement or caused it to
be placed upon the property.
Unlawfully posting advertisements is a violation.

S 145.35 Tampering with a consumer product; consumer product defined.
For the purposes of sections 145.40 and 145.45 of this article,
"consumer product" means any drug, food, beverage or thing which is
displayed or offered for sale to the public, for administration into or
ingestion by a human being or for application to any external surface of
a human being.

S 145.40 Tampering with a consumer product in the second degree.
A person is guilty of tampering with a consumer product in the second
degree when, having no right to do so nor any reasonable ground to
believe that he has such right, and with intent to cause physical injury
to another or with intent to instill in another a fear that he will
cause such physical injury, he alters, adulterates or otherwise
contaminates a consumer product.
Tampering with a consumer product in the second degree is a class A misdemeanor.

S 145.45 Tampering with a consumer product in the first degree.
A person is guilty of tampering with a consumer product in the first
degree when, having no right to do so nor any reasonable ground to
believe that he has such right, and with intent to cause physical injury
to another or with intent to instill in another a fear that he will
cause such physical injury, he alters, adulterates or otherwise
contaminates a consumer product and thereby creates a substantial risk
of serious physical injury to one or more persons.
Tampering with a consumer product in the first degree is a class E felony.

It was all fun and games until the religious-right and hate-mongers thought it was a good idea too!

Hopefully these jerks get prosecuted.

(Somewhere in here there's room for a "Don't tase me, bro" reference...)

@JEFFJOHNVOL: That's just mean... unless she goes and puts your dirty underwear and girly magazines out for sale too.

@econobiker:

Definitely - his "Bacon Churner" was a classic. Cockeyed.com rocks.

Local bands used to do this with CDs. Drop them into the bins of records stores to spark interest..

I've never shopped dropped, but I've shopped-DUMPED. A few years back a department store featured a shirt with a cartoon Mexican spouting some stereotypes I found offensive (yes as a white guy.) I didn't have a camera phone to blog about it, didn't have time to tell the manager my feelings, so grabbed 10 shirts off the rack and shoved them in the garbage.

I heard a comedian once say that for fun he would take his wife's "personal masager/toy" and leave it at table of a neighbor's garage sale to watch the other neighbor's reaction. Hillarious.

@banmojo:

I'm sure Jesus loves your sarcasm and your calling someone unintelligent.

So, you don't think it's fiction, eh? Are you a young earth creationist?

@chili_dog:

Sheesh, lighten up. This is hilarious. The fact that left-wing ideology is so very dead only makes it funnier.

Their ideas have been proven invalid, and their commitment to a failed cause is an expression of mental instability.

We should pity these fools who have no other outlet for such childish ideas.

Pranking the store's message.

I particularly liked rob from cockeyed.com creating and then printing out menu pages with dining suggestions such as "fried lard" and getting the pages into TGIFridays graphic menues.

Culture jamming is what I believe is the best reference to it:
[en.wikipedia.org]

I like to take back the empty boxes, particularly ink cartridge boxes, and leave them in some obvious place in the stores so that they think the items have been stolen and the security thugs were asleep at the TV monitors.

-------------------
From: targetfiling.blogspot.com

C. Five Steps for Apprehension
Certified AP team members must observe all five steps prior to making a shoplifter apprehension.

NOTE: If local law enforcement takes independent action and makes an apprehension before all five steps are met, the details must be documented in the CIRS report.

1. Initiation of Observation - The subject must enter the store/area without possession of Target merchandise.
2. Selection - The subject must be observed selecting Target merchandise from the display location.
3. Concealment - The subject must be observed concealing the merchandise, or the AP team member must have NO reasonable doubt based on observations that the merchandise has been concealed by the subject.
NOTE: If the merchandise is not actually concealed, it must be exposed as the subject exits or attempts to exit the store.
4. Maintain Observation - The AP team member must maintain sufficient surveillance of the subject in order to know the location of the merchandise and ensure the subject does not discard the merchandise.
NOTE: A Productive Merchandise Recovery (PMR) shall be attempted if surveillance is broken for any reason, or the AP team member can not maintain sufficient surveillance. (See PMR Directive).
5. Failure to Pay for Merchandise/Exiting the Store -AP team member(s) must observe the subject attempt to exit the store without paying for the merchandise.
NOTE: Some jurisdictions allow variances from the exiting requirement to allow apprehensions of concealed merchandise before an individual reaches the building's exit. In these cases, the requirements must be documented and approved by the Director or Vice President of Assets Protection using the "Variance from Exiting Form" (found on the AP Zone).

-----------------
D. Restroom / Fitting Room Apprehensions
AP team members are not allowed to conduct surveillance or make apprehensions in restroom and/or fitting rooms.
1. AP team members are not allowed to follow subject's into a restroom or fitting room to conduct surveillance.
2. AP team members shall not ask another team member to enter a fitting room or restroom to conduct surveillance.
---------------
B. Searches of Private Residence or Motor Vehicles
1. AP team members will NOT participate in a search of a private residence or motor vehicle.
--------------
1. Fleeing Shoplifter
a. If a shoplifter attempts to flee after being confronted, do not give chase in any manner (running, driving, etc.).
b. Store based AP team members shall not use any vehicle to follow or pursue a subject for any reason.
c. AP team members shall not encourage, condone, suggest or ask another Target team member or anyone else to chase a fleeing shoplifter.
----------------
2. AP shall refer for prosecution all individuals apprehended for retail theft when the value of the merchandise is $20.00 or greater and the case meets local prosecution requirements.
NOTE: If a case meets/exceeds the $20.00 referral guideline, but is NOT referred, the reason for non-referral must be included in the CIRS narrative. (Example: Local jurisdiction limits require merchandise in excess of $75.00 in order for prosecution.)
3. A team member witness, of the same gender of the suspected shoplifter , must be present in the room at all times during the detention.
--------------
A. Photographing Shoplifters
1. Adult shoplifters - AP shall photograph all adult shoplifters unless prohibited by local statutes or ordinances.
2. Team Member Shoplifters - AP will not photograph any team member apprehended for shoplifting during working or non-working hours.
3. Juvenile Shoplifters - AP will not photograph any juveniles apprehended for shoplifting, unless required by local statutes oordinances.
===========================
And don't forget to look at:
[targetfiling.blogspot.com]
[groups.msn.com]
[sitemeterassetprotectiontargetstores&pw=%3A%3D%3A%3D%3A%3D%3A%3D]

This all makes us aware there is some unspoken barrier to messing with the shopping experience, even in a public place. It is funny to see it happen, but has potential to be a little risky.

@BANMOJO

I'm going to make this comment and then drop the subject because I have no interest in starting a flame war with you.

I have read the bible cover to cover. I was born into a very religious family. I spent most of my developmental years involved in the church organization and spent a lot of my free time reading the bible and contemplating it's meaning. During that time I came to the realization that while it did present a number of interesting arguments for dealing with various issues in life, believing that it was the "literal truth" just didn't seem logical to me. So yes, while I respect the bible as a book that can help people, I also do not believe that every word of it actually happened.

Therefore, it is both Religious, and Fictional. So, having come to that conclusion on my own after careful consideration, I found what I thought to be a comical (and yes, juvenile) way of confronting others with my belief. Lets face it, if God didn't have a sense of humor we wouldn't have the platypus. :)

As for the "Do unto others..." quote, well, that's why I'm responding to you like this instead of trying to insult you and call you stupid. I don't believe you are stupid, you simply have your own point of view, I have mine. If God didn't want it that way free will wouldn't exist.

Ugh! This reminds me of those wackjobs who put stickers under the "stop" on stop signs. When we FINALLY passed the concealed carry law (making licensed concealed carry of firearms legal) here in Missouri a bunch of these "gun" stickers started appearing under the "stop" on stop signs.

Just seems pointless to me.

I'm not agreeing that moving the Bible to the fiction section is necessarily a particularly appropriate action, but your argument as to why that action is inappropriate is lacking. After all, there's plenty between the Bible's two covers which is clearly not literally true; why is a sliver of truth (such as those you quote) arguably sufficient to qualify the entire work as truth while those slivers of nonliteral content aren't enough to qualify the work as a whole as fiction?

The strongest universally-acceptable argument for keeping the Bible in the religion section at a bookstore is probably that that's where people interested in buying a copy are going to look for it; that's an argument that even folks who don't accept the contents as true (and there are plenty such people who have read the book cover-to-cover but fail to accept it as the literal word of God -- arguing or inferring to the contrary is meritless) will accept.

Whistle Tips!!

It's the big new fad among burgeoning anarchists marketers

There. Fixed that for ya!

Maybe it's my youthful age, mindset, or just my generation, but things like this fascinate me. Living in a major city, i haven't seen it yet, but now my eyes are open!

How is adding to a label changing what you put in your body. Unless you are eating the box..... Takes that suggested serving picture to a new level.

"I have an old CD. See, this one will be in stores. The only way I could get my old CD into a store was if I would take one in and leave it. They say, 'Sir, you forgot this.' 'No I did not! That is for sale. Please alphabetize it.'"

Yes, that IS truly fictional, isn't it?

Maybe you should try reading something cover to cover before coming to untrue conclusions. Then again, that would make you intelligent, which is a choice you apparently haven't acted on yet.

God bless.

Isn't this the same idea as the guy who left cyanide laced Tylenol on store shelves?

This is really reaching for some of these religious groups.

So "family" as an adjective means "Christian capitalist?"

@Charles Duffy: "What fun is a life where nothing interesting or unusual ever happens?"

Don't you know that everything must always be taken Very Seriously?

And as for flash crowds -- what's wrong with organizing a flash crowd? Are adults somehow not allowed to exercise their freedoms in a manner which is amusing not only to themselves but to the public as a whole (excluding stick-in-the-muds like yourself)?

To be sure, I live in a city where "Keep $CITY Weird" is an ongoing campaign with broad support from local businesses and one of our best recognized public figures is a homeless crossdresser. What fun is a life where nothing interesting or unusual ever happens?

It sure is nice of the consumerist to promote these morons.

Assorted religious zealots have been targeting any reading material they do not agree with for years. Always thought it very cowardly.

I'm all fine with it until they start replacing my food products with alternative labelel substitutes.

I'm not so sure about "Vive La Revolucion" che-emblazoned anti-freedom fries.

Damn subject-verb agreement.

What are they going to do, charge them with littering?

That is too funny and so true.

[/sarcasm]

It really boggles my mind that childish immaturity suddenly becomes tolerable because there's some kind of "message" behind it. Flash mobs, anyone?

It really boggles my mind that childish immaturity suddenly becomes tolerable because there's some kind of "message" behind it. Flash mobs, anyone?

I used to do this all the time. In my neck of the woods they usually have a "Religious Fiction" section. I would amuse myself by moving copies of the bible to this section and then standing back to watch peoples reactions. Some people got the joke and simply chuckled. Others would nearly explode with righteous anger and demand the good book be put back in it's rightful place among the stacks.

Che is the new Mickey Mouse.

I think it's kinda funny, actually. Especially the battle going on at Powell's.

Whoops, sorry KOTTLES. Thats what I get for abusing Tabbed browsing and reading too many articles at once...

Awesome. I wonder, will they still stop you at the door and ask you for a receipt if you just take one of these shirts?

Che shirts? Heck, they sell those at Disneyland nowadays...

Our goal at all times is to provide comfortable and distraction-free shopping.

then you might want to reconsider the blinding red decor.