Fox News in the waiting room

[reflection]

Getting my physical done today. Fox News is on in the waiting room. They just called me back for the bloodwork. While the nurse was sticking me, I asked if they could please turn it to something else. She said "What's wrong with Fox News" with a big shit-eating grin. The grin is what sealed it.

I said "It's garbage and poison, and not suitable for thinking people. I'm shocked that whoever controls the TVs here actively feeds us harmful content." Long silence. Awkward.

I'm back in the waiting room waiting for the physical. It's still on. I'm going to bring it back up, politely, when the doctor sees me. No one should be subjected to this horseshit.

[Kurska]

1. Don't go there anymore then and tell them why you aren't going there n/t

[reflection]

3. yes.

If I don't get satisfaction from the doctor I will. In my opinion he's average anyway. In and out, impatient manner, superficial banter and generally resistant to questioning.

[jehop61]

4. Not a good idea

Most of us don't have the luxury of switching doctors on a whim. I've just gotten up and changed the station if I had a chance. Most folks just smile at me and let it be.

[HockeyMom]

2. Hospital cafeteria

I was having breakfast waiting for my husband's test to finish. They had 3 TV's around the room; Fox, CNN, and the Weather Channel. The majority of people were sitting by the TV screen with the Weather Channel. lol Well, at least they gave people choices.

[OldDem2012]

6. When you think of the morning alternatives, The Weather Channel is about the only choice....

...that usually doesn't cause me to shout at the TV. Not good to start the day in a bad mood.

[lunatica]

5. And they wonder why so many patients get high blood pressure readings

I wonder how many people are taking medication they don't need except when they listen to Fox News.

[reflection]

9. that's actually not a bad point.

My physical is at 9a CST. I intend to use that as an example when I bring it up. Scare TV and they wonder why people are amped up. Thank you!

[dembotoz]

7. i would tell them that i am being treated for high blood pressure and the bullshit

on that station makes me so angry it may be impossible for them to get an accurate reading
of what my bp really is

[backscatter712]

8. Get them to put it on a sports channel.

There's no excuse for FAUX Noise.

[Lint Head]

10. I am purchasing a small $5.00 universal remote. Most waiting room tv's don't have boxes and

you can change the channel with the remote. You just have to be secretive and do it in a way that's not noticeable. I love to do things like that and screw with right wingers. I used to go into book stores. Find right wing books and place slips of paper in them that were anti right wing.

[DonRedwood]

11. Hear Hear!

I always bring up they can't broadcast in Canada because it is against the law to lie on the news.

[Tommy_Carcetti]

12. Tell them it's bad for your blood pressure.

And they are risking a med mal suit by leaving it on.

[Bluenorthwest]

13. I have sucess with asking for 'no news' rather than 'no Fox' to get Fox off public screens.

It works. 'We have children and elderly people here and so many of the stories on the news are upsetting, can we put on something like cartoons or even sports? No need to have the kids hearing about some murder case.'

[Fat Bastard]

14. TV-B-Gone

https://www.tvbgone.com/cfe_tvbg_main.php



BTW, you can *innocently* say that Fox News is making you pissed off and Fox News turns itself off in fear.

Let the idiotic receptionist figure *THAT* one out.

[reflection]

21. I have one of these.

It's in my briefcase right now. I used to prank friends now and again with it, and before I thought through fully what I was doing, I did switch Fox off in a few places, the auto repair store and a couple of bars. But I became uncomfortable with the aspect of screwing with people's private property and just put it away.

Tested it on my own TV a few months ago and the battery had run out. I could replace it, I suppose. I found it worked about 50% of the time anyway. Pretty neat little device, wish it worked a bit better, but it was an ok investment for the money.

[llmart]

15. Why in the hell does every establishment ....

feel they need to have TV on ad nauseum anyway? It makes me want to run out of the store.

I had a similar experience with my dentist and before the hygienist got started I said, "Please turn off that garbage as long as I'm in this chair." She did it, but she looked at me like she just couldn't fathom anyone not wanting to watch TV while they were getting their teeth cleaned - especially FAUX News.

[IggleDoer]

16. Part of being a good physician is ...

... being able to sift through all available information and determine what information is good and what is crap. By putting on Faux crap as if it was good information indicates that the doctor does not have a good sense of what is accurate. I would question his medical judgement too.

[talkingmime]

17. NEVER EVER get confrontational with your vampire until AFTER the blood is drawn!!!!

[reflection]

19. I should have known that.

My wife used to be a phlebotomist.

[talkingmime]

26. That's not a particularly attractive term. It rates up there with proctologist.

I used to be scared to death of needles. A few stays in the hospital cures that.

[jwirr]

18. We often get up and change it ourselves.

[reflection]

20. Update on OP

I brought it up, after the DRE (didn't want a bunch of pent-up anger going on during THAT process).

He was polite about it, if a bit inscrutable. He didn't get into the political aspect of it too much. I told him that aside from the fact that it was full of falsehoods, it was just dumb, and that the whole fearmongering aspect of it got my blood pressure up. I asked him if there wasn't something neutral and/or useful like weather or history that could be put on in its place.

He said that he had two partners to talk to and that he would make a point to bring it up in their Monday afternoon meeting.

I didn't issue an ultimatum. I've got to go back in a few weeks again. If it's on, I'll ask him about the meeting and just make it clear that I am disappointed in the decision. Then I'll ask for a copy of my files on the way out. My understanding after talking to a friend of mine who works counter at a doctor's office is that when a patient asks for their files, it sends a red flag up that they are thinking of moving to another practice.

Suggestions welcomed. I'm winging it here, and this isn't exactly earth-shattering stuff, I know. So don't feel obligated to spend any time on it.

[HughBeaumont]

22. Fox isn't a news station - it's narrative-shoving propaganda.

Theirs is not to inform, but to rile . . . mainly, rile the hordes of angry white grumps who need someone or something (instead of corporate overlords) to be angry at.

[LeftInTX]

23. Asking for your medical records is not a red flag at all.

Trust me. The doc won't even know about it.

I've got chronic health problems and keep all my medical records along with all of my grown kids medical records here at home with me.

When medical records were merely paper, they were archived and in some places destroyed after 7 years.

My kids went through the special education system and I kept everything. Records were needed to submit to the district.

We had to cancel a cruise a few years ago, and I got those records myself and submitted them to the cruise line.

[reflection]

24. Thanks for the input.

If I do decide to migrate to another provider, I guess I'll just be straight about why I'm doing it. I know it seems petty, but I feel so strongly about Fox News that I'd be willing to take a small stand like that, even though it would be a PITA to re-establish a relationship with another doctor.

There is another specialist I see that makes oblique statements which could be construed as right-wing, and more straightfoward statements about his disdain for the Affordable Care Act. Perhaps the lion's share of doctors gravitate to Fox News because they view it as a bulwark against the forces that seek to undermine their chosen profession.

[LeftInTX]

25. You could consider filing a complaint with the state medical board

They will acknowledge your complaint and they will contact the doctor. Even if the complaint is "frivolous". The doctor will have to take the time to respond to the board.

I bet he will change the station.

[reflection]

30. Respectfully, that doesn't sound like a good use of state resources.

As much as I hate Fox News, I think the guy and his partners have a right to show whatever they want. And I can take my business on down the road. But I do appreciate the input.

[brewens]

27. The grin tells you that she "knows". Quite a few right-wingers know it's bullshit but love

knowing it's out there. A nurse should know better. There's a person that works a significant percentage of time courtesy of government run health care. Most of the rest she should thank organized labor for. That's where big medical insurance companies came from in the first place. Employers didn't just decide it would be a more wonderful world if they gave us health care insurance. That's the last thing they wanted to do. Workers got out the axe handles and made them want to!

[1-Old-Man]

28. I am in the hospital almost weekly, I just walk up and change the channel.

And if I could get my hands on the remote I'd set a parental control deleting the channel, protected by a password of my own concoction.

[graham4anything]

29. I have found that Fox is default across country in a wide variety, some paid to play

there is a diner near me that won't change it, last time I was there on my own accord was the day after the 2008 election,where I went in there just to say ha ha ha ha ha ha to the owners.

once since then when someone else forced the issue (and they were paying) we went there, and I loudly voiced my displeasure many times.

They are not getting my money if it's me or my family that is paying.
Enough other choices.