Crazy old lady walks into a Costco …

The joke starts that way and ends with Joan Rivers being escorted out by very patient Burbank police. You know that if the tale began with Young Latino walks into a Costco, sets up a table and attempts to autograph his own stack of books, it would have ended in an officer-involved shooting (especially in Anaheim).

But this is a bona fide celebrity we're talking about here, sort of. No one was injured:

According to our sources (in this case, City News Service), Ms. Rivers has a beef with Costco because it's not carrying her new New York Times bestseller, I Hate Everything…Starting With Me.

(Note to self: Write I Hate Joan Rivers Too).

So she went to the the Burbank Costco yesterday afternoon, entourage in tow, set up a table, and started signing copies of her book.

At one point Rivers chained herself to a shopping cart (the poor cart didn't have a safe word, unfortunately).

And while we praise the Burbank P.D. for its restraint (officers are seen calmly standing by in news footage), we have to wonder how, say, our friend Gustavo Arellano would have been treated if he showed up with his new book.

Anyway, Rivers was eventually escorted out, reportedly, and yada, yada, yada.

Except for this: She told ABC Eyewitness News last night that she will still shop at Costo, especially because she goes there for all her sex toy needs.

Really. Shudders.

Publicity stunt accomplished.

[@dennisjromero / djromero@laweekly.com / @LAWeeklyNews]

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