Source: https://bsky.app/profile/funnysnarkyjoke.bsky.social/post/3lmkfwebeuc27
In fact you can use your smartphone to change the channel on nearly any TV. In the comments on that post some people talk about how to do it. Basically you need a smartphone with either builtin IR or use a USB-C IR blaster or if your phone has a 3.5mm headphone jack you can also try one of those but I’m not sure if the 3.5mm ones are as commonly supported.
Great, well thought out suggestion. I genuinely appreciate this response and love the ingenuity.
Here’s my low tech version: carry a box knife wherever you go (you should be doing this anyway, for personal safety reasons). If you encounter one of these TVs, look around to make sure nobody of consequence is looking. Pull the box knife out and extend the blade. Starting at one of the upper corners of the TV, make a forceful incision on the screen of the TV to the opposite lower corner, deeply cutting through the screen. If you have time, repeat the steps in a mirrored fashion, creating an X, and rendering the appliance useless. Quickly retract the blade and retreat.
Edit: please be sure to use proper box knife safety protocols when following the steps above.