It was just a joke, people!

From the Daily News:

In the borough of Queens, Walmart is no joking matter.

That may explain the outrage when the Queens Tribune newspaper reported last week that the discount giant had moved into the Atlas Park mall under the cover of dark.

But it was part of the weekly's annual April Fool's Day issue, replete with a doctored picture of a Walmart sign above the buildings at Atlas Park.

The gag didn't amuse members of the union representing grocery workers.

"Some people looked at the story and thought it was real," said Pat Purcell, spokesman for United Food and Commercial Workers Local 1500. "Dozens of our members called in, a little freaked out..."

The story, with the byline "Wiegot A. Bigbocks," said Walmart was hoping to open the first of many stores in the city in Queens. It jokes that parking fees at the mall have jumped to $73 an hour.

"The good news is that our members passed this unplanned drill with flying colors," said Bruce Both, president of the union. "Our switchboards were inundated with calls from members who were ready to drop everything and head to the picket line."

The bad news is that your members are morons.

Unfortunately, this statement was not part of the joke, although it should be:

"It says a lot about our journalistic integrity that people read our stories and have high expectations," Nussbaum said.

The Trib has more about the mall's real predicament.