Are you part of the Pokemon GO craze? On the bright side, the game has done more to get kids off the couch than 7 years of Michelle Obama’s “Let’s Move!” push. These things are showing up everywhere. People are walking all over my workplace looking for them (I caught people making an arm motion like they were throwing something at me twice yesterday), and I saw a bunch looking at their phones walking around the golf course. They didn’t have clubs. Heck, even the US Marines noticed them.
But, see, there’s a bit of a problem, because we’re getting things like this
We do not consider playing "Pokemon Go" to be appropriate decorum on the grounds of ANC. We ask all visitors to refrain from such activity.
— Arlington National Cemetery (@ArlingtonNatl) July 12, 2016
Holocaust Museum to visitors: Please stop catching Pokémon here https://t.co/t41jY9v8Ds pic.twitter.com/WPLzD0hOoq
— Jason Calabretta (@JasonCalabretta) July 12, 2016
As many have noted, it’s a shame that people have to actually be told this. Here in the Triangle, both the Wake Forest and Apex police departments are concerned
(WTVD) Local law enforcement are warning of the real dangers associated with a virtual gaming app that’s sweeping the nation.
Pokemon Go, the free app that allows users to superimpose a digital world onto the real one while catching animated Pokemon characters, launched this week.
In parts of the country, police have responded to assaults and robberies due to unsuspecting gamers being lured into the path of criminals.
In Apex, police have responded to six calls in three days about reports of a suspicious person or someone trespassing. Incident reports show groups of people are being spotted lurking in front of businesses after hours and even people’s backyards late at night.
The Wake Forest PD offered a list of advice
- Watch out for your surroundings: Look up and be aware of who is around you;
- Parents, limit places kids can go: Set boundaries to avoid stranger danger for kids who are unattended;
- Don’t Pokemon Go and drive: Catching Pikachu isn’t worth crashing;
- Tell people where you’re going if it is somewhere you’ve never been;
- Don’t trespass: People might call the police if you enter private property and hunting for Pokemon and other virtual characters is no excuse;
- If you are stopped by police: Show them you are playing a game;
- Parents – tell your kids about stranger-danger. The way that the game is designed can bring people together in the real world as they search for Pokemon in common areas called “gyms” and “pokestops.” Obviously, you never know who you could run into while playing.
- And as always, if you run into an individual that is seemingly up to no good – don’t hesitate to dial 911!
Like with the Holocaust Museum and Arlington Cemetery, did we really need to be told this? Apparently so. Heck, the Wake County Sheriff’s Office actually had to explain what to do when there’s a stopped school bus.
Overall, though, Pokemon GO seems to be a pretty good game for *ssssshhhh don’t tell them* getting people up and about. I don’t play it myself, not the type of game that interests me, but, people are having fun. They just need to be careful.
Crossed at Right Wing News.
Seems like a neat concept for a game. My GF was talking about it today because she’s been seeing people play it around shopping centers. Her concern is that they were all twentysomethings, playing a game that looks like it’s for children, on weekdays. She’d be really pissed at her 18-year old if she caught her playing a spacey children’s game instead of working or going to college.
Where i work, our facility security and antiterror folks are losing their minds over these things.
Your GF shouldn’t worry about, J. There are tons of adults playing. We had a grandma walk into the service bay yesterday looking for a Pokemon while waiting for her son to buy a car. I see tons of adults playing.