Didn’t see this coming did ya!?! Welp I can pretty much call it. Any time there is a new craze you can bet your potatoes (c’mon we all loves potatoes) that crime is a given with it. They go hand in hand. Someone will find a way to vandalize or criminalize some happy moment, event, or item because people cannot just leave happiness at THAT. So with that said let’s first talk about the HAPPY…
My cousin told me The world), through her snap chat about Pokemon Go! and how her fiance’was addicted to it and how he was out at 11 something at night walking the streets looking for Pokemon. I cracked up laughing like what in the world. She explained how the game had just come out and she had ‘politely’ sent him a text telling him to get country fried goodness back home before there was some furniture moving (my words not hers-again I said politely that was my version).
So I told my husband and he said he heard about it and he was going to download it…I was like OH NO YOU NOT, NOT BEFORE ME. My competitive spirit was not going to let him do this before me when I just told him about it. Nope! So I downloaded it before him and started playing and LO AND BEHOLD I WAS HOOKED. I mean I’m not even sure I saw the disclaimer that said be aware of your surroundings because even though I vaguely (SMUGLY) remember laughing about the stupid people that would need such a disclaimer I almost ate my chaise lounge, the corner of my bed, and the next day a car almost mistook me for a speed bump in my parking lot.
But I was determined to do this because I was going to be empowered by such a game that encouraged people to get out an walk though they were doing it like zombies and may very well be mowed down in the process.
But the downside I immediately realized is that it kills your phone battery because it requires so many functions on at one time. Moreover, the closer you live to certain things like art, shopping, or landmarks you are likely to see more people just randomly walking in your area looking for Pokemon and just sitting and loitering. After a while it gets a bit weird.
I mean I overheard one woman who seriously looked to be in her late 40 to early 50s say dang I missed him holding her phone at a bush (obviously trying to catch a Pokemon) and when I said
‘Playing Pokemon Go! Eh?’
Huh, (grins, sheepishly) I don’t know what you’re talking about’
and goes back to roaming for Pokemon while attempting to whisper to someone who looks like a friend or daughter that she can’t figure out something in the game. I look back and say
‘Well I’m the gym owner of both gyms in right here’ and laughed and went upstairs to my apartment!
Then my husband saw a couple later downstairs who said the night before they were downtown and from 10p-2a they saw dozens of people downtown in Raleigh playing the game due especially due to all the landmarks and statues.
Again that is crazy! Which leads me to the crimes! And I know you see it coming too!
Crime 1–was obvious there are extremely educated people addicted to this game playing like zombies at 2 am walking around at night playing a game forgetting all about safety. Because they are stuck in a world of make believe that merges real life with animation on their phones and they forget their physical body is in a real world with hardened/ trained criminals that do not have to be that smart to see you walking around not paying attention to them to rob you, rape you, or kill you if they so desired.
The second lesser crime is marketing and the money upsale. Yep I said. Old school sales at it best. Put the most rare Pokemon in businesses and where children or even adults will have to or want to buy needed items like food, or gadgets either for the game or to refuel themselves or simply to be seen because they are not well visited. This past weekend I saw Pokestops in restaurants on my map. People can sit and eat and use items in the game to attract more Pokemon to them/others and this is great if others are playing because they may then decide to stop by and grab a bite too. Plus having gym nearby is great because then they can challenge gym owners and trainers to take over.
Sadly as well all know soon the next crime will be someone trying to hack some server for information or to do create lewd acts…One such act I have heard was to start putting and labeling Pokemon of crude and vulgar behavior inside of different establishments. I do not want to spread rumors so I will share the story of what I heard was said to have happened until I can get further research and confirmation but if it did, that is crazy and means this crime is already under way (though a bit funny for this particular group).
Then as a way to get more onboard higher corporations realized this and even put their companies on the map so their employees could play (even if they hoped it was during break) and so employees were walking around the grounds playing all day. It was weird. I happen to work at an Asian influenced company so I expected nothing less but I am waiting for someone to fall into the waterfall feature on campus…
It’s weird enough to see people almost nose to nose with the glass trying to catch a Pokemon that must be on the other side but they do not have a badge to come into the building. We all just watched them because like mirrored glass tends to do, it gave the the impression others were not on the other side as we all laughed at them knowing they were playing the game. Walking around aimlessly, stopping to catch Pokemon and do battles.. Even the Durham Bulls stadium nearby is opening their doors to let people walk around use their grounds to find Pokemon.
The strange part is on one seems to care that with all the bugs/ glitches, lag time, and and server errors that become a bit annoying when trying to play because it is new and popular that it is very hard to stay engaged when trying to play sometimes. I have already started to ween myself on that issue alone and soon I won’t play anymore between the workweek and that problem (as I started over the weekend before the obstacle of work).
We shall see how all this progresses and shakes out over the week as this has all make national headlines somehow.AND I FELL FOR IT ARGH!
Myasthenia Gravis 