Pokemon GOs and NO-GOs

MONTGOMERY COUNTY, Texas - Much to the dismay of the Texas Department of Transportation (TxDOT), they had to launch a social media campaign telling motorists not to drive and play the wildly popular Pokemon GO game app on their smartphones. Originally, they posted this comment to their social media page…

"Y'all. Please don't make us have to create a campaign called "Don't Pokemon-GO and Drive." We know you have to catch them all, but only look for Pokemon when you are not behind the wheel. Also, don't stop traffic just for PokeStops, and don't cross the street without paying attention. #WeShouldntHaveToTellYouThis #TalkTextCrash #PokemonGo"

The addition of the hashtag #WeShouldntHaveToTellYouThis is exactly what they had to do on Monday. Even if society doesn’t act socially responsible, TxDOT feels a responsibility to keep the public safe, in spite of themselves.

The following guidelines, although common sense measures, need to be underscored…

• Don’t play Pokemon Go and drive. On Tuesday, July 12th, a 28-year-old driver in Auburn, New York, crashed into a tree while playing Pokemon GO.
• Be aware of your surroundings. Do not walk into traffic or off cliffs trying to catch mythical creatures. In Encinitas, CA, two men fell more than 75 feet from a cliff playing the game.
• Do not trespass onto private property to catch a Pokemon. National shrines have been invaded and have expressed outrage at this sign of disrespect. Among them include the National Cemetery at Arlington, the Holocaust Museum in New York City, and even Auschwitz, the location of the Nazi concentration camp.
• Exercise caution when sharing locations since strangers can see your location information. Pokestops and ‘gyms’ that people can congregate and play the game together, will be targeted by predators. In O’Fallon, Missouri, thieves have used Pokémon Go to target individuals for mugging, by use of a beacon that lured individuals to a specific Pokéstop. Play only in public, well-lit areas.
• Travel in groups, and avoid strangers who are more interested in you than they are in playing the game.
• The greatest fear is that predators will use the game to lure young children. Never let small children wander off while playing the game, and caution them again, about not talking to strangers. In Lake Villa, Illinois, a pair of teenage brothers were robbed at gunpoint while playing Pokemon Go in a suburban Illinois town Thursday night after 10 p.m.

Pokemon GO is intended to be fun, encourage socialization, and get people up and moving. Just make sure it’s in the right direction.