People Quitting Jobs, Walking off Cliffs, and Hit by Cars Playing Pokemon GO

[ffronw]

People Quitting Jobs, Walking off Cliffs, and Hit by Cars Playing Pokemon GO

//cdn.themis-media.com/media/global/images/library/deriv/1336/1336585.jpgPokemon GO is causing all sorts of chaos, from people quitting their jobs to people getting injured.

The crazy news stories surrounding Pokemon GO just keep on coming. We've heard about we've seen weird places that people have caught Pokemon [http://www.escapistmagazine.com/news/view/167928-Pokemon-Go-Impacted-PornHub-Searches]. But we haven't heard about someone quitting the their job to play Pokemon GO full-time, well, until now.

Tom Currie, a 24-year-old from New Zealand, did exactly that. He told The Guardian [https://www.theguardian.com/technology/2016/jul/15/pokemon-go-man-quits-job-to-become-full-time-pokemon-hunter] that he quit his job to spend two months traveling New Zealand to try and catch all 151 Pokemon in the game. He was quoted as saying, "I wanted to have an adventure."

Two men in San Diego fell off a cliff [http://www.nbcsandiego.com/news/local/Two-Men-Fall-Down-Cliff-While-Playing-Pokemon-Go-386743551.html] this week while playing the game. The Encinita, CA Fire Department found on man 50 feet down the cliff, and the other 80 feet down. The men apparently climbed a fence that warned people that the cliffs were unstable in an effort to catch a Pokemon on the other side.

Finally, a 15-year-old girl from Pennsylvania was struck by a car [http://www.wpxi.com/news/mom-says-teenage-daughter-hit-by-car-in-tarentum-after-playing-pokemon-go/399354824] while crossing the street after a Pokemon GO session. Her mother said, "The Pokemon game took her across a major highway at 5 o'clock in the evening, which is rush hour."

It should go without saying that you need to remain aware of your surroundings while playing Pokemon GO, and if a sign mentions that it's dangerous to somewhere, heed the warning. These stories are popping up all over, but they don't seem to be deterring gamers, as Pokemon GO is already the most popular mobile app in existence.




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[Gorrath]

I hope at once that the creators can do something to mitigate this by making pokemon not spawn in/near dangerous areas. That said, the responsibility for not being darwinism at work is on you, dear player. The game didn't take that girl across the road, her legs did. People get hit all the damend time dangerously crossing the road for various reasons so I find blaming the game to be a bit of scare mongering (not by the Escapist, mind you, but by those who want to blame the game.) Don't be a moron and the game is no more life threatening than any other outdoor activity.

 

[geizr]

Evolution spent a million years developing our physical senses and mental faculties to be able to perceive and respond to imminent physical dangers around us. However, the elimination of common sense thinking from our society has, apparently, successfully undone all of evolution's best efforts in mere days. Good job, human race; you'll successfully kill yourself off one of these days, if you keep trying.

 

[Thatguyky]

I think all Pokemon Go has done is proved how dimwitted a lot of people really are. I've played the hell out of the game already. Have I tripped? Not once. I cross numerous roads while playing, and I haven't been hit. For whatever reason, people don't seem to realize that you don't have to be staring at the phone to be alerted when a Pokemon is near. Wondering if you're walking in the right direction? Just look after you've crossed the street! I worry that people and their inability to literally look out for themselves, will cause the game to change or get taken down.

Anywho, rant over. It is a shame to see this happen to people, but in reality... it is their fault.

 

[Strayal]

"Her mother said, "The Pokemon game took her across a major highway at 5 o'clock in the evening, which is rush hour.""

This kind of thinking - or at least the thinking her verbiage implies - just drives me nuts. I just want to shout at her, "No. No it did not. Your daughter's legs took her across a major highway at 5 o'clock in the morning, and a whole lot of bad judgement on her own part."

Anyone of reasonable age who goes wandering into danger chasing after digital animals is responsible for all the trouble they get from it - accident-wise, anyway.

 

[Blitsie]

"Her mother said, "The Pokemon game took her across a major highway at 5 o'clock in the evening, which is rush hour.""

This kind of thinking - or at least the thinking her verbiage implies - just drives me nuts. I just want to shout at her, "No. No it did not. Your daughter's legs took her across a major highway at 5 o'clock in the morning, and a whole lot of bad judgement on her own part."

Anyone of reasonable age who goes wandering into danger chasing after digital animals is responsible for all the trouble they get from it - accident-wise, anyway.

I was about to say, its really sad that she got hit, but she herself chose to walk across a highway during rush hour traffic, that dumb decision is entirely her's to bear.

Yeugh

 

[Poetic Nova]

Pokemon Go AKA the new digital crack.

 

[CaitSeith]

There should be a warning label on the app: Not recommended for idiots.

 

[Cap'nPipsqueak]

This is is far too funny to ever get old.

 

[Veldel]

There should be a warning label on the app: Not recommended for idiots.

But if there idiots wouldn't they just ignore it or be unable to read it?

 

[Jaeger_CDN]

The Darwin Awards will need a new subsection for this.

There were people that were blindly following their GPS and driving off cliffs and such and blaming Google Maps, they just need to use that sadly scarce commodity called 'Common Sense' a little more.

 

[zidine100]

Quitting your job to go on a quasi real life Pokemon adventure.

...

That... sounds pretty damn awesome to be honest.

 

[Parasondox]

Humans. We just be dumb sometimes. How the hell are we the superior species, again?

 

[Avnger]

There should be a warning label on the app: Not recommended for idiots.

Idiots don't read warning labels. The loading screen already features a giant gyrados about to eat a trainer saying "Keep an Eye on Your Surroundings" or some such....

 

[Vigormortis]

Back in the 90s, I had a feeling that Pokemon had the potential to end human society.

This is one occasion where I wish I wasn't right...

 

[marioandsonic]

I watched Pokemon explode in popularity as a kid, and now I get to watch it explode again as an adult...

It's such a bizarre sight to see.

Oh well...at least now I can talk about my fondness for Pokemon in public.

 

[Johnny Novgorod]

Quitting your job to go on a quasi real life Pokemon adventure.

...

That... sounds pretty damn awesome to be honest.

Jerry Maguire meets Pokemon.

 

[Pirate Of PC Master race]

Evolution spent a million years developing our physical senses and mental faculties to be able to perceive and respond to imminent physical dangers around us. However, the elimination of common sense thinking from our society has, apparently, successfully undone all of evolution's best efforts in mere days. Good job, human race; you'll successfully kill yourself off one of these days, if you keep trying.

You mean it is still at work?

Each elimination brings human race closer to perfection.

 

[Sheo_Dagana]

"Her mother said, "The Pokemon game took her across a major highway at 5 o'clock in the evening, which is rush hour.""

This kind of thinking - or at least the thinking her verbiage implies - just drives me nuts. I just want to shout at her, "No. No it did not. Your daughter's legs took her across a major highway at 5 o'clock in the morning, and a whole lot of bad judgement on her own part."

Anyone of reasonable age who goes wandering into danger chasing after digital animals is responsible for all the trouble they get from it - accident-wise, anyway.

You know parents... They want someone to blame. They also don't want to believe that they raised a child who believes that capturing a virtual animal is worth risking their lives.

I watched someone stop at a green light and nearly cause a traffic accident. Apparently he knew the guy that nearly rear ended him and I overheard the conversation. "Jerome? Sorry! I thought there was a Jinx here so I stopped for a second..." to which his friend appropriately replied, "Are you fucking serious? In the middle of traffic? Put your fucking phone away!" I wonder how things panned out between them.

What worries me most about the stupidity of these people are the people playing the game who are DRIVING while they do it, which puts not only their lives but the lives of others at risk. I don't even ride my bike while I'm playing; I know my limits. If stupid people can't figure out how to look both ways before crossing the street while playing, that's one thing, but if regular Joes start getting hit as a result of those stupid people getting in their cars to do this (I have narrowly avoided being hit myself on campus while crossing a crosswalk) then that's something else.