The Perils and Pitfalls of Pokemon Go

If you see large groups of slack-jawed, shuffling people acting suspiciously outside your home, don’t panic – it’s not a zombie apocalypse, it’s just Pokémon Go.

The newest sensation to hit smartphones everywhere has been an instant triumph, with Nintendo shares rocketing and people coming together from all over cities in search of those pesky computer-generated critters, but there have been some slight teething problems.

As well as the obvious side-effects of walking around in real life with your eyes glued to a phone screen in case a wild Ratata appears from behind a shrub, PokéStops – essentially homing beacons for Pokémon ‘trainers’ to cluster about and catch their digital prey – have started popping up in unusual places…including people’s houses, strip clubs, and a local watering hole for the Hell’s Angels.

If you do happen across a Hitmonchan, or cross paths with a Cubone, make sure you’re aware of your surroundings – parks, clearings, lawns and empty roads are fine, large bodies of open water, train tracks, sewer systems, graveyards and well-known gathering spots for biker gangs are probably not.

Similarly, if you’re in a public place and a Pidgey pops up on a stranger’s posterior, it’s always good to remember that manners cost nothing, and the average non-Pokémonning human might be a bit cheesed off over the fact their tushy is being tailed by a horde of yelping youths.

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Images form @pokemon & @lilak07