Poko-Loco

[FootLoose]

The epidemic has hit here, too. Everywhere I go I see hordes of people standing stone-line staring at their phones.

Poko-Loco_M8A9859 copy by Foot Loose2012, on Flickr

[ccphoto]

To me, an older toot to be sure, but to me this is a sad testament to humanity. I've seen couples sitting at the same table in a restaurant and rather than have a pleasant conversation, they are texting...soon, language will become as archaic as it seems books have become.

[Shadowman]

We just had a report, a local cemetery asked people to please not play amongst the tombstones.

[IzzieK]

Looks like they are texting one another. 'Must be a party there somewhere...

Chris -- you are describing Latin.

[bnnrcn]

Nice image Greg. But what it conveys is sad

[FootLoose]

Again, apologies for not being back sooner. Thank you to everyone for commenting.

[FootLoose]

Looks like they are texting one another. 'Must be a party there somewhere...

It's the pokemon craze, Izzie. Young people congregating in hordes everywhere, standing still, staring at their phones, waiting to capture something that doesn't exist.

[shreds]

If it amuses them and in the main keeps them out of trouble (except in cemeteries, walking across the road and when finding dead bodies in rivers), then its quite harmless and there will be a new craze along soon for such pond life.

[davidedric]

Panic in the UK. Pokemon servers overloaded.

[ionian]

Don't be such partypoopers! It's actually quite a lot of fun, I'm not too proud to say that I've downloaded it (although I can't log in to play it and it crashes all the time). It's a revolutionary concept in mass gaming that could prove to be very important in the cultural development of the 21st century - of course, it could also just be a fad that passes in a week.

Nice image Greg, although I'd give it a little crop at the top - I'm going to try to get some poké-peep pics as well.

[IzzieK]

It's the pokemon craze, Izzie. Young people congregating in hordes everywhere, standing still, staring at their phones, waiting to capture something that doesn't exist.

Heard that one over here...it is a very dangerous game. Some are killed already and my virus scanner said it can take over your computer and change some stuffs in it and even steal your bank account, etc. The last game I played on the computer was Doom and Flight Simulator. Now Flight Simulator is being used by wannabe pilots as standard for learning. OK, 'nuf said...I am showing my age. LOL

[Sergio M.]

Interesting shot, Greg, and I agree with Simon that it's a pretty interesting social phenomenon. Do they actually congregate in groups like this to play pokemon go? I took a shot of a solitary girl over the weekend in the middle of a large truck parking lot who I assumed was working a shot with her phone, but was later told she was probably playing this game.

Sergio

[Donald]

Do they actually congregate in groups like this to play pokemon go? I took a shot of a solitary girl over the weekend in the middle of a large truck parking lot who I assumed was working a shot with her phone, but was later told she was probably playing this game.

It is a solitary activity, Sergio, but there seems to be so many people now doing this, that it seems as if it's a group event.

It is fascinating how quickly this has become such a worldwide phenomenon. Such behaviour has, of course, happened throughout history, but the technology now available to us means it becomes something worldwide rather than something in our village, town, city or even country.

I'm sure that, even now, there are PhD students around the world setting out their outline proposals based on studying this particular version of this human behaviour.

[Sergio M.]

It is a solitary activity, Sergio, but there seems to be so many people now doing this, that it seems as if it's a group event.

It is fascinating how quickly this has become such a worldwide phenomenon. Such behaviour has, of course, happened throughout history, but the technology now available to us means it becomes something worldwide rather than something in our village, town, city or even country.

I'm sure that, even now, there are PhD students around the world setting out their outline proposals based on studying this particular version of this human behaviour.

Very helpful. Thank you, Donald.

Sergio

[FootLoose]

In the early hours of this morning when I was taking a break from the arduous task of sleeping soundly (ie insomnia) I switched on the radio and heard a gamer talking about this. It can be played solo, but can also be played in groups, and as teams. Apparently the game has 'hubs' where the characters appear and that is why the players congregate in certain areas and groups.

Here are another couple from Sunday. I walked among them, and hardly a person was talking. I have never seen so many young people together being so quiet. I had assumed they were mostly school-aged people, but the holiday ended yesterday and the groups were still down there.

Poko-Loco 2_M8A0198 copy by Foot Loose2012, on Flickr


Poko-Loco 3_M8A0157 copy by Foot Loose2012, on Flickr

[Shadowman]

In the local paper today, numerous robberies of Poke-mon players for their phones. Incidents were in heavily populated areas, now additional law enforcement officers will be deployed. I guess something good did come out of this latest fad.

[Dave Humphries]

However, it does, to its credit, encourage them to get out in the fresh air and take some gentle exercise (but shhhsh, don't tell them, or they may go back to playing games in bed all day - with the downside that'll entail in their later life)

[mknittle]

Tuesday I saw a sign at a hospital that read "This is a place of healing NOT a Pokemon battleground!"

[Cantab]

I heard a news report a few days ago about two teen age boys on farmland in southern Alberta. While playing Pokemon Go they inadvertently(?) crossed over the international border. Supposedly the two boys were detained by the US border police and returned to their mothers (in Canada).

Another story had Pokemon players trying to get into a Hell's Angels building.

Edit: After writing this post, I stumbled across this newspaper account of the two illegal immigrants to the US: http://www.calgarysun.com/2016/07/22...sing-us-border .

[mknittle]

I wonder how many will get themselves killed before this is over?