Pokémon Go: Gamers warned to pay attention to the law when searching for 'Pokéstops'
Washington and Oregon warn citizens not to get too distracted by the new game after a bizarre series of accidents
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Your support makes all the difference.Augmented reality game Pokémon Go has prompted authorities in two states to warn citizens to pay attention to the law while trying to find “Pokéstops" or catching animated characters with the help of their smartphone.
The game debuted in the US last week and has caused concern that players are getting into dangerous situations while following their screens.
People have reportedly leaped off buses when they have noticed a Pokémon outside the window and are congregating in unusual public spots.
Washington and Oregon police, fire department and sheriff’s office have all used social media to warn gamers to pay attention to where they are going instead of staring at their screens.
“Remember traffic is NOT virtual - it’s legit,” said Tigard Police.
The Clackamas County Sheriff’s Office issued a similar warning.
“We promise no Pokémon at the jail,” they posted on their twitter account.
The Silverton Fire District said that Pokémon Go players could become an obstacle to volunteer firefighters.
“[…] we have noticed an increase in vehicular traffic driving around the fire station and parking in restricted parking spots.
"Our station is a volunteer station and our volunteers, when responding, need to have all of the restricted parking kept clear,” the notice on Facebook read.
The Washington State Department of Transportation asked citizens to refrain from playing the app from behind the wheel, while the Portland transit agency asked riders not to “battle” beside the doors and to be careful when using Poké Balls on public transport.
Authorities have also taken advantage of the game to encourage citizens to visit their local library, by dropping hints about possible sightings of character Eevee.
The game is free and available on iOS and Android devices.
It has become so popular that Nintendo announced its servers had crashed and was trying to fix the issue.
There have already been reports of people being encouraged to trespass when following their phone, and one girl stumbled over a dead body while playing the game.
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