Museums, businesses and even military bases are getting caught up in the Pokémon Go craze that is sweeping the world. But not every facility found to possess virtual monsters seems thrilled to be part of the game.
The app-based game, available for a free download on iPhone and Android devices, uses real- world places for players to search for imaginary items. According to vox.com, the game uses a phone’s GPS and clock to detect where you are and make the Pokémon characters appear around you so you can go catch them.
The game often leads players to institutional and commercial facilities around the world — and they aren’t always welcomed with open arms (or should we say heads glued to their phones not looking where they walk?)
A Google search for Pokémon stories turned up headlines and articles such as:
• 'Pokemon Go pursuit reaches US military bases overseas' — stripes.com
• 'The Holocaust Museum kindly asks that you catch Pokémon elsewhere' — mashable.com
• An article from the Appleton (Wis.) Post-Crescent caught up with local gamers who tracked down virtual items in places like the county justice center and an area cemetery.
• The World Trade Center and the Sept. 11 memorial also are attracting Pokémon players, according to the New York Times.
The players have security employees at facilities such as the Holocaust Museum and the Sept. 11 memorial on edge, with so many potential distractions posed by even more people with their eyes glued to their cellphones wandering aimlessly on streets and inside facilities teeming with people on a daily basis. “I don’t think there’s anything wrong with the game itself,” Chris Desciora, a security guard at the memorial, told the Times. “But you know, maybe the game’s services could consider where they are placing the Pokémon or whatever. You should come here to see everything and to respect the memorial not just to catch a Pokémon.”
Has your facility been inundated with Pokémon players? Discuss on at myfacilitliesnet.com by clicking on this link here.
This quick read was submitted by Dave Lubach, associate editor for Facility Maintenance Decisions. Reach him at dave.lubach@tradepress.com.
