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Part of Pokémon Go's allure is that it encourages people to get out and exercise a little, take in the fresh air and meet other trainers during their excursions to catch all 151 Pokémon. That can get pretty tiring, though, so citizen drivers have started placing ads online offering to chauffeur Pokémon trainers to the hottest spots in their town or city.
On marketplaces like Craigslist, people have begun to offer their services for a hefty fee. In Vancouver, (where the game hasn't even officially launched, but is available through side-loading APKs on Android devices) one driver says they'll pick up drivers at a requested location and drive them around the city. The poster says they've been playing Ingress for about two years, and as such, has an idea of where to go for popular PokéStops and gyms.
This particular driver is charging $30 for the first hour and $20 for every hour after that. They will not, however, do anything illegal like stop in the middle of the highway, users must wear seat belts, and they're not speeding.
In Houston, one driver is offering free Wi-Fi so players don't have to burn through their data plan while hunting Pokémon. They tout themselves as an experienced delivery driver and Pokémon trainer who knows all of the best local locations and can take players to gyms they didn't even know existed. This driver is also charging $30 an hour, but is offering a discount to members of the internet's most popular Pokémon Go team, Mystic.
It's not just regular drivers, either, who are using Pokémon Go as an opportunity to increase their cash flow. On Twitter, people have mentioned using popular ride-sharing services like Uber and Lyft to hit up local hot spots or just drive around while trying to catch Pokémon. One Twitter user even suggested to other players that the best way to catch Pokémon from a car was to call an Uber during rush hour and slowly drive through the city. Of course, this will cost people an extraordinary amount of money.
Both Nintendo and Niantic Labs, the developers of the game, are reminding players that while playing Pokémon Go as a passenger is perfectly alright, please put the phone down while driving. There will be other opportunities to catch that Charmander.
