clock menu more-arrow no yes mobile

Filed under:

These are the worst places to play Pokémon Go

Please stop yourself from visiting these spots in Pokémon Go

Pokémon Go encourages players to get off their seats and venture out into the real world, where they’ll find Pokémon in actual locations. Heading off to work? Don’t forget to check your phone to see if a Zubat is on the train with you. Picking up groceries? There may just be a Pidgey in the cereal aisle with you.

There are certain places that it’s better not to look for Pokémon, though. Some places are off-limits, either because they’re unsafe, inappropriate or just ... weird. We’ve compiled a list of the locations where you should absolutely not be looking for Pokémon under any circumstances, along with some (possibly fake) examples of people who should have known better. Consider this your warning.

The hospital where your wife is in labor

Imgur

Giving birth is one of the most physically, mentally and emotionally taxing events in any person’s life. It is absolutely, 100 percent not a good time for anyone involved to start playing on their phones. It feels weird to even have to state that outright — that should be obvious, right? One Pokémon fan missed that memo somehow, taking the time to document his Pokémon catching while his wife was in labor.

It’s not like this guy found a legendary or anything. He was going after a Pidgey as his wife prepped for a C-section. That’s ... not cool, guys.

On the side of the road where the cops pulled you over

When a cop is talking to you, it’s probably not a good idea to be looking at your phone. It’s a worse idea to be trying to catch a Rattata. Please act responsibly.

(Also: Don’t play Pokémon Go while inside of a police station, either. Police officers don’t like it when you do that.)

In the driver’s seat of your car

It’s totally possible that the guy above got pulled over for playing Pokémon while operating a moving vehicle on a road filled with other moving vehicles. This is super, super, super dangerous. Don’t do this. That Spearow is not more important than your safety, dude. (At least in this case, it looks like the car is parked. But don’t tempt fate.)

In the bathroom

pokemon go abra Imgur

We’re all guilty of using our phones on the toilet. There’s really no shame in that; going to the bathroom gets really boring otherwise. We get it. That being said, we can’t tell you what to do or not do during your private time, but we just ask that you don’t share your activities with the public. It’s nice that Abra has discovered the comforts of the edge of the toilet bowl (?!) but please: Keep that to yourself.

A funeral home

pokemon go funeral

Really? Really? Don’t do this. This is beyond inappropriate. Sure, everyone has their own way of grieving. Playing Pokémon Go at a funeral home is the definitive wrong way.

You don't have to catch 'em everywhere

We’re not saying that, in its 36 hours of stateside availability, people have already managed to catch Pokémon in all of these very inappropriate locations. But as the game continues to gain users, we wouldn’t be surprised if people forget social etiquette completely in favor of catching ‘em all. So please, heed our caution and don’t do something you’ll regret while playing Pokémon Go.

OK, maybe there are some Pokémon Go-related regrets that are worth having:

Now that you’ve been shown what not to do and where not to go, consult our how-to guide on starting your Pokémon Go adventure. We also have tips on how to find the best gyms and PokéStop locations for you to visit without shame.


POKÉMON GO LAUNCH TRAILER


We’re launching the Polygon Newsletter soon. Sign up now so you don’t miss stories like this and our latest videos, reviews and giveaways.

Polygon Newsletter



Sign up for the newsletter Sign up for Patch Notes

A weekly roundup of the best things from Polygon