EDIT:
Apparently my neighbor knew i wasn’t a creep and took a photo just in case
https://imgur.com/a/BslX5Mg
So what happened is that i was a super pumped about catching Pokemon once I learned about Team Rocket event. My local park has 13 stops and 4 gyms within a 1 block radius. So I was making laps around the community pool, play ground, soccer fields just grinding everything I could.
My friend told me if I scan the stops there would be heavier drops. So I scan what I could for 1.5 hours, then decided to take a break. I’m chilling on the park bench, minding my own business. All of a sudden 2 cop cars pull up on me and tell me they have reports about suspicious activity for somebody in their 20’s taking videos at the park this afternoon. I guess its understandable.
So I sat there trying to explain to them I was playing Pokemon while people walked by, 1 of them being my neighbor. I was so ashamed and embarassed. These 2 policeman looked around their early 40’s, so they were understanding about the mechanics of the game. They let me off, and just said be careful about loitering around children and pools.
Yeah so the 2 bonus items and buddy heart or whatever isn’t worth anymore. I’m now that creep who got a run-in with the police. I’ll stick to walking and catching thank you.
by p4755166
26 Comments
I’m a 30something and started walking this summer to get some exercise. I walked through the local park that has some gyms and started scanning one, just happened to be a little league baseball diamond with a game going on. 5min later cops drove by staring at me.
Good times, you aren’t alone lol. Honestly the scanning is creepy full stop, but I want some free poffins.
F that. You were doing nothing wrong. I’d go talk to the nearby parents. I get that it looks weird but people will be less freaked out by someone just playing a game.
Scan the floor that’s what I do
This is why people usually just scan their shoes and dog poop (as the meme goes).
Kinda f’ed up people called the cops for that, but also somewhat understandable in a way too.
I was stopped by the police as well while playing Pokemon Go. I was just minding my own business standing in a somewhat unusual spot, I guess, and it was raining a little so I had my hood on. I guess they thought I looked suspicious and they stopped their car to ask me what I was doing.
This was like my second day of playing the game so I was scared to go out again to play after that.
I just always point my camera towards ground and flap my phone covers a bit, that usually does the job.
Had that happen one time from a parent, walked in to the park to use the bathroom, stepped outside to start doing the nature trail and had a random spawn so I stopped and started throwing pokeballs at it.
Parent comes up asks what I’m taking pictures of, I’m like what? Gets pushy trying to grab my phone, (I’m not a small person) tell them I’m playing Pokemon and hold my phone back away from them so they can see it. They’re like ok good thought you were taking pictures of kids. Told them they should walk away before I embarrass them in front of their kids. (Benefits of being in a state that the grabbing and having touched me qualify’s me for the act of self defense) was so pissed that I even got accused of that shit though I wasn’t even facing kids and my phone was aimed down. Like bruh.
I made a post about this last month. Reception was mainly positive but people be like “f what people think” but that’s not the real world. Sorry you had to go through that man!
https://www.reddit.com/r/pokemongo/comments/y2tz8u/stop_asking_me_to_scan_playgrounds/?utm_source=share&utm_medium=ios_app&utm_name=iossmf
You can scan by pointing the phone to the ground and moving it back and forth or going in a circle.
Oh man, sorry that happened to you!!
There’s a small city park/playground near my house, with two gyms and a handful of stops. I regularly go there to play Pokémon.
I’m a middle aged woman though, and I always have my dog with me, since I’m out walking him, so I’ve never gotten any weird looks.
The only place I’ve gotten the scan Pokestop task from though is a church on my street.
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Just be happy you’re a white female. As a 6’3 black guy I avoid playgrounds and most parks all together
Well what I do is not scan the poke stop but just point to the floor and shake my camera. This way helps with 2 things. 1 the camera needs some sort of light bc covering the camera will instantly stop recording. And 2 if you don’t shake, the app will say that there is no movement. I’ve been doing this for a while now and it works wonders for me. Just sad to see this actually happen.
We had the cops called on a guy at a local park playing Pokémon because he arrived there in a white panel van. He stopped on his way home from work, it’s a company vehicle for the flooring company he works for. 2 cops and 20 minutes of discussion later he was fine but it was all over local Facebook groups as creepy man in van
If I get a scan task I wait until nobody is around. I find the best time to scan a park is during a light rain or in the winter.
I drive around some stops near in a bunch near me and there’s a cop who pulled up next to me asking if everything was ok. Now he still does it but just asks how the catching is going for the day lol, nice guy.
There’s a school, church and park all nestled together in my neighborhood. Altogether 5 pokestops and 3 gyms. I’m always afraid of getting hassled by the cops when I go there though. Playing a “kids” game isn’t always the best defense for “I’m not a creeper.”
I’m so sick of people calling police on people for just doing “different” things that clearly aren’t criminal acts.
In the U.S. a public park is a public park, and people can record whatever they want in a public place, with very few exceptions. If I’m minding my business in a public place, it shouldn’t be up to me to prove my innocence to the police. Nobody should have to feel embarrassed about playing a game on a phone because it’s not anybody else’s business.
After a few frustrating interactions with police, I don’t volunteer any information to them anymore. I tell them my name, and if I am driving a car provide my license, registration, and insurance if requested. I tell them I respectfully exercise my right to not make any further statements, and I ask them if I am free to go. They are there to protect me, not satisfy the social norm enforcing neighborhood Karen (no offense to people actually named Karen).
Where does it end? Hey what are you doing here? What game are you playing? Can I see the game on your phone? Let me just look through the pictures on your phone. Why aren’t you cooperating? Do you have something to hide?
Sorry. /rant
I was once approached by an elderly lady and being accused of being suspicious in a parking lot, she thought I was taking pictures (of cars?), because I was using 2 phones to do a raid (my mate was sick that day and asked me to help him out), which I can somewhat understand, but man it still stings being accused like that, especially as I got major anxieties issues and pokemon go is pretty much the only reason I go outside for exercise no-a-day…
Yeah I only scan when nobody is around
That’s why I never scan any stops. The weird stares make me very uncomfortable. Even while nominating new stops I revisit the places in the early mornings.
I’ve been pulled up by gang bangers playing Pokémon TWO TIMES! Now I only play by the university around my area or when the sun is out.
This feature is the weirdest feature. Like it’s interesting but you look super sketch. Hate when they push it so hard. There’s a park by me it’s always asking me to scan in my neighbourhood. That being said scanning notable landmarks probably isn’t any better, looking like your scouting it out.
I live in south America I DON’T scan period.
I just do not scan simple as. What you went through is my fear. Sucks but this is the world we live in.
The scan a pokestop tasks should be removed entirely, not gonna change my mind. Way too many possibilities for something like this to happen just for Niantic to get their location data monies… it’s really stupid to have people take pictures of random places, when a large majority of pokestops are in areas that families/children can gather.