Pokémon Go is the biggest hit mobile game of 2016 -- but it's also causing a lot of problems.
In case you don't know, Pokémon Go uses your phone's GPS and camera to create an "augmented reality" where you can chase Pokémon characters in real-world locations, including several famous landmarks. Once you capture these virtual creatures, you then "train" them on your phone so you can have them fight other players' Pokémons.
Lots of people have already injured themselves while walking around staring at their smartphone screens to chase down Pokémons, but that's not the worst of it: Pokémon Go players have also taken to playing the game in wildly inappropriate places that have left decent people everywhere shaking their heads.
Below we'll go through the 7 most outrageous places people have been playing Pokémon Go.
1.) The Holocaust Museum
Yes, seriously. The Washington Post reports that the Holocaust Museum in Washington, DC has asked players to stop trying to capture Pokémons on the premises.
"Playing the game is not appropriate in the museum, which is a memorial to the victims of Nazism," Andrew Hollinger, the museum's communications director, told The Post. "We are trying to find out if we can get the museum excluded from the game."
That's not a bad idea at all.
2.) Auschwitz
The Holocaust Museum isn't the only memorial to the victims of Nazi barbarism that's a destination for Pokémon players -- as New York Magazine reported earlier this week, at least one player has successfully captured a Pokémon in the world's most notorious Nazi concentration camp.
Horrifyingly enough, the Pokémon in question was the rat-like creature Rattata -- recall that comparing Jews with rats was a staple of Nazi propaganda.
At any rate, let's hope that Auschwitz gets removed from the Pokémon Go database just as quickly as the Holocaust Museum.
3.) The 9/11 Memorial
As Gothamist notes, you can also capture Pokémons at the memorial to the single worst terrorist attack ever on American soil. If you want to show that you're oblivious to the world around you, there aren't many better ways to do it by celebrating after catching a Magikarp on the site where thousands of your fellow Americans lost their lives.
4.) Military bases
Per Military.com, the Joint Base Lewis McChord posted a notice this week asking its soldiers to not chase Pokémons into restricted areas.
"Since Pokemon Go hit last week there have been reports of serious injuries and accidents of people driving or walking while looking at the app and chasing after the virtual Pokemon," the base instructed troops. "Do not chase Pokemon into controlled or restricted areas, office buildings, or homes on base."
How long before a new Korean War starts because a South Korean soldier decided to chase Jigglypuff into the DMZ?
5.) Strip clubs
This Twitter user spied a Pokémon just chilling out at a local strip club...
6.) Your ex's place
Per The New York Post, one Pokémon Go player named Evan Scribner got busted for cheating by his girlfriend after he captured a Pokémon at his ex-girlfriend's apartment. Why Scribner decided to go public about this story is anyone's guess, but it's hard to imagine that being known as "that guy who got caught cheating because he was addicted to Pokémon" is going to look great on his online dating résumé
7.) Any secluded area
If Pokémon Go tells you to chase a Pokémon down a shady back alleyway at one in the morning... don't do it.
Per The Guardian, some clever criminals in O’Fallon, Missouri figured out how to use the game to "tempt players into secluded areas where they could be easily robbed." The muggers apparently used the app to create "pokestop" beacons to let other players know that they're in the area and are interested in playing the game. Once people took the bait, they were unceremoniously robbed of their belongings.
The best solution to this, of course, would be to not ever play Pokémon Go and to instead actually watch where you're going when out in the real world...
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