People Are Actually Getting Seriously Hurt While Playing Pokémon Go

Remember, people, there are few things fun enough to risk a trip to the hospital or being victimized.

But apparently, many people aren't paying close attention and are seriously hurting themselves while playing Nintendo's new augmented reality smartphone game, Pokémon Go, which has already taken the US by storm.

According to a number of posts on Reddit, players are ending up in hospitals with broken bones and pretty serious injuries.

One redditor actually broke a foot after getting distracted playing the game.

The redditor explained,

Not even 30 minutes after the release last night, I slipped and fell down a ditch. Fractured the fifth metatarsal bone in my foot, 6-8 weeks for recovery. I told all the doctors I was walking my dog lol... Watch where you're going, folks!

Another redditor chimed in with an entirely separate but equally injurious story about trying to catch a Weedle.

Comment from discussion Pokemon Go put me in the ER last night.

In a separate thread, two redditors shared totally unrelated stories about getting injured while trying to catch Raticate.

Comment from discussion PSA : Pay attention to your surroundings.

Comment from discussion PSA : Pay attention to your surroundings..

This redditor literally fell down the stairs due to the new game.

Comment from discussion PSA : Pay attention to your surroundings..

According to this redditor, a kid crashed his car because he was playing Pokémon Go while driving and is now in pretty serious condition.

Comment from discussion PSA : Pay attention to your surroundings..

It seems Pokémon Go is so engrossing and so compelling that people head out at all hours to play the game and risk far worse than injury.

Another redditor shared a scary story of an almost kidnapping due to playing the game outside around 5 am.

The redditor, Stiphodon, wrote,

It was a long night, couldnt sleep. Found out go was released, got it. I was walking around at 5 am (i'm a young teen, bad idea) and a car follows me. When other cars are people near me, he turns around. I'm freaking out. I get in a skype call to deter him, it works, but he still tries to intercept me. I panic and go into the grave yard, and dash for another street. A lady is there, and the man stops. She confronts him, as he had a metal object. He lies and says he's a paper boy, and was really unkempt and rude and drives away. He never delivered papers or anything... I had an anxiety attack, got helped by an awesome stranger. BE CAREFUL!

Whether the story is true or not, it seems plausible enough, and there are other stories like it.

Take this story about a woman who was being seriously harassed by a man while playing Pokémon Go outside.

Comment from discussion PSA : Pay attention to your surroundings..

This redditor was actually attacked after wandering onto unmarked private property while playing Pokémon.

The redditor shared,

Earlier today I was walking around my neighbourhood and saw 2 steps for an Eevee in the woods to the side. I started walking in to claim it and about a minute later I hear someone shouting. The person whose house is adjacent with the woods was coming home and I guess he saw me. He marches over shouting at me and assaulted me, he hit me about 5 times and continued shouting. He claimed it was private property but there are no markers from the road, I didn't know it was or even if it is really his. Even after he hit me a few times I apologised and explained what I was doing and said I wouldn't come back. He shoved me again and shouted for his buddie and wife to come over. Thankfully they tried to talk him down but he hit me again anyway. They took my picture and the wife eventually got him out of the way(he was blocking the way back to the road). They live around 1 minute from my house this could be awkward. Unfortunately last night I was walking around playing and he saw me around the area as well(I was on the road), I even talked to him, but he must not have liked seeing me in my own neighbourhood again.

Just remember to pay attention to your surroundings when playing Pokémon Go. No game is worth being injured or victimized. Otherwise, have fun, everyone, and good luck catching them all!

Citations: People are getting injured playing Pokemon Go already (Metro)