Though time has passed and the game is no longer the premiere target for media blame, Pokémon GO still falls under some unfortunate circumstances. The popular mobile game has been removed entirely from the Minnesota State Fairgrounds due to unwanted traffic.
According to a report by local news source Pioneer Press, Fairgrounds Police Chief Paul Paulos has formally issued a statement against the game. Paulos claims that the various PokéStops and Pokémon to be found in the area has caused one too many vehicle accidents, pushing him to request Niantic remove all Pokémon GO content from the area.
“There were some crashes. One car drove off a retaining wall. Just the sheer irresponsibility of drivers, running stop signs, parking in the middle of the street and leaving their car. … To be looking down all the time, it was just getting crazy. Especially on the big days, where they dropped a lot of gems.”
Fairgrounds Police Chief Paul Paulos
We aren’t sure what he means by Gems, but Paulos clearly believes the game to be the cause of all these issues. At his request, all of the problematic areas have been wiped clean of worthwhile content from within the game.
This hasn’t stopped the trend from the local area entirely. Many residents are now directing players to the University of Minnesota and Rice Park, where the getting is still good, so to speak.
Remember trainers, it’s more important that you be safe than to get a rare anything in the game. We don’t need more instances like this happening.