Dubai: The obsession over Pokémon Go led a young motorist to stop his car in the middle of Jumeirah Road to catch a virtual Pokémon character, an eyewitness told Gulf News.
The incident, which happened last week, is the latest of many “bizarre” situations taking place around the city, residents say.
The world’s most popular smartphone game has initiated a wave of new behaviours, where people are less concerned about their safety and more concerned about chasing digital critters.
Despite recent warnings about the augmented reality game from Dubai Police and the Telecommunications Regulatory Authority (TRA), users continue to be glued to their phone.
Kuwait has already banned the game from being used at sensitive landmarks and a few UAE residents have suggested the implementation of something similar here.
Ahmad Abdul Rahman, an Emirati, said he was driving around Jumeirah Road last week only to see a young man stop his car in the middle of the road holding his device and chasing a Pokémon.
“I was in complete shock. He put himself and other road users in a lot of danger for a silly game. I think it’s time for some rules and regulations regarding this game because it seems to be getting out of control.”
Abdul Rahman said there have been incidents, according to stories shared with his friends, where people are even knocking on other people’s homes asking for a minute to chase a Pokémon inside. “It’s causing nuisance. If someone knocks on my door, I will call the police.”
Therese Masoud, HR specialist, said she has fears that such games with geo-positioning technology can result in the invasion of user privacy, which the TRA had earlier also warned about.
“I downloaded it and removed it in the next hour because I was worried by the fact that I needed to turn on my camera and share my surroundings with the app. I know almost all apps ask to access photos and location but turning on my camera was a bit alarming.”
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Slyvia Narouz |
Another resident, Sylvia Narouz, 23, believes the game should be allowed to be played only in safe areas and with caution.
“I think people should be careful when using it. It could be limited to parks and malls, not somewhere that will cause too much chaos. I think it’s a good platform to get people moving and collaborating.”
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Ahmad Barghouthy |
“As adults, people should be able to play any game that they enjoy as long as it doesn’t affect their health and safety,” Ahmad Barghouthy, a Jordanian finance consultant, said.
“Some people have had car accidents while playing this game and others have ended up entering a private property, but there are separate laws for committing such acts.”
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Takim D |
Takim D., 20, a student, has no particular stance on banning the game, and only insists that those who use it do so responsibly and reasonably.
Takim said that even if there was a ban people aren’t “going outside here, especially due to the heat”.
“If you’re going to go about wandering in the street, don’t go out at night. People should pay attention to their surroundings at all times,” he said.
Though the game hasn’t officially been released in the UAE, many have downloaded the app. Dubai Police have warned users about the dangers of distracted walking on the road.
Pedestrians have been cautioned by Dubai Police not to use their smartphones while crossing the road in any way as this can contribute to run-over accidents.
Habits like checking smartphones and texting lead to distracted walking, and can result in severe injuries and even death.
“We always warn people to give up the practice of using their phone while driving and while crossing the road,” a Dubai Traffic Police official said.
Police have regularly warned about how using the phone while crossing is a danger to themselves and other road users.
-With inputs from Omar Subhi Omar, Intern with Gulf News
