Russian
Railways have urged passengers not to play mobile game "Pokemon
Go" at train stations, warning of accidents with "tragic
consequences” for distracted gamers.
“In response to the mass spread of video games, including those using GPS, Russian Railways would like to remind passengers that train stations, platforms and rail crossings are dangerous places,” the statement said. “Distractions caused by a [mobile phone] screen could lead people being less alert.”
The game, which requires the user to seek out and catch animated Pokemon with their mobile phones in random public locations has gained huge world-wide popularity since its release two weeks ago. The game has not yet been officially released in Russia, although many users have downloaded the app via accounts registered in the United States or Australia.
A number of organizations have criticized some users for playing the game in inappropriate locations, including at Holocaust memorials and at the Moscow Gulag museum.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said last week that he didn’t know if there were Pokemon to be caught inside the Kremlin, but that it was no reason “to visit one of the world’s cultural treasures.”
