In glorious sunny weather, at Foxton Locks in Leicestershire last Friday evening, I saw literally dozens of, er, people wandering round gawping and prodding at their mobile phones, studiously ignoring the beautiful scenery and location all around them.

How they managed to avoid falling into the canal was a wonder to behold.

I was informed by someone in touch with the street and hip to the now generation (to coin a phrase, anyone else remember 'Funky Squad'?) that they were all playing a new digital game.

I wondered if this seemingly random gathering was the result of some kind of 'social media' organised event, or if it was merely a coincidence that so many of them had arrived at the same place at the same time.

It seemed to me to be the ultimate way to go out into the countryside but without having to see it at all. Can anyone enlighten me as to whether I'm missing out on something actually worthwhile here?

 

Yes I can and no your not.

 

Thanks Wayne, I suspected as much.

Devo, the American pop group, suggested way back in the 1970s that the human race was devolving. I fear they are still right.

The barman in one of the pubs on Friday suggested that perhaps this was nature's way of thinning out the stragglers. They'd be the ones that fell in.

 

definetly natural selection...if your that daft to look for imaginary things in a road or near a canal then your making the lords work alot easier for him.....mate i used to have to do acid to see things like that when i was young.

 

Agreed, although it is the perfect tool to get young children outside and running around .. notice how I said young and children ..

 

I'm amazed that the excuse for Pokemon is that it's ideal for getting youngsters out in the fresh air and exercising. How feeble is that? When I was a kid going out and running around didn't need any encouragement from a mindless bloody 'phone game; my mates and I were never indoors even in the poorest weather.

 

Absolutely.

See the thread in Computer and tecnhology related.

Bit disturbing really as to what people think constitutes a fresh air day out.

Some strange people out there

 

You're quite right. It wasn't just youngsters last Friday, and Foxton Locks (please have a look on Google if you've not heard of it) isn't exactly a good place to wander around not looking where you're going.

The sound of all those knuckles dragging along the ground was quite distressing, too....

 

You get different Pokemon close to water. I rode 80km of Canal path the other week, it was an obstacle course of people looking at their phone. Soon enough they'll work out that you don't need to look at it all the time.

 

Why is it called Pokemon?

 

My son said it was short for "pocket Monsters", I do not know if this true,.. but could be.

 

I agree, nocking on peoples doors and running aways was one of the best games : )


I bet todays kids wouldn't even think of that now.

 

It's the puncline to a bad joke (how do you get Pikachu on a bus).

 

 

These days I'd be on the receiving end so I hope they don't!

 

EFA!

 

Not very accurate is it.

 

I don't know Jack, I reckon it's spot on. In Britain, we travel in miles, not kilometres (check every road sign if you're unsure), the canals are very much Imperial, not metric, (for example all canal boats are described in feet, not metres, even brand new ones) and as for going out into the countryside and spending all your time looking at a phone....

 

It's designed for peado's, stalkers or people bereft of any other life skills.

 

I don't know any cyclists that use miles, same for Paragliding, bigger numbers are better but I'm not disputing that...

"you don't need to look at it at all when you're out in the countryside"

As someone who spends a fair amount of time in the countryside I can assure you that should your friend lose a limb then looking at your phone is fully acceptable.

 

How do you get pikachu (a Pokemon) on a bus? Poke-'im-on.

Nope, not accurate in this occasion. For reasons I'm sure Jack can explain, cyclists tend to work in metric.

 

Fair enough. I'm not a cyclist, and my only involvement with them is hanging back until it's safe to overtake them on the other side of the road in case they fall over sideways (not in my boat, of course...!)

 

It's trickle down from the road race and track cyclists who always work in metric as that's what our european bretheren do, same for the UK military and even the USA.

 

I've already had to give a few lads a bollocking at work for playing this **** in works time. Blokes walking around a tank park not looking what they're doing because they're looking for ****ing Pokemon. What is the world coming to??

Army - be the best.

Except if you see a zapdos, then forget about everything around you and go get it

 

I dispair!!!!!!!!

 

Perhaps all we need to do is an air drop of it to ISIS, they'll become addicted and give up fighting.

I was asked this morning by a lady with her little lad if I knew where the library was. I pointed her in the right direction and off they went, not to get a book but so little lad could do whatever it was with his phone. Apparently what he wanted was by the library....

 

Like it or not that's the generation your generation created

Neither myself nor my kids play pokemon or ever have, but we are going to do Archery tomorrow in the countryside.

 

Oi, why are you blaming my generation for these half wits?!

 

Someone made them

Wasn't me

 

They're both wrong, real cyclists work in %. If the hill's flatter than 10%, you might as well not be bothering