How To Stay Safe Playing "Pokemon Go"

Since its release in early July, it seems like everyone is playing "Pokemon Go" — children, celebrities, and of course, hordes of '90s kids. As the initial furor continues to calm down, however, attention has turned to staying safe while playing "Pokemon Go," and for good reason. Over the course of just a few weeks, players have experienced some really, really weird things and gotten really, really sore in the quest to catch 'em all.

The vast majority of "Pokemon Go" players aren't going to end up in life-threatening situations, but it's easy to forget that the augmented reality game is rooted in, well, reality. Perhaps unsurprisingly, many of the more outlandish stories have turned out to be hoaxes intended to satirize the fear mongering surrounding cultural phenomena, but the fact remains that the game does have consequences in the real world. When you stop your car in the middle of the road to capture a Pokemon, someone is probably going to hit you. If you aren't used to walking for long periods of time, your legs are going to get sore after you explore the city from dawn until dusk. Calling the police to ask for help catching an Eevee is just going to annoy law enforcement and distract you from your goal. The lesson each time is for players to, y'know, play wisely.

It's all fairly common-sense stuff, but "Pokemon Go" is so darn addicting that even the most pragmatic players can end up having a mishap or two. Once, I wandered out of my apartment and several miles down the road before my phone promptly died, taking my GPS (and the Zubat I was trying to catch) along with it. To make sure you don't end up hot, thirsty, and Pokemon-less on the side of a road somewhere, here are a few safety tips to keep in mind when you play "Pokemon Go."

Images: Allison Gore/Bustle