Vancouver Pokémon Go enthusiasts can now play more efficiently by hiring one of the dozens of advertised chauffeurs on Craigslist.
Listings for Pokémon Go chauffeurs cropped up on the Vancouver Craigslist this week after the game launched with enormous popularity.
One such poster says they will drive players around for $25 an hour in a new Mercedes Benz.
“I’m a fresh UBC alumni and my girlfriend and I just casually started playing Pokémon Go,” said the advertisement.
The ride comes equipped with extra battery packs and cables for Samsungs and iPhones. The driver says he also speaks both English and Mandarin for anyone with limited language abilities.
READ MORE: Pokémon Go unofficially hits the streets of Vancouver
One of the more innovative services is for a Pokémon Go tour bus, which says it will take passengers on a four-hour tour of the Lower Mainland in search of Pokémon Go destinations for $100 per person.
The man behind the idea, Joel Luyt, told Global News that the idea came to him after watching four of his six kids get into the game. The family, from Walnut Grove in Langley, heads out around the neighbourhood together regularly while playing the game. Luyt credits Pokémon Go for the strong sense of community it has started.
“We have bumped into all kinds of people from all different backgrounds, and our kids were instantly friends because of this game.”
The family also just so happened to have purchased a new Sprinter van, so the idea of touring people around made sense to them.
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Luyt, whose day job is with Vancouver Fire and Radius Security, says he is getting “tonnes of inquiries” because of his post and their first tour is scheduled for next Saturday.
In terms of safety, he says he has a Class 4 driver’s licence for the van and has a long background of leading youth group trips around the area. He’ll also be registering for a small business licence before the first tour.
If all goes as planned, Luyt expects to get some branding on his vehicle to advertise the business.
Another post on Craigslist asks for $50 an hour to drive around in “luxurious limo style.”
And one of the posts from Maple Ridge says they “know the best spots.”
Safety concerns arise
The game, which requires players walk around with eyes glued to their smartphone screens, has prompted the Richmond RCMP to warn players to stay safe.
“We are most concerned with the safety of potential players. This type of gaming is novel and its early adoption is rather unprecedented. It can be very easy to get so caught up in something and ignore safety entirely,” RCMP Richmond Cpl Dennis Hwang said in a statement.
Vancouver Police also released a series of tips on how to keep safety in mind while playing the game.
Look up – be aware of your surroundings. Are you about to step into traffic? Are you going to crash into someone or something? You could end more than just your game.
It is very easy for any stranger to know your gathering spots. Make sure you go with a group, and that younger kids tell parents or another adult where they’re going.
Say no to distracted game playing – don’t play while riding your bike, skateboard, scooter, or while driving.
Vancouver has lots of public space. Don’t go on or in private property.
In terms of using the recent chauffeur services, VPD Cst. Brian Montague says people “should remember that they are dealing with a complete stranger.”
What is Pokémon Go?
Pokémon Go combines geocaching and virtual reality to allow users to hunt for Pokémon in real-life environments like your bedroom, or the park down the street.
First, users are instructed to head to local landmarks – known as “Pokestops” – where they collect “Pokeballs” that help capture the Pokémon creatures. After that, you follow your virtual map hunting for Pokémon. Once you find them, you throw Pokeballs at them to capture them.
Once users train their Pokémon, they head to locations known as “gyms” to pit them against each other.
Of course, none of this will make sense unless you are already familiar with Pokémon – a popular Japanese anime and videogame series where trainers capture “pocket creatures” known as Pokémon and train them to fight each other.
With files from Paula Baker
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