Reddit’s ‘Shitty Pokestops’ Is Your Hub for 'Pokemon GO’ Creepiness

Pokémon GO has reportedly done wonders for fans young and old, motivating potential trainers to get out of the house and explore their local area. Social media has been covered in images of the game’s players crowding at local landmarks that have been designated as “pokéstops.” These landmarks, which often range from wall murals to churches, are used to refuel on items like potions, eggs, and pokéballs.

But not every pokéstop is as scenic, as recent complaints and an all-new Reddit board prove. Aptly titled Shitty Pokéstops, some of the greatest offenders are places that — aside from being totally illegal to enter — are less-than-desirable for vulnerable trainers.

Among some of the biggest highlights (or lowlights — figuratively and literally) are the particularly meta posts about the giant arch of nothing and a mural depicting a hefty mouthful of seamen. But some get a little more strange, and in particular cases, a little scary.

Other posts highlight the importance of a local child containment field and a popular local watering hole. Pokémon GO subreddits have become popular over the past week, serving as information hubs where players can trade knowledge. But others, like this particular subreddit and a completely anti-Pokémon GO board, stand to show that the game can’t — and won’t — please everyone.

It is admittedly more difficult for players who aren’t close to many major landmarks to find as many pokéstops as their city-born brethren, and their origin rests within Niantic’s previous mobile augmented reality game, Ingress. Using Google’s geolocation technology, Niantic fielded Ingress players in order to establish popular locations throughout the world. A small number of the most popular locations among Ingress players were chosen as gyms — the less popular mass were designated as pokéstops.

The information, though, isn’t the most recent: an example might be a local mural that — at the time of data collection — depicted a different image. That, coupled with the ever-shifting tectonic plates of the Earth and the fact that geolocation technology simply wasn’t the same last year have led players to wonder about strange choices in location.

Pokéstops are already being embraced by restaurants and other businesses with creative discounts, while homeowners who — because of those previously mentioned problems — are a little less than pleased with their houses becoming popular gyms.