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L.A. Metro Has A Twitter Account For Finding Pokémon
What is the carless Pokémon trainer to do? How can one travel across the world, searching far and wide, for Pokémon without a set of wheels? Well, Metro has gotten in on the game, introducing a Twitter account to help you find Pokémon via bus and train. @PokemonGOMetro is a public transit user's guide to Pokéstops, gyms and Pokémon.
Metro's Anna Chen tells LAist that at first, she didn't know much about the game. Soon, however, Metro users began tweeting at Metro to say they'd caught various creatures on the buses and trains. So, she downloaded the augmented reality game to check it out.
"What I found is that a lot of our Metro stations are either Pokégyms, where you can go and train and battle your Pokémon, or they're Pokéstops, which are good for collecting items like Poké balls or eggs," she says.
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Metro launched their Twitter account to not only share tips for playing the game, but to also remind users to play safely. Metro is also working on putting together a PokéMap, if you will, via Google Fusion, to highlight any areas, such as bikeshares or stations, that are good spots to play. Chen says they've already mapped quite a bit of the Gold Line, and found many of those stations are gyms.
"So when you're waiting, you can train you're Pokemon," she says. "You can make it part of your daily commute."
Another factor that makes Metro a good system to use when becoming a Pokémon master is that the game does not allow you to drive around and play, as it refuses to register higher speeds. You must walk or bike in order to hatch your eggs and catch Pokémon, making the game a good way to get some exercise and spend some time outdoors. And because the game seems to target landmarks and well-populated areas, Union Station and other L.A. icons, such as the Santa Monica Pier, have become hubs for finding Pokémon.
"I'm really hoping that this game is good for our community, because it leads people to walk around and explore places they might not have gone to," Chen says.
Should you catch your own Charmander on the train, hashtag #pokemongometro to be featured on Metro's account.
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@pokemongometro growlithe hopped on the silver line too pic.twitter.com/s2U9EejprM
— Krate: Rate Music reply guy (@moshworldsalad) July 12, 2016
Best way to catch them all is by taking transit. 📷 @kornzilla2k1. @pokemongometro @metrolosangeles @SMBigBlueBus pic.twitter.com/oQcRXty4T6
— UCLA Transportation (@UCLACommute) July 12, 2016
Doduo goes Metro, how about you? pic.twitter.com/4zhWfAFsjN
— Rob (feat. Phoebe Bridgers) (@MadSmatter) July 12, 2016
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