Pokemon GO Parody Creator Charged For Walking Along Subway Tracks

The things people will do for laughs can be one of two things: ingenious or terrifying. So, when a Toronto-based production company uploaded a video of someone playing Pokemon GO along subway tracks, people were understandably horrified. And perhaps no one was more dismayed than Toronto’s transit authorities. It’s no surprise the TTC decided to press charges against the person who was seen walking on those tracks.

If you’ve not seen the seen the viral video, the parody can be found on Youtube under “Pokemon GO Problems.” The video shows a man named Mark Correia as he mocks gamers’ obliviousness while playing Pokemon GO. He runs into people and other obstacles all while trying to catch Pokemon, but the video escalates when Correia is seen blindly crossing traffic and jumping down onto subway tracks at Union Station.

While Correia said he was only on the tracks for a few seconds, TTC spokesperson Brad Ross stressed the star was still in grave danger. He explained Correia’s stunt could’ve easily “resulted in his death and that’s not an exaggeration.”

In prior statements, Ross said why the tracks were so dangerous. “The subway track is a dangerous place. There’s 600 volts of electricity that run through that third rail. Union Station is on a curve, so as trains come in an operator wouldn’t see anybody on the track until the last minute,” he said. “So, it literally put his life at risk to make this video.”

TTC says they decided to press charges to “send a strong message” to anyone who thinks it’d be funny to explore the station’s tracks. Correia has accepted the charges and says he takes full responsibilities for his actions. The Youtuber was ordered to pay $425 fine after being charged with unauthorized access on subway tracks. He’s due to appear in court on September 16th.

So, everyone, let’s remember to train safety and Pokemon GO responsibly. And, if it wasn’t already made clear, please don’t go looking for some elusive Electabuzz on active subway tracks.