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A couple of weeks ago, I took my usual bus on my usual way back to my usual Place of Sleep in London. As usual, I was busily spinning Pokéstops and occasionally popping a ‘mon into a gym as we pootled slowly through the traffic.
As we passed a couple of friendly gyms, I noticed that someone else, someone whose handle I recognised from almost two years of playing along the same route, was simultaneously adding their Pokémon to defend them. And I thought to myself, this person is on the bus with me.
There were only twelve people left on the single-decker bus. Fortunately, I had chosen a seat which gave me a good view of the exit doors, and I snuck peeks at people’s phones as they disembarked at the remaining stops. No dice.
Until we got to the terminus, which is where I disembark. Four people were left on the bus. I pretended to be hunting around for something in my bag so that everyone else would have got up by the time the bus stopped. It paid off. I surreptitiously scanned phone screens and the unmistakable PokéGo map jumped out at me from the hand of a middle-aged blonde woman, whom I was tickled to discover looked nothing like her in-game avatar.
Now, friends. What do you think I did? Did I bounce up to her in cheerful American fashion, introduce myself and reveal my shared love for the game? Or did I, in the fashion of my adopted country, almost work up the courage to squeak a timid hello in the hopes that she wouldn’t quite hear me and then scuttle off to the nearest friendly gym to pop in another ‘mon before I dashed to Place of Sleep?
As we passed a couple of friendly gyms, I noticed that someone else, someone whose handle I recognised from almost two years of playing along the same route, was simultaneously adding their Pokémon to defend them. And I thought to myself, this person is on the bus with me.
There were only twelve people left on the single-decker bus. Fortunately, I had chosen a seat which gave me a good view of the exit doors, and I snuck peeks at people’s phones as they disembarked at the remaining stops. No dice.
Until we got to the terminus, which is where I disembark. Four people were left on the bus. I pretended to be hunting around for something in my bag so that everyone else would have got up by the time the bus stopped. It paid off. I surreptitiously scanned phone screens and the unmistakable PokéGo map jumped out at me from the hand of a middle-aged blonde woman, whom I was tickled to discover looked nothing like her in-game avatar.
Now, friends. What do you think I did? Did I bounce up to her in cheerful American fashion, introduce myself and reveal my shared love for the game? Or did I, in the fashion of my adopted country, almost work up the courage to squeak a timid hello in the hopes that she wouldn’t quite hear me and then scuttle off to the nearest friendly gym to pop in another ‘mon before I dashed to Place of Sleep?
Poll #20182 Culture clash: Native or adopted?
Open to: Registered Users, detailed results viewable to: All, participants: 61
How did I react to my fellow Pokemon Go player?
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