TAMPA, Fla. (WFLA) – For Lisa Henry, aerobics class is doing the opposite of what it’s supposed to, going from relieving stress to causing it.
Lisa had always looked forward to the high-energy step class at Joe Abrahams Fitness and Wellness Center. But getting there has become a nightmare. Whoever said it’s the journey, not the destination, obviously hasn’t tried to attend Lisa’s early evening class located within Ballast Point Park.
“This is a nightmare,” she told WFLA.
The rec center where the class is held sits right in the middle of what can only be described these days as Pokemon nirvana.
The park has been making headlines lately after hundreds of Pokémon Go players began packing the popular South Tampa hot spot. In fact, if you try to drive through the main entrance, you won’t make it very far. Most days, cars are bumper to bumper. Some people won’t even move and if you honk your horn, you may not even get so much as a wave. What you’ll most likely see if you drive around the parked car is a person, head down, staring at a cell phone. It’s a familiar sight for the Pokemon craze.
It’s become so crowded at times that Tampa Police have shown up to carry out crowd control.
Aerobics instructor Lea Ann Kincaid admits, “It continues to get worse. My class numbers have dropped because of this.”
And, it’s not just during the day. People show up, even after dusk, when the park is officially closed. In fact, the craze has become a public safety hazard because people are staring down at their phones, not paying attention. In addition, cars spill out of the parking lot of the park onto a busy, main thoroughfare. The players are also parking illegally, wedging their cars into any place they can. People will cruise slowly, jockeying for a good space.
“I wanted to go back home. It’s terrible,” Lisa told WFLA.
While Tampa Police spokesman Steve Hegarty appreciates the concept people enjoying the outdoors, the issue of safety is paramount.
“The idea is good. But, we can’t have that many people there when the park is closed. It becomes a matter of public safety,” he said.
It has become such a problem that TPD reached out to the game developer, Niantic, Inc., asking them to pull the poke-stop off the park.
“We know we may not be popular. But, we don’t want people getting hurt,” said Hegarty. “We haven’t heard back from the company.”
WFLA also reached out to Niantic, but we did not get a response. Until then, Tampa Police will continue patrolling the park, both before and after dark.
“Hopefully this phase will be done soon,” said one mom. “This is crazy.”