Gothamist: "The Rats are Real"

bigsexy

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 14:50:06 -0500

I know exactly where he is talking about and he is right. They aren't just numerous, but they are HUGE!!! The first time i walked doan that block at night, i thought I was in the movie Food of the Gods!!!!!

Brightliner

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 14:42:00 -0500

Oh, come on, Jen. Do I have to explain it to you? A mean 10.2 rat is one you want to avoid, although it's hard to find the ones that aren't so mean. The median 8.0 rats like to hang out on the traffic islands on Broadway. Don't look at this as a disgusting problem. Think of it as a business opportunity. Rodent control might be the next big career in the city, only slightly less important than mayor. Build a better rat-trap and the city will beat a path to your door. You can't tell me rich Upper West Siders wouldn't pay BIG bucks to kill the critters.

Al B.

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 13:53:14 -0500

I live on 105th between CPW and Manhattan Avenues. The rat problem in our area, which started with the 2001 excavation for the 455 CPW buildings, has gotten stedily worse. No smoking corpses, but plenty of flattened critters on the street, in addition to the still-partying ones.

Leslie

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 13:47:44 -0500

I doubt that the rats on the UWS are worse than the rats near Chinatown. I'd see around 50 rats a night on the corner of Orchard and Hester.

laura

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 12:27:42 -0500

Adam, I lived on that stretch of 108th for four years. Go outside at 5:30am and you'll see rats a plenty. Two elementary schools back up to the street, a haven of cafeteria waste for the rats.

timThompson

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 11:23:17 -0500

Cats are good for controlling mice, but rats? For rat control we need rat snakes. Rat snakes eat "birds, eggs, lizards, frogs, other snakes, chipmunks, squirrels, small rabbits, mice, rats, voles, shrews, and other small mammals." And to take care of the snakes, we've rounded up a type of gorilla that thrives on snake meat. The great thing is the gorillas won't be a problem because when winter rolls around they simply freeze to death. Can't believe I'm the first one to make that reference.

Fore

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 11:22:36 -0500

What we need is a bunch of people with 9 irons, practicing their swing after sunset.

Rachel

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 10:29:55 -0500

The rats on that stretch of 108th street have always been really bad. When I was at Columbia a few years ago, I knew a couple of people who lived there, and even then it seemed to have way more rats than any other street in the area.

adam

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 10:29:35 -0500

I think what Columbia really needs is less complaining, lying graduate students. I live on 108th between Amsterdam and Broadway, and have seen very few rats on the street. Not that there aren't a few on Amsterdam, or even the occasional one on our street. But 10?! 8?! regularly?!don't think so buddy, glad to see you got some attention, probably all you wanted anyway.

Joe

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 10:25:26 -0500

Joey

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 10:24:45 -0500

Shout out to 13th Street on that photo. Represent!

J

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 10:11:02 -0500

I agree - everyone should adopt more cats. More cats, fewer rats! More blogs with pictures of cats!

MissPinkKate

Fri, 07 Oct 2005 09:51:19 -0500

Clearly, the UWS needs more cats.