Rat tales abound in NYC after Superstorm Sandy

[DavidDvorkin]

At the height of Superstorm Sandy, city residents watching seawater pour into the subway system couldn't help but wonder: What will become of all the rats?

Four months later, that's still a mystery.

http://news.yahoo.com/rat-tales-abound-nyc-superstorm-sandy-074155932.html



I think that a lot of them joined right-wing think tanks. Mortimer J. Ratfink, Distinguised Fellow at etc.

[customerserviceguy]

1. I sure had to laugh when I read this:

"He noted, as did other experts, that Norwegian rats, the species found in New York, are known for being especially strong swimmers.

"I have seen them dive over 70 feet, swim 500 yards, give me the finger and head for the hills," he said. "Hurricane Sandy is not going to affect these critters." "

I tell a joke about one of them trying to bum a smoke off of me, and being so intimidated that I went to a convenience store to buy him a pack, that goodness I didn't get him the menthols.

[DavidDvorkin]

2. Just don't give them caffeine.

[SheilaT]

3. Interesting.

A friend of mine lived in Muscatine, Iowa, which is on the Mississippi River. When the Great Flood of 1993 occurred, one thing she told me about which was not reported in the news was the presence of rats everywhere fleeing the water.

[DavidDvorkin]

4. I've read similar things about other floods in various places

(I mean, about rats showing up after the flood.)

Which makes the NYC story all the more curious.

NYC rats must be more adaptable, or the city offers them enough alternatives allowing them to say relatively out of sight.