The Rat

This morning I am approaching the stairs up out of the Fulton Street stop when suddenly there is a commotion in front of me. There is a crazed shuffle, and the people on the stairs start jumping and screaming. Only on the first stair, I instinctively leap off and cover my face. Although I have not encountered something like this before, I know that screaming on the subways stairs is never, ever a good thing. Was somebody getting knifed or something? Although the subways are reassuringly safe now I think back to what I’ve heard New York was like in the 90s.

Just as quickly as it started though, the disturbance stops. I turn next to me to a guy around my own age who looks just as perplexed as I am.


What just happened? I ask.


You didn’t see it? A rat (He holds his hands about 2 feet apart) THIS big, just ran down the stairs.


I don’t know if he is exaggerating on the size or not but the thing had to of been monstrous. Grown-up men in suits don’t scream like that, unless it is something extremely scary. I know it had to be right around my feet, I just didn’t see it because I was covering my face.

Looks like today nearly fulfilled my worst rat fear of a couple posts ago.