Rats Gone Viral

The New York City subway system is facing an infestation and it could pay off for riders.

Subway workers in the big city are now hosting a contest for riders to rate the level of rat infestations at their home stations. And the rider that posts the best video or photo of the unwanted guests will receive an unlimited metro card pass.

It’s all part of an effort by the transport workers union to clear the subway system of rats. And according to a local television station the contest has helped kick off cleanup efforts in 20 stations. Unfortunately that’s only about 4% of the entire system, which means the rats are still ruling the railways. Passenger complaints include rats making their way onto platforms, numerous droppings, and even bites.

Now the rat gallery is up and running on the MTA website for people to post their own contributions or enjoy some of the snapshots from fellow riders. If you’re unable to visually document your encounter, the site also has an option to submit a written testimonial to the site’s “rat tale” section. So now we have visual proof that commuting really is a rat race.