A GIANT rodent has been spotted riding a never-ending escalator in the New York City’s subway.
In the viral clip, the rat can be seen agilely jumping up each step of the descending escalator of the grubby subway – as the Rocky theme tune plays in the background.
TikTokA rat has been spotted riding the New York City subway escalator[/caption]
TikTokTikTok users became invested in the agile rat jumping up each step of the descending escalator[/caption]
The video, which has since amassed over two million views on TikTok, garnered a wealth of support for the rat.
Some comments even compared him to the Greek god Sisyphus, who was forced to roll a boulder up a hill, only for it to roll back down as soon as he reached the top.
Several users wrote: “Never back down never what???”
Hundreds wrote: “one must imagine Sisphyus as a New York subway rat.”
While others simply commented along the lines of “help him” and “I believe in him”.
Just under 4,000 users were so invested in the plight of the rat that they begged for a part two.
The slightly lesser-watched second part saw the rodent bravely bound to the top of the escalator and scamper off.
And diehard supporters were overjoyed at receiving closure on the rat’s race.
One user wrote: “I’m so relieved, I hope he found a nice snack and a safe spot to get his energy back up.”
Another said: “Not me cheering at him from my couch. Go lil buddy you almost got it!! Yeah I fist pumped the air.”
And another added: “I love a happy ending.”
Although the users of TikTok were impressed with the rat’s success, the video is evidence of a much larger problem ravaging New York.
The video was posted on TikTok just days after 20 something rats scurried out of a homeless man’s blanket at a separate subway stop.
The homeless man had been sleeping on the ground of the subway, under a grey blanket with just his shoes hanging out.
First, one rat escapes the grey blanket, then another, and then the blanket starts shaking with the movement of the rodents.
The homeless man eventually wakes up and flings his cover off, sending the pack of rats scurrying away hurriedly.
Rat-related complaints sky-rocketed in 2023 – with 41,748 rat sightings being reported to the city’s hotline.
That stat was up 1.5 per cent from the 41,120 complaints the year before, 7.6 per cent from the 38,809 calls in 2021, and a staggering 32 per cent more than the 31,644 sightings in 2019.
Mayor Eric Adams even hired Kathleen Corradi as the city’s first-ever “rat czar” in April of last year.
“You’ll be seeing a lot more of me — and a lot less rats,” Corradi vowed as she was sworn in.
“Pizza rat may live in infamy but rats and the conditions that support their thriving will no longer be tolerated in New York City.
“No more dirty curbs, unmanaged spaces or brazen burrowing. There’s a new sheriff in town.
“And with your help, we’ll send those rats packing.”
Corradi is set to receive an annual pay rate of $155,000 (£122,200) due to her experience with rat reduction efforts in her previous role at the Department of Education.
She has said that she intends to use a “science and systems-based approach” in her role at rat czar, and that she will be cutting off all the essential items rats need to survive.
A $3.5 million (£2.8 million) investment was also announced in early 2023 to accelerate rat reduction across New York City.
TikTokThe TikTok creator shared the continuation of the rat’s plight to its fans[/caption]
TikTokTikTok users were overjoyed with its success and praised the rodent’s perseverance[/caption]
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