What) For those of you who have used the subway in New York, the sight of rats must be quite common. Those pesky rodents are spotted quite frequently on subway tracks and platforms. Apparently, subway workers have had enough of this and want their workplace to be completely free of rats. And they’ve come up with a totally unique idea to accomplish this - a rat photo contest.
New York
subway workers are holding a photo contest - for the
“nastiest” shot of a rodent. Subway commuters are being urged
to click pictures of the rats they see every day and upload
them to the website www.ratfreesubways.com. The grand prize is
a monthly transit pass. The site was created by the largest
union in the city, the Transport Workers Union Local 100. The
winning photograph is to be selected by popular opinion.
Visitors to the website are able to vote for the most
repulsive picture on the ‘Rate my Rat’ section. They have five
options to choose from - Handsome, Cute, Plain, Ugly and
Beastly. Most of the rat-pictures have been rated between
Plain and Beastly, while a few actually have been called Cute.
(1)
Where) Start at the Best Western Jamaica Inn (8707 Van Wyck Expressway, Briarwood) and walk 6 minutes to the Jamaica and Van Wick subway station. Stay on the subway for 8 stops and get off at the 7th Avenue/53 Street station. Walk 2 minutes to the Park Central Hotel (870 7th Avenue at West 55th Street).
Why) After
I told my mother about a few of the upcoming Buckys on this
trip, this was the one that interested her the most. She
has asked me a few times since then if I managed to capture a
rat with the camera. Personally, I only put this one the
list because we were going to be taking the subway anyway and
I like to think that I am observant enough to see a rat if it
is there. 
