Gothamist
A non-profit newsroom, powered by WNYC.
Gothamist
Listen Live
News
SPOILER: This Video Of A Rat Freaking Everyone Out On The 2 Train Does Not End Well For The Rat
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 14, 2013
Modified Feb 14, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
Never miss a story
Email address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .
By
John Del Signore
Published Feb 14, 2013
Modified Feb 14, 2013
Share
FacebookTwitterRedditEmail
We rely on your support to make local news available to all
Make your contribution now and help Gothamist thrive in 2026. Donate today
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
It's been a while since we've had a good "Rat Runs Amok Inside A Subway Train" video, so let's revisit the genre with this little opus, documented yesterday morning on the 2 train. We have mixed feelings about this one, because the ending puts us in the awkward position of feeling sorry for a filthy disease-carrying subway rat. And we'll warn you: the insert at the end of this video is to be avoided at all costs. Click "pause" NO LATER THAN the 34 second mark:
Sure, it's no Rat Crawls Across Sleeping Man's Face, but they can't all be Oscar-worthy. What's interesting about this one is that despite the deep revulsion that rats elicit, there's still something pitiful and sad about seeing the poor thing writhe in agony. The individual who uploaded the video to YouTube writes:
On my way to work this morning in NYC (2/13/13) there was a little homeless dude in my car on the downtown 2 train. This dude was causing random havoc and all sorts of problems for commuters. Just as I decided to get out my phone to try and video tape the madness, little dude comes out of nowhere and runs across the car for his life. A guy at the other end has a problem and starts kicking and stomping him.
The guy stomps him so hard, he breaks the dudes back and shoves him off the train. While flailing in panic & twitching in pain he lets out an unimaginable, horrifying scream. I feel really bad for the little dude and prey [sic]he was able to recover.
We'll update as more information about the rat's condition becomes available. In the meantime, please enjoy the sine qua non of Ratsploitation videos:
Tagged
MTA
rat
rats
snuff
subway
original
John Del Signore
Originally from the Albany area, John Del Signore has called NYC home since 1995. In addition to his thousands of meticulously-crafted bespoke blog posts for Gothamist, his writing has also been published in The Awl, Deadspin, The Nervous Breakdown, and performed at The Brick Theater in Brooklyn.
Read more
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
Gothamist is funded by sponsors and member donations
MORE news
NJ early voting begins Saturday. Here's everything you need to know.
Our 2026 New Jersey voter’s guide for this year’s midterm elections.
By
Mike Hayes
Published Oct 23, 2026 at 11:01 a.m. ET
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
New York City bus service isn't exactly reliable, but new digital countdown clocks will give riders a better sense of how long they have to wait.
By
Stephen Nessen
News
Countdown clocks are coming to an NYC bus stop near you
New York City bus service isn't exactly reliable, but new digital countdown clocks will give riders a better sense of how long they have to wait.
By
Stephen Nessen
Are NJ schools unconstitutionally segregated? It's back to the courts to decide.
By
Colleen O'Dea
Early Addition: New Jersey considering a ban on chewing gum because of microplastics
By
James Ramsay
Queens mother charged with murdering her son after failed suicide attempt, NYPD says
By
Brittany Kriegstein
Never miss a story
Catch up on the most important headlines with a roundup of essential NYC stories, delivered to your inbox daily.
Sign upEmail address
By submitting your information, you're agreeing to receive communications from New York Public Radio in accordance with our Terms .