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Old 03-06-2008, 10:29 PM
 
Location: Chicago
15,586 posts, read 27,626,711 times
Reputation: 1761

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Quote:
Originally Posted by j33 View Post
Actually, one of my favorite 'rat moments' was when I was riding the 'el' and one got off at the Addison 'el' stop when the doors opened (it must have been hiding under a seat) and ran down the stairs. This was well over ten years ago, yet I remember it to this day, the unanimous look of shock and disgust that passed over the faces of everyone on the train was truly a sight to behold. And of course, the person in the corner who dryly quipped, 'I guess it was its stop', seared that moment in my mind.

I've mentioned this moment hear on this forum once before, but this is a good moment to mention it again.
I know of rats and mice that live in harmony on the tracks and track bed at the Red Line Addison station!
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Old 03-06-2008, 10:55 PM
 
2,141 posts, read 7,868,235 times
Reputation: 1273
I am really spooked by rats. One time I was standing in Hartford Plaza, the plaza between 100 South and 150 South Wacker. The plaza is along the Chicago river. At the time, there were probably 100 people in the plaza. Our company was having an outdoor catered cocktail party. A rat (probably dazed and or really, really brazen), runs off of Wacker across the plaza filled with people and toward the river. Ironically, it ran right across my shoe! The irony is that I'm so grossed out by rats and so of course, it runs across my shoe! lol Luckily, I had a cockail in my hand at the time. I needed it.
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Old 03-07-2008, 06:39 AM
 
145 posts, read 643,924 times
Reputation: 58
My wife came home one day and told me that she saw a bunch of rats in Lake Shore Park (Chicago and LSD). First, she wasn't sure that they were rats but there was another woman there who had also seen them as well. She now refuses to step foot inside that park at all.
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Old 03-07-2008, 07:16 AM
 
Location: Chicago, Tri-Taylor
5,014 posts, read 9,465,991 times
Reputation: 3994
Quote:
Originally Posted by desibear View Post
My wife came home one day and told me that she saw a bunch of rats in Lake Shore Park (Chicago and LSD). First, she wasn't sure that they were rats but there was another woman there who had also seen them as well. She now refuses to step foot inside that park at all.
They tend to go where there's a large density of people. The only neighborhood I lived in where I actually physically saw them was Uptown. I'd occasionally see them running through the alleys and, of course, there was that little critter who took up residence under my sink, heh. I'd see them roaming around on the L tracks in the subways too. Haven't seen any in the "inner ring" yet, knock on wood.
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Old 03-07-2008, 07:50 AM
 
11,975 posts, read 31,803,926 times
Reputation: 4645
Quote:
Originally Posted by BRU67 View Post
Haven't seen any in the "inner ring" yet, knock on wood.
The "inner ring" is the worst place for them with all of those 19th century buildings and narrow alleys! The exterminator that came to our apartment in Lincoln Park told us that Lincoln Park was by far the worst neighborhood in the city for rats, and according to my sightings I could easily concur. All of the restaurants in the area feed the problem. Wicker Park seemed to have just as many as far as I could tell--I literally saw hundreds in both neighborhoods, but I only saw "daytime rats" in Lincoln Park near the chique Armitage shopping district.
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Old 03-07-2008, 08:18 AM
 
Location: Phoenix metro
20,004 posts, read 77,398,794 times
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Can I ask why people are so afraid of rats? What is with that anyways? I mean, if the city had a large wolf population then I could see reason to be scared and all, but rats? Theyre just... rats.
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Old 03-07-2008, 08:32 AM
 
Location: Tower Grove East, St. Louis, MO
12,063 posts, read 31,632,411 times
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I have problem with all rodents (even things like guinea pigs and hamsters) because I had a really horrible experience... it's such an awful story, but I'm feeling gruesome today so i guess I'll tell it.

When I was 8 me, my brothers and some neighborhoods friends were playing hide and go seek at my house. I climbed into a coat closet and stepped on top of a sleeping bag to hide. At that moment I felt something run up my leg! I ran out screaming (as you might imagine!) and just hitting my leg over and over. I ran up stairs and ripped off my jeans, and there on my legs were these little mouse track marks up my leg.

I called for my dad to get the mouse out of the pants and he shook them once... nothing came out. He figured it had run off, but shook them one more time to be sure and this poor dead mouse fell out. I either bashed it to death or the thing had a heart attack because it was so scared!!!

I've had nightmares about rodents ever since...

You can all laugh- it's funny to me now too.
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Old 03-07-2008, 08:35 AM
 
Location: Phoenix metro
20,004 posts, read 77,398,794 times
Reputation: 10371
That is funny! lol Ive never had a remote fear of rodents, so I cant understand. What I suggest is try keeping one as a pet. Once you care for something, you begin to understand them and grow a little bond with them, even for animals you have a phobia on. Thats how I got over my fear of tarantulas, it really works! Now I go pick up and handle wild tarantulas w/o a care in the world. Just takes a little understanding and a little work and you can get over a phobie quite easily.
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Old 03-07-2008, 08:43 AM
 
8,425 posts, read 12,189,379 times
Reputation: 4882
Default The Best Solution

I eliminated rodents around my house by using an electronic noisemaker. The cost about $30 and can be very effective for an area about the size of a two car garage. If you hear the noisemaker at all it sounds like the aerator on an aquarium.

Due to pets, poison (like they use in alleys) and traps were not options for me. Check the 'large box orange hardware store' for one of the electronice repellers.
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Old 03-07-2008, 08:45 AM
 
Location: Around Chicago
863 posts, read 2,785,686 times
Reputation: 322
Quote:
Originally Posted by aragx6 View Post
I have problem with all rodents (even things like guinea pigs and hamsters) because I had a really horrible experience... it's such an awful story, but I'm feeling gruesome today so i guess I'll tell it.

When I was 8 me, my brothers and some neighborhoods friends were playing hide and go seek at my house. I climbed into a coat closet and stepped on top of a sleeping bag to hide. At that moment I felt something run up my leg! I ran out screaming (as you might imagine!) and just hitting my leg over and over. I ran up stairs and ripped off my jeans, and there on my legs were these little mouse track marks up my leg.

I called for my dad to get the mouse out of the pants and he shook them once... nothing came out. He figured it had run off, but shook them one more time to be sure and this poor dead mouse fell out. I either bashed it to death or the thing had a heart attack because it was so scared!!!

I've had nightmares about rodents ever since...

You can all laugh- it's funny to me now too.
I can't laugh, that was horrifying! I'm not afraid of rodents but that would certainly give me nightmares, too.

OK, maybe I'm laughing just a little...
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