I never saw anything strange when taking the subway on any of my NYC trips, but that’s definitely not the norm. Don’t believe me? Just watch the season 3 Seinfeld episode when Elaine gets trapped and George’s cute meet-up turns into a terrifying disaster.
TikTok user @raab.angie had a real NYC experience when she saw a variety of strangers in wild scenarios on one subway journey. What’s worse, a car with no one else on it or this strange collection? Someone was screaming while listening to music via headphones, someone else was dressed in a cat costume holding flowers, and SpongeBob took the subway, too. After seeing a terrifying snake, Angie saw a person with a Christmas tree on their body and a man pushing a couch off a subway car.
But nothing was as wild as one part, with a commenter summed up: “Not the rat crawling all over the sleeping guy.” Another said, “New York subway trips be like fever dreams.” A user wrote, “The fact that everyone seemed so nonchalant about the snake??!” and Angie thought the woman sitting near the snake looked freaked out. (I would get off at the next exit.)
I’m still stuck on the rat, though, and so were many others. People wondered if it was a pet or just hanging out on the train. According to the New York Post, you can use the NYC Subway Rat Detector on the Transit app and find out which stations are likely to have them. The 191st Street 1 train line seems to have the highest amount, so let’s all avoid that one. But that might not be enough to calm your nerves or squash your fears. Columbia University scientists looked at 133 rats and discovered a lot of protozoa, viruses, and bacteria. So that’s fun.
Although New Yorkers are known for walking everywhere (and there’s nothing more fun than discovering new cafes, restaurants, or Instagram-worthy street corners in the city that never sleeps), a good amount of residents take transit often. Since so many are hopping on the subway to get to work, school, or meet up with friends, they’ve likely seen the same odd array of strangers that Angie has. According to the MTA, there are 472 stations in NYC, and around 3.6 million take the subway each day. That’s a lot of opportunities to see SpongeBob, rats, and a guy dressed up like a Christmas tree.
Even if your fellow passengers are nothing to write home about, something scary can still happen on the subway. In Dec. 2024, 3,500 people took the train in Brooklyn when the power went out. And people are too familiar with train delays, which can seriously ruin your morning.
Now that I’ve seen the confident rat running all over a guy trying to catch some z’s on the subway, which made me wonder what the rat situation is like in my city. Apparently rats are increasing in Toronto, although people are upset about seeing them in their offices and houses. And apparently, Alberta doesn’t have any rats because, as City News reported, the people in charge make sure the rats can’t get too comfortable before getting rid of them. It’s that easy?! Either way, I hope Angie was taking the subway somewhere fun. That would make up for the horrors she witnessed.