Apocalypse on the Subway

Will it happen tomorrow?
The apocalypse?

It's kind of fun to think about.

Without any of us here, the pumps on the train would fail in about two days. This is from Alan Weisman's The World Without Us. Check out these images

This picture of the rats has haunted me for years. I think about it every time I look at the rats on the A train platform at Broadway Nassau. Which is pretty much every time I'm on that platform.

Dr. Zizmor--and his namesake

I remember being 15 and using the NYC subways for the first time by myself. I remember the old Redbird trains, clattering along the Lexington Avenue line.

And I remember the ads for a doctor, who promised, with a rainbow, that you, too, could have beautiful clear skin.

Who is this Dr. Zizmor....who for decades has created the kitchiest and most memorable ads in the New York City Subway?

One goal of this blog is to find out more about this man, with the rainbows and the beautiful clear skin.

A friend of mine from college, also impressed by the posters, once got a pet rat. Rats equal subways, and subways, somehow, equal Dr. Z.

Here's a picture of my friend's rat, Zizmor. She's a very lovable, friendly, and domesticated non-subway rat. A fine pet.

(p.s. check out zizmor's human's blog here)

Hey Lady--Pay attention to the wildlife!

A while ago, a co-worker lived in rougher section of Crown Heights. She was waiting on the subway platform one morning and a man across the platform shouted “Hey Lady!” She ignored him, because she was used to getting harassed a bit.

Again, the man shouted “Hey Lady!” Again, my co-worker ignored him. He kept shouting. Untill he said,

“Hey Lady, RAT!!!”

My co-worker looked down. A rat was crawling up her boot.

She ran.

Rat Chaser

Last night on the Nassau G platform, I saw one rat chasing another. Looked like love, like they'd be making new little rats soon.

An acquaintance on the platform pointed out that the rat in front didn't have a tail.
Maybe that was the attraction.