Chicago has a Rat problem.

[tlarcher]

When I was at UT we lived in a house adjacent to Cumberland Ave and the dumpsters for several restaurants and bars. We had a rat problem.

Our first solution was to gather barn cats and bring them to town. We kept turning loose cats. The Animal Control people kept catching the cats and hauling them off. We finally talked to the cat catcher and explained we'd brought them there to kill the rats. He said, "We can't allow them to roam free." But had no solution for the rats.

We bought pellet guns and spotlights and had a rat killin by the dumpsters. We got in more trouble from the city. Can't shoot a pellet gun in town.

We tried putting out massive amounts of Decon and again got in more trouble from the city. Can't put out loose poison in the city.

We tried traps and caught the crap out of them. Sometimes 5 or 6 a night. But we could only trap them inside the house or around it.

It seems the Government had an answer to every plan we had to get rid of the rats but no answer as to how to actually get rid of them. You'd think rats were a protected species.

They protect their own.

[jigman51]

I thought this was going to be an article about the elected officials.

Me too.

[fr8dog]

The rats are going indoors because the streets are too dangerous.

[518RangerJeff]

Rat stew anyone?

[Gambler Bob]

I worked in the Sear's Tower for about 2 weeks as a plumber renovating a Starbucks that is on the first floor. The amount of rats that live in the Sear's Tower would amaze you guys. There is 3 basement levels in the Sear's Tower. Those basement levels are pretty filthy, when you pop open a ceiling tile to get to the plumbing above you would see all these little eyes glowing up in the ceiling. The basement levels of these skyscrapers are disgusting.

[slonezp]

. Interesting that you can use dry ice to kill them.

There are rats all over the city. They don't discriminate between the good and bad neighborhoods. Unfortunately, Chicago has given in to animal rights activists that believe suffocating the rats is cruel.

[hooksetter5]

I thought this was going to be an article about the elected officials.

The rats and the Chicago Politicians are close relatives.