Readers Cameraphone Extra: “I Named My Rabid SEPTA Raccoon ‘Patches!’”
“Hang In There: Great Depression 2.0 Edition”
Says our reader, who happened upon these lovely creatures at the Lombard-South stop on the Broad Street Line: “Last night, I witnessed first hand what happens to a major city when an economic meltdown causes basic services to be ignored. SEPTA tunnels are now over run by rabies-infected RACCOONS. Do NOT pet them. Although, this one I named PATCHES!”
Oh, dear. More photos after the jump.
Seeing something around town of note? Cameraphone it to: tips[at]philebrity[dot]com.
March 6th, 2009 at 12:50 pm
How do we know this racoon had rabies?
March 6th, 2009 at 12:54 pm
Glowing eyes.
March 6th, 2009 at 1:00 pm
Also would’ve accepted: “I call the big one Bitey.”
March 6th, 2009 at 1:40 pm
Eh, it’s just a raccoon kit–little guy. Wouldn’t feed him, though. Buggers can get brazen. And big.
Further evidence that the denatured 20th century city is becoming a thing of the past; nature’s creeping back into the urban hardscape. London’s full of foxes right now. It’s generally a good thing. Just watch your fingers.
Trivia: The word raccoon is derived from the Algonquin word ahrah-koon-em, which was the pronunciation used by Chief Powhatan and his daughter Pocahontas, meaning “[the] one who rubs, scrubs and scratches with its hands”.
March 6th, 2009 at 1:49 pm
This post gives me the Hoo-Boo-Geeb-Ieeezz!
March 6th, 2009 at 3:02 pm
And how does this related to the budget crisis exactly? Do you think there were once racoon catchers that have since been layed off?
March 6th, 2009 at 7:17 pm
Raccoon’s heard the libraries/pools were closing and started hanging out in subways instead.