A FREAKIN RACCOON IN THE SUBWAY!!!???!!!
Feb. 19, 2019, 5:03 p.m.
An L train station in Canarsie has a raccoon problem.
<a href="https://www.flickr.com/photos/cantaloupealone/7417269970/in/photolist-b8skRp-Sy2mow-Hku798-9tkRLm-6dySjA-6duJH8-exdYHN-cirrX1-kk3Cku-d67tbJ-8vbjfg-dURWPV-fGwM8j-Ns9WBw-nWByvD-9izPVQ-9MMLAx-cWVhtC-cbWTb9-cWVh5q-5eyfRv" target="_blank" rel="noopener">cataloupealone's flickr</a>
While some New Yorkers have accused the de Blasio administration of being in cahoots with the urban raccoon population in order to propagate a problematic pro-procyonid agenda (...stick with me here), not all politicians are in the pocket of Big Trash Panda. State Senator Roxanne Persaud told officials at a transportation budget hearing today that raccoons have been encroaching upon the E. 105th Street L train station in Canarsie for months now.
"Several of my constituents have mentioned seeing them in the station," she said. "Raccoons tend to live there," she added, asking the MTA officials to do something about the hostile takeover. It may have been...slightly off-topic to the other matters at hand.
Almost two hours into this hearing before Access-A-Ride, which serves more than 150,000 New Yorkers and is notoriously terrible, is first raised, by Senator Persaud (she asked about a station with raccoons first).
— Aaron W. Gordon (@A_W_Gordon) February 19, 2019
There have now been the same number of questions on raccoons at a subway station and Access-A-Ride, but no real probing into why it would be cheaper for the MTA to subsidize taxi rides for those who need AAR rather than continuing to run this terribly-managed service.
— Second Ave. Sagas (@2AvSagas) February 19, 2019
Persaud previously tweeted about the raccoons last summer after hearing about complaints from constituents.
Raccoon sighted again at E 105th St "L" Train station. @MTA notified.
Thanks to Constituent Rudy C. for sending the picture. Raccoons seem to like using this subway station. #SD19 pic.twitter.com/0ESfVapySY— Roxanne J. Persaud (@SenatorPersaud) July 5, 2018
Raccoons are always at that station I purposely avoid that station
— Curtis D. Whiteman (@ProphetCurtis) July 6, 2018
But this infestation goes back much farther than that—the sighting in the tweet below stems from 2013. Which makes us wonder...what if the raccoons were there first, and humans have been encroaching upon their land?
@eyewitnessnyc there's raccoons in Brooklyn too. Picture taken at east 105 street train station on the L line pic.twitter.com/gXkuXssALe
— patpoof (@patpoof) August 1, 2013
Like pigeons, cats and the occasional emotional support hen, raccoons have been known to ride the train as well. Who could forget this illegal pet raccoon who stole NYers hearts?
Here are a few more sightings of the dangerous beasts who have cute little hands that they use to hold things, just like a person would, squee:
bro imani just rode the L train with a raccoon 😳😳😳
— Alyssa C. (@AlyssaCamillee) December 18, 2017
Update: Brooklyn Bridge-bound 6 trains continue to run express from Hunts Pt to 3 Av-138 St because a train's brakes were activated by a raccoon on the tracks at Longwood Av.
Our crews are on scene waiting for animal control crews to assist the raccoon off the tracks.— NYCT Subway (@NYCTSubway) January 18, 2019
I just saw the two LARGEST raccoons I have ever seen in my life in #BUSHWICK right at the Wilson Stop on The L Train!!!!
— Tavonna Miller (@Tavonna) January 13, 2014
But never forget: despite the fact that NYers can't "possess a raccoon without a license, and licenses are not issued for pet wildlife," the city still encourages humans to coexist peacefully with our distemper-infected trash-nibbling brothers and sisters.
"Learn to live alongside racoons", city of New York ads on its subway never fail to be truly amazing. "City dwellers take many forms". pic.twitter.com/9THdeEb1Ie
— Sarah Kay (@K_interarma) June 8, 2017
To conclude: "A FREAKIN RACOON [sic] IN THE SUBWAY!!!???!!!"
