‘Rat hole’ residents say it’s been ‘hell’ and threaten to destroy it | US News

The world may be obsessed with the newly famous Chicago ‘rat hole’, but neighbors of the local-turned-international attraction have now threatened to destroy it.

Since going viral, the rat-shaped hole in the sidewalk in Roscoe Village has drawn countless tourists seeing to see and take pictures of it. Many have dropped coins into the hole, and left cheese and other items in a makeshift shrine that has been erected alongside it.

While visitors can’t get enough of it, some neighbors have have aired a list of grievances on Reddit in a post titled, ‘A gentle plea from the Rat Hole Residents’.

‘This past weekend was absolute hell for me and my neighbors,’ wrote the author of the post on Monday.

‘We have always liked the rat (or squirrel) – it was a cute, quirky little thing in our neighborhood. People would smile and laugh as they walked by, and that was it.

‘It’s been there at least 20 years, afaik. But now the internet has learned about it, and taken things waaaaay too far.’

The post included 11 bullet points of things residents have had to deal with since the rat hole became an international sensation. They include garbage piling up, vandalism, people partying, cars honking and people filming.

‘Our mail carrier has been skipping our house due to the crowds and news crews,’ states one of the bullet points.

Another reads: ‘People doing weird-ass “rituals” like prayer circles and chants late at night?’

The post states that many people have opined that the hype over the rat hole will blow over, but the author does not believe it will every completely go away given a ‘permanent shrine’ idea that has been floating around.

‘Let me reiterate that we don’t want to fill in or otherwise destroy the rat hole. I’m glad that it has brought people joy,’ the post states. ‘But we need you all to chill out. Please.’

The Reddit post was published around the same time that a viral video posted by NBC Chicago on TikTok showed the hole filled with appeared to be a concrete-like material.

A woman who was interviewed by the reporter said: ‘I just don’t understand why everyone is trying to block our good time. All I wanted to do was leave was cute little quarter in respect of the rat hole and now we have to dig it out with a license plate. Like, that’s not right.’

Another woman did not think of the issues rat hole residents have faced.

‘I can’t think of any solid reason why someone would want to fill it in, like I can see strollers and wheelchairs being able to go around it easily,’ she said.

A Chicagoan man remarked the material was still wet cement and that he found the act ‘disgusting’.

‘I’m disgusted,’ he said. ‘I’m really excited that we’re digging it out as a group.

The Reddit post stated that people had been accusing neighbors of trying to fill the hole on 1900 block of West Roscoe Street.

‘We did not, and we don’t know who did, but I’m honestly afraid someone is going to throw a brick through our window,’ it read.

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