You Know You're a New Yorker When...

Something the size and shape of a young squirrel dashes across the sidewalk in front of you, and your brain thinks "huh. rat." And you stop and turn to look, and when you see it peering back at you from the safety of behind a gate you think, "aw. cute."

And before anyone gets all ick! in my post:

Rats are cute little bastards.
yeah, in too large a number they become massive and potentially dangerous pests, but I'd say that about people, too....  and rats generally don't bite for no reason. Not are they "filthy" when given proper living conditions.

(this was not one of the massive sewer rats of lore and legend...those are the gang members of the rodent population.  But, again, humans have those to...)