Big cities already have a lot on their plates. From overcrowding to funding issues, the metropolises of the world don’t always make it easy to live there. And just when a city thinks the issues are solved, another danger always proves to be lurking nearby.
Recently, some New Yorkers were focused on one nasty problem that seemed impossible to solve. Evidence has brought more credence to a longstanding rumor about “giant monsters” running around in the sewers. Needless to say, even the toughest urbanite was a little shaken.
You don’t have to be a horror movie buff to know that “monsters” taking over public transportation routes is not good. Cramming into crowded subways is bad enough without having to fear for your life. Well, one NYC legend might be a cause for concern.
Paul Martinka / New York Post
A theory that has been going on for decades holds that large alligators have been running around the New York subway system. The alleged source of the scaly reptiles may be even more chilling than the gators themselves.
It’s said that these beasts are brought into the city by people who travel to Florida, hoping to become the proud owner of a cool exotic pet. When the creatures inevitably become too big/scary, these unprepared urbanites simply flush them down the toilet, leading them to the sewers.
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While this may seem like something out of a science fiction novel, there is actual evidence to back it all up. The first recorded sighting of a misplaced gator happened way back in 1932, discovered on the banks of a Bronx river.
This certainly caused widespread concern among the public at the time, but little did they know that three short years later the so-called monster problem would become far more dire.
In 1935, teens in East Harlem were shoveling snow when they came across a terrifying sight: an 8 foot-long, 125-pound alligator was attempting to escape from the manhole that they’d just unwittingly uncovered.
“Honest, it’s an alligator!” the boy shouted to one of his friends. The boys looked up in confused panic. Soon, things took an even more harrowing and traumatic turn for all those involved.
Warner Bros – Matchstick Men
The young friends took quick action, lassoing the animal by its neck and dragging it into the street. Unfortunately, the massive gator took this opportunity to snap at the boys, giving them no choice but to beat it to death. By the next day, the entire city knew.
The paper headlines read: “ALLIGATOR FOUND IN UPTOWN SEWER: Youths Shovelling Snow into Manhole See the Animal Churning in Icy Water. SNARE IT AND DRAG IT OUT: Reptile Slain by Rescuers When It Gets Vicious – Whence It Came Is Mystery.” This wasn’t the end of the story, however.
NYT/MTA Arts
Although the prospect of encountering such a vicious beast in your own neighborhood sounds nightmarish, it’s actually turned into a point of pride for many, as evidenced by the annual “Alligators In The Sewers Day” founded by a historian 75 years after the boys’ initial discovery.
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At the most recent alligator convention, there were many events including guest speakers, an informative quiz, and even baby plastic alligators handed out for the lucky first few to arrive. But is this holiday based on a one-time event?
Catch My Party
According to historian Michael Miscione, who founded the holiday, “The concept of alligators in city sewers is a great myth, and, having done a little research on it, I found that it has a strong basis in reality. I felt people should know that.”
Samara Bouau – Epoch Times
However, like all great urban myths, some naysayers have doubts. Several cite concerns as to the feasibility of reptiles being capable of living that long in the sewer, given the freezing temperatures and disease.
Damion Winter – The New York Times
Still, if you don’t trust those conniving New Yorkers and all their twisted fantasies, take it from a Parisian. In 1984, an alligator was found in the sewers there. However, rather than beat the thing to death, French officials named her Eleanor and placed her in an aquarium.
The Earful Tower