Commuter's video shows rat terrifying NYC subway

NEW YORK (AP) — Turns out, New Yorkers are just as wimpy as anyone else.

A subway train was leaving the Fulton Street station in lower Manhattan on Monday when someone shouted, "Rat on the train!"

Jinais Ponnampadikkal Kader (jih-NYE'-ees poh-nahm-PAH'-dihk-kahl KAH'-dur) started recording the ensuing panic on his cellphone.

His video shows people screaming as a large rat runs from side to side. It ends when the train reaches the High Street station in Brooklyn.

The 28-year-old Kader is a software developer who lives in Harrison, N.J.

More than 700,000 people had clicked on the YouTube video by Wednesday afternoon.

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Commuters say teakettle billboard looks like Hitler

Do you see Adolf Hitler in the shape of this teakettle? (JCPenney.com)A billboard along the 405 Freeway in Southern California is generating all sorts of buzz. But the cause of the attention does not exactly align with the intended effect. That’s because a number of people are saying the new JCPenney teakettle bears a striking resemblance to Adolf Hitler.

The teakettle in question is formerly known as the “Bells and Whistles Stainless Steel Tea Kettle” and is part of JCPenney’s Michael Graves-designed kitchenware line.

CBS LA reports that the billboard has caught the attention of some Reddit users who say the curvature of the handle resembles the hairline of the former Nazi leader.

“I stare at this from my office building every day and now I can tell my co-workers that I’m not the only one who saw the Hitler in the bells and whistles sign!” wrote user Tishacombs.

In fact, a number of comments are actually suggesting that the company intentionally made the teakettle resemble Hitler just to stir up attention. That, of course, makes very little sense. But it hasn’t stopped people from speculating.

“Well, look at us - we're all looking at and sharing a picture of an advertisement,” writes user LevTolstoy. "If it was done on purpose to get people's attention, but keep the ability to deny doing it on purpose, it's brilliant.”

Of course, most people aren’t taking the billboard too seriously. Americablog author John Aravosis says it looks more like the Eric Cartman character from “South Park” dressed as Hitler. Which, given Cartman’s endless series of anti-Semitic commentary, might make more sense.

JCPenney has yet to comment on the advertisement. Perhaps it's letting the product speak for itself. After all, the teakettle is currently getting overwhelmingly positive reviews from customers on the JCPenney website.

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