A Report from the Rat Suit: My Life as a Rat on the Picket Line
Law360 copy editor Adam LoBelia wore a full-body rat costume to multiple union events in recent weeks.
“Rats, rats, we are the rats, celebrating yet another birthday bash.”
The Rats Song
Most people don’t realize how resourceful rats are. How many animals do you know that can drag a pizza slice across the sidewalk to feed its family? How many animals have to avoid both cats and pigeons? How many animals have had total war declared on them by New York City Mayor Eric Adams?
That’s why the rat is the perfect symbol for workers fighting for their rights. And that’s why I chose to become one.
On Aug. 28 and Aug. 29, while leafleting and practice-picketing for our unfair labor practices (ULP) strike, I donned the suit, embodying the smaller cousin of Scabby the Rat. Named Rizzo and known for his blend of street smarts and grit, Rizzo uses the mobility Scabby lacks to reach out to the people and get in his steps outside the New York headquarters of Law360’s parent company, Portfolio Media.
Wearing a fur suit in August has to be a recipe for disaster, right? Maybe I got lucky that those days were temperate and not too humid, but the suit is not to be feared. I could’ve worn a union sweater or pullover without breaking a sweat, even while walking.
It probably didn’t hurt that Danielle Smith, an organizer with our Local, The NewsGuild of New York, assured me the suit was Febreezed for hours at Guild headquarters.
How does the rat suit compare to other suits I’ve worn? I can tell you flat out that it beats any suit with a tie attached. I’m a famous hater of ties, and thankfully Rizzo doesn’t mind dressing down for any occasion. He’s a real “T-shirt and sweats” kind of guy that you can also take to a wedding. Just my style.
The suit itself is light, making one frequently forget they’re wearing it at all. The paws, which do come with claws, were designed to allow the thumbs to move freely, allowing you to grip things like megaphones and leaflets. If rats had access to thumbs like this suit, well, you can rest assured we’d be the ones scurrying around the city at night, grabbing whatever scraps we could from Rat McDonald’s.
A word of warning for anyone who wants to be Rizzo, though: Rats are not known for their eyesight. Like moles, they can barely see three feet in front of them. It’s tough being able to see only about 25% of the world around you; it’s especially frustrating when you’re famous for your peripheral vision. You’ll need to rely on your nose to navigate, like a bat.
Another pitfall of being a rat is your “fifth hand.” According to my wrestling coach, your fifth hand is supposed to be your head. But rats have another fifth hand growing out the other end, and people love stepping on it. You must guard your tail, especially when picketing, or you risk serious injury. I’m not used to having a fifth appendage to worry about, and it’s so light it’s easy to forget it’s there … until it’s too late.
Eating and drinking can also be a challenge. You might think having two mouths and two rows of teeth will allow you to eat anything instantly. Think again. Coordination is key to feeding yourself, whether it’s with Rice Krispies Treats or water. Be prepared to adjust your mask every 30 seconds, especially under intense walking sessions.
Don’t think after reading all this that being a rat is easy. It’s not. Those pizza slices aren’t going to drag themselves, and management isn’t going to be moved by just one practice picket. And going “rat mode,” as I did in that famous photo, isn’t easy either. You need strong knees and a back that can tolerate being low to the ground.
More critically, picketing while being a rat requires practice and patience. You won’t succeed at first. If you’re a strike chant leader, like I was, you may not see the words too clearly on the chant sheets. You might be worried that someone behind you (I won’t identify them by name, but let’s just call her D.N. Smith) is dangerously close to trampling your tail, trying to throw you off your game. You might be worried about what happens if it suddenly becomes humid. But you must put all of that out of your head. Like Kobe, you have to think nothing of shooting the ball, even if you’re going 3 for 35, because your colleagues need you.
What do other people think of Rizzo? Hard to tell, mainly because I couldn’t see their faces. My rat senses suggested people noticed. Yes, even hardened New Yorkers still recoil at the sight of a medium-size (exactly six feet, that’s right) rat handing them literature.
But recoil or not, word on the street is that Rizzo is a hit. Other shops have been asking if they too can take a turn wearing the suit, which allegedly has been at the Guild HQ for 14 years. You never know when or if you’ll ever don the rat suit again, but I can now rest easy knowing the paws will be passed around the NewsGuild, delighting strikers and frightening bosses for centuries to come …
—Editing by John Campbell, Covey Son, and Jennifer Sheehan.
