Rats in Dulwich park

[Mustard]

Surely a line is better than xxxxx, as those indicate crossing out.

[EPB]

I'd always assumed that the xxxxx's were a sign of affection.

[tallulah71]

@Rita446 - "A nervous break because of mouse and rats"...

My advice? Write to all the MP to disinfectant all of london before a disease arrives.

[annerose]

Yep I saw one run past with a banana in in Dulwich Park......

[annerose]

and a can of diet coke....ha ha ha

[Sue]

Mustard Wrote:

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> Surely a line is better than xxxxx, as those

> indicate crossing out.

xxxxxxx

But you wouldn't delete something online with crosses, unless you somehow put the crosses over the top of what you'd deleted because you wanted it still to be seen?

You'd delete with the delete key leaving no trace, surely?

Anyway, I've no idea how to insert a line into a post!

Perhaps I will try using different symbols - probably not though :)

EPB, :)) :)) :))

[StraferJack]

entirely up to you Sue, but sometimes thos x's come across really strangely if the tone of a discussion is less than cuddly

if it was me (and few people seem to need to do this) then any of the following would be better suited

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[Penguin68]

You can distinguish your writing from the lines you are quoting by putting these (the quotes) in italics - you write (then the text quoted) (leaving out the spaces inside the ) - putting something in bold - substitute 'b' for 'i'.

That way you don't need to put lines between the quote and your response. It also allows you more easily to write: Quote; Commentary; Second quote; Second commentary and so on.

Edited to format as I suggested

[El Pibe]

I would have thought that the standard etiquette of the greater than

> quoted stuff

should suffice.

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Posting_style#Quoted_line_prefix

or of course the quoteblock

i've been reading sue's posts for ages and i still get confused thinking she's being very affectionate

[El Pibe]

for the record:

lots of words

or

lots of words

[Carbonara]

I saw a mini-plague (in the absence of any other collective noun!) of rats from the boardwalk last week.

There used to be loads round the ponds in Brockwell Park. Making ducks ill be throwing tons of white bread at them is the problem.

In Brockwell Park they poisoned them - and several dogs and crows died too.

The dog deaths were 'unexplained'. But small terrier type dogs dying at the same time as a mass rat-poisoning exercise?

Educating folk about feeding ducks is the better way of managing rats.

[Ruskin]

I took a walk along the boardwalk with a friend yesterday, telling him about this thread as we walked. He told me where he usually sees them but tragically, I didn't see one - not one.

Cheated.

[Sue]

I'm quite bemused by the sudden interest in the way I write my posts, but hey ho.

Thanks for all the suggestions, but I'm not about to change! Most people appear not be confused, as this is the first time it has ever been mentioned, on this or other forums :)

I'm even more bemused that some people appear to think a row of xs to show where my own post starts should demonstrate affection!

Anyway, back to the rats. I agree there should be more education re feeding bread to ducks, but what you can do? There are already notices up. Maybe the cafe could sell more suitable food for ducks?

Personally I'm more concerned for the health of the ducks than the fact that rats are attracted. But then I like rats :)

[adonirum]

I always thought you were indicating "sarcastic" affection, Sue

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[Sue]

adonirum Wrote:

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> I always thought you were indicating "sarcastic"

> affection, Sue

>

> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Maybe you should read my posts more carefully, then, as I'm rarely sarcastic, in inverted commas or otherwise :)

Not sure why this sudden interest in the way I write my posts, however.

[adonirum]

Having read your post carefully ............

I always thought this was one of those rare occasions when you were indicating "sarcastic" affection, Sue.

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[Sue]

adonirum Wrote:

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> Having read your post carefully ............

>

> I always thought this was one of those rare

> occasions when you were indicating "sarcastic"

> affection, Sue.

>

> xxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxxx

Eh?

How do you make that out?

What is your definition of "sarcastic", then, because it's clearly different from mine!

And why don't you just leave me alone when this is supposed to be a thread about rats in Dulwich Park?

All the xxx s in the last three posts have been yours.

If you want to continue to have a go at me, why not start a new anti-Sue thread in the lounge? Provided of course this thread hasn't already ended up there :(

[Trevor Moore]

Dulwich Park Friends are planning a public education campaign, including specific signage about the hazards of feeding bread to the ducks/encouraging rats. Will post further once more developed.

If you have ideas, please email [email protected]

[Dulwich Born And Bred]

I only feed the ducks with seed purchased from the Cafe but surely even those would encourage rats and pigeons still?

[civilservant]

I don't understand - can someone please explain to me why rats and pigeons in the park are a problem?

[El Pibe]

When we moved, we discovered we had a feral dog padding around our land. She went and had six puppies and increasing amounts of poop meant we got the local SPCA to catch them all and get them proper homes.

Now we have rats, so I guess I know why the pups looked so well fed.

Aaaanyway, long story short, to reiterate civilservant's question, given that the lack of urban waste, toxins etc, are clean rats still disease bearing or are they no more troublesome than squirrels (rats with good PR)?

[henryb]

There is the risk Weil's Disease but the incidents are very low plus other annimals carry that. The whole plague carriers thing is a myth. I wouldn't want them in my house though.

[ralee]

I found this rat in my house! Seems to have set up camp - look at his face :)

[Nicoledulwich]

Rats do live in nice big lush spaces too and Dulwich park is one such place...shouldn't be a problem unless there are too many one day. Just part of life and nothing to worry about.

[Sue]

Nicoledulwich Wrote:

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> Rats do live in nice big lush spaces too and

> Dulwich park is one such place...shouldn't be a

> problem unless there are too many one day. Just

> part of life and nothing to worry about.

xxxxxx

Completely agree!