Reader Wayne sent us this photograph and explains, "I was walking along and texting. Not really paying that much attention. Then something caught my eye. I thought I was about to step in dog shit, but quickly realized it was a rat stuck in the sidewalk. A big rat. It had tried to squeeze through a crack in the sidewalk and failed."

Update: Another reader created the second photograph in the gallery, adding, "hopefully this makes it a little better!"

We are still awaiting a reply from Wayne to ask if he tried to help the little guy (or gal) out, where it was located and whether we needed to send out a rescue squad. And if you want to pass the time with some Photoshopped sad rat images... well, you can send them to tips@gothamist.com and we'll compile them into a gallery later.

Update 7:50 p.m.: We've added some of the rat-in-sidewalk Photoshops—if you're not doing anything this Friday night, send 'em our way!

Update 10/24: More Photoshopped Sad Rat photographs here, plus a poll asking what you would do if you saw a rat emerging from a sidewalk. And Wayne got back to our questions. He says, "It was on my block on the Upper West Side. 82nd Street between CPW and Columbus. I thought it was alive, but after getting up the nerve to poke it with a (long) stick, I realized he was dead. I did what any wonderful caring masculine New Yorker would do, I told the doorman about it and ran off to work. That night the sidewalk with spic and span. I hear the Eulogy was beautiful and moved some to tears."