VIDEO: Rat riding a BART escalator

Giving new meaning to the term "rat race," one rodent joined the masses of BART commuters by hitching a ride on an escalator.

Local blog Capp Street Crap first spotted the YouTube video, which shows a rat hopping up an escalator at 24th Street Station in San Francisco's Mission District. Capp Street aptly captioned the clip, "OMG, you guys, a BART escalator was actually working!"

BART's escalators have become famous for malfunctions. According to BART's escalator status page (yes, that exists), 18 escalators are currently out-of-service and undergoing repairs.

Workers maintain the Embarcadero BART Station escalator on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, in San Francisco, Calif. Workers maintain the Embarcadero BART Station escalator on Friday, Jan. 27, 2017, in San Francisco, Calif. Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle Buy photo Photo: Santiago Mejia, The Chronicle Image 1 of / 23 Caption Close VIDEO: Rat riding a BART escalator 1 / 23 Back to Gallery

Weather, debris, and vandalism are the leading causes of escalator breakdowns, SFGATE reported last month. Following the passage of a $3.5 billion bond voters approved in November, BART plans to replace about 20 of its escalators. Canopies will also be added to Market Street station entrances.

No measures have been put in place to prevent furry friends from riding the escalators, although you might want to watch your step next time you're running to catch a train.

Read Michelle Robertson’s latest stories and send her news tips at mrobertson@sfchronicle.com.