Saturday's lead story in THE STAR spoke of a woman and a rat duelling in the streets of Montego Bay. In the end, the woman, as expected, emerged victorious with the rat dying in the process.

To some, this story will seem downright hilarious. For one, an elderly woman chasing a rat along a street must be something that will bring a smile to the faces of those who witnessed the act. It is amusing since it caught the attention of persons who were going about their daily business, causing them to stop.

But, beneath the humour there lie some serious issues that must not be ignored.

First, it shows that most urban centres have a serious rat problem which needs to be addressed urgently. The fact that a 'fat, frisky' rat has lived in a burrow beside a busy street and near businesses cannot be a comforting thought. And, one must wonder how many more are living in that city. Nevertheless, it shows that when it comes to public health more needs to be done.

However, this story also highlights a fact that authorities need to address sooner than later. The fact that a squabble between a woman and a rat caused traffic to pile up shows that more needs to be done to ease the traffic woes in Montego Bay. It shows that it is time the authorities start thinking about long-term solutions to deal with Montego Bay's narrow streets.

While this incident is minor in the grand scheme of things, the authorities should view this as a sign, as failure to address the issues that this 'rat fight' brought out may one day become an embarrassment when a more serious crisis occurs.