I've seen plenty of rats all over the city, but never seen one lunge (as the article puts it) at a person. I do not blame that poor woman for dropping trou.
The "Related Articles" links are hilarious-- I'm not sure the rat incident is really on par with being attacked by a cheetah or a bear:
British tourist attacked by cheetahs at South African game park
Wild bear attacks man relaxing in hot tub at Whistler ski resort