Why do people ?

Why do people ume that rats are so bad, dirty, smelly, and there general reaction is eiwwwww a rat. My rats are so special to me and they are not dirty, or smelly. They are loveable, intelligent, extremely clean (they are ALWAYS cleaning themselves). I woluld take a rat any day over another animal. I wish people would educate themselves before they comment on something. They really are great animals. Most people would take a hamster or gerbil home with them, but if they see a rat at the pet store, there like eiwww honey stay away from them there dirty.. Hamsters and gerbils are much worse than rats, they are more prone to biting and are not as smart or as loveable, and most cannot be trained. I know there will be some stupid answers from certain people, I just felt like voicing my opinion after seeing so many thoughtless comments on rats.