I was asleep. My phone starts ringing at around 8:45 am. My uncle is telling me turn on the tv, that a plane crashed into the WTC. I was thinking, its probably a small single engine plane with a drunk drive. I turn on the tv anyways. I was just watching and yelling at my family to come watch. Then in a few minutes I believe I saw the second plane hit the other tower. I was like WTF is going on here. Anyways, I had to get ready for school. I got ready by about 9:30 and left. I am listening to the radio and still dont understand fully whats going on. Then my girlfriend calls and says that one of the towers just fell. "Fell" what do you mean "fell". I refused to believe her. I head back home and thats when the radio starts saying that it was a terrorist attack. I get home in time to watch the second tower collapse (I think). I then finally start to comprehend that life wont ever be the same for me again. Being a Muslim would make it especially tough.
I was a substitute teacher for a middle school music class in Channelview last September 11th. I had an early break and I was home and watching tv just before the second plane hit. When I got back to work I was torn about whether to talk about what happened to the class since I had very few details and wasn't their regular teacher. I thought that a lot of the kids might be too young to take in the enormity (hell, I wasn't prepared, either) of the event without a familiar person there to guide them. As the day wore on more and more parents started arriving to take their kids home. I kept track of the details of the attacks via this BBS during my breaks.
i have no idea what will do. I will just be sad and pray to all the people who were affected. I will also pray that no one will ever go to war again becaue incocent people are killed. And i would hate to be in there place. OI mean you are doing nothing and you countries leader goes to war and in the process you are killed along with your inocent family.
The question in this thread is what you were doing last year. In 2001. Not what you will do this year, 2002. You really do need some sleep.
I awoke at about 7:45 am and turned on the news. (Yes, I have no life.) At first I had to make sure I was fully awake because I wasn't prepared to see what I saw sitting in the WTC north tower. After reading the message under the pictures I couldn't believe it. A plane crashed into the WTC "what a terrible tragedy." At first I hoped that everyone on that building got out okay not realizing the severity of the situation. At this time no one I believe had video of the plane that crashed into the Trade Center. I thought that it was a smaller plane. Was I ever wrong. But I couldn't move from the tv. When breaking news like this happens I don't move. But I still didn't comprehend the magnitude of the situation until something came from the right side of the screen. Another plane. A LARGE plane. It looked like it was trying to avoid being hit but I couldn't understand why it got so close to the towers. Then the impact and explosion. MY GOD. Thats all I could murmur to myself. Another accident? At first thats what I thought. Then it was obvious what was going on here. I quickly called a few relatives and asked them if they knew what was happening and if they were aware of what was happening. I felt like I was in another world. The "Twighlight Zone". The moment was so surreal. I didnt have school this day so I didn't have much riding on the day but even if I did it wouldn't had even been a concern of mine. After I talked to my frantic family and friends who were overcome with emotion I logged onto the internet to speak with some other friends I know who also live the UK. The news spread to their media outlets like wildfire. Some of them said they had just returned home from their local pub which had many people off the streets walk into to watch the devasting developments. I myself was barely holding up. I was still in denial. Even when the reports came down that the Pentagon might had been attacked and that there might be more planes in the air with hijackers. All I could say was "My God." Seeing as I live here off of 1960 in the north side of Houston we have plenty of planes that fly overhead and everytime I heard one fly over I jumped like terrified cat. Later after it seemed the air traffic ceased I came back inside and saw the news of another crash in Pennsylvania. I was trying to think of the interests any terrorist might have there when the north tower collapsed. This is what basically was on my mind - ........................... That was my mindset at this time. Then minutes later the second tower collapsed and all I could think about was - ............................. I broke down and cryed like a baby. There was nothing I or anyone else could do at this time except watch and listen to the many accounts of people who saw these poor, desperate Americans - my brothers and sisters jumping from the buildings. I will never forget this account someone had of these two people. A man and a women who embraced each other then jumped. I must had sobbed all day. Usually Im a strong person. I can't remember the last time I cried but I know I certainly did that day. Into the night I couldn't help but think about the poor people that were in those buildings. That night I stayed up all night watching the around the clock coverage. I couldn't think of a more depressing thing to happen. But to me it did when the next day arrived and these people began coming up to the media and reporters and asking them if they had seen their relatives. My god was that difficult to watch. Days after the many accounts were on Dateline and Primetime Live. The media had a story that affected everyone in this country. This is when it became so much I couldn't watch anymore. I don't remember what I did instead of watching these shows. I tried to keep up with the Rockets and watched some wrestling. But nothing has been so mentally straining on me. To feel insecure and pessimistic in the very country you live in is a not so kind feeling.
I was in my computer class, the period was just about over, the last five minutes i was at yahoo's website checking out my fantasy football team at the end of the class. The bell rings and as I shut down the compuiter" The headline plane hits world trade center" caught my attention. I pop it open, and just says more info as we get it. I exit it out off class to tell few people, didnt realize the magnitude of the situation. till about a hour later.i told a friend who i went to Nyc the previous summer and actually went ot the WTC. we were just thinking some crazy lunatic. We had a field trip that day at the musem in downtown houston. we get on the bus dont rememebr the time. took the whole 45 minute drive when all of the sudden the priciple calls and tells our teacher to pull around but wouldnt say why. we bust a Uey and everybody just says is just thinking not enough choufers this sucks got school now. My mind starting to think about what i saw about a hour earlier and wondered is it worse than just a accident? I talk to a few people about the news in NYC, but they never really thought of anything of it. We get back and immediately our teacher tells us what has hapened and actually more than what really happen. We were told to go back to our normal schedule some people just left. But i went on to head on to what is my study hall,everybody watches the CNN in disbelieve. i than headed on to football, everybody is in shocked. we were still going to practice but instead of bumping the radio we had it on 740 there were no arguements. I than noticed that my teamate nearby was having a hard time. He actually had his brother working in the WTC he was a student at NYU working at a parttime job at one of the gift shops. not knowing what to say, i just didnt say anything. he got in touch of his brother before that school day was over. practice went on nobody not really concentrating. than came lunch hell i coudlt eat. than 2 more classes of just everybody watching the TV. No teacher made us do work. my last teacher than went on to speculate about how many people were killed this kinda of upset. He said a 175,000!!! is his guess, i knew this was a serious situation but never that serious. I debated him and i got the impression that he was like "we will see" like he hope he is right. that shocked me. than came practice again our coach tried to comfort everybody and saying "its been a bad day for our country, but lets try to make a decent one"I than got into a heated conversation w/ a underclassmen who was suggesting "why does the whole country have to shutdown just beacause a few buildings fell down" i couldnt believe it, i was eventually restrained by a few other guys. i got home about 7 from practice. and was amazed that MTV ESPN etc..were showing the footage. THats when it really strucked me on what happened. i watched tv from 7 till about 4 o clock that morning. seeing the samething over and over but not really beleiving it. thats how i will always remember that day. hopefully this semptember 11th is less uneventful .
Well, my 9/11/01 re-collection was pretty interesting... I was on the way to work, a week after starting my new job in Dallas. I was on the way for training, and it was mad traffic on the highway. I was listening to 106.1 KISS and Jennifer Paige, the girl that sings the song Crush, was doing a live acoustic play of her new song that morning.... Well, anyways, while she was singing on the radio station, they just interrupted her and said that a plane crashed into the WTC. At that time, I thought it was a joke. But I started to change it to the AM stations, and it was on every station! It wasn't no joke after that..... I got to my training, and it was just the buzz all around. The lady who was suppose to do our training was just very emotional, but I had no idea why. I later on found out that her uncle works at the Pentagon, and she couldn't continue the training for the morning. So they let all of us go home and I just watched all the coverage on ABC, CBS, NBC, and wherever they would show it. A good start to my job, huh? May God have mercy on those families who lost their loved ones...
I was at work. I read it on the bbs. At the same time I heard it on the radio and someone walked in to our office and told us. We headed straight to the conference room and turned on the crappy little 13" tv/vcr combo. Someone adjusted the antenna and we watched as the first building burned. We were in awe and disbelief as smoke and fire billowed out of the building. The news anchor was reaching for words. We said nothing and watched not fully understanding what we were seeing. Was it an accident or terrorists. A few more folks walked in, we filled them in and all watched. Then the second plane hit. We were all just stunned looking at each other in disbelief. Then the collapse and we were really shocked. We heard about the Pentagon and Pennsylvania, the rumours of the White House and State Department, someone stayed around the tv for the most of the day. I tried to go back to work, but just muddled through the rest of the day. I would work then walk to the conference room. I just went a bit numb and stayed that way for a few days. I was hypnotized by the tv, radio and internet for days. I had self induced sensory and emotional overload. The images were played over and over. The endless speculation. It was like a constant nightmare. I slowly weened myself from the droning news and tried to come to terms with myself on what had happened. I will always remember that day and the ensuing days. I don't think I will ever forget. <center></center>
I always set my alarm to a radio station. Usually I wake up to music, traffic, entertainment news, etc. It was unusual because I heard a news bulletin. I quickly ran to my TV. My first class was International Relations. The professor did not mention one word and class went on as usual. I stopped by Jack in the Box on Guadalupe on the way back home, and the manager told me the US is under Marshal Law and jets are patrolling our borders. I had never been so freaked out before. I remember the rumors circulating during the first couple of hours. Very scary.
I arrived at my office at 7:50am. I was preparing to be the legal department's representative on a conference call with a customer's corporate office and the site acquisition team they had hired. A coworked told me that a plane had hit the WTC. This guy had always been a practical jokester so I told him: "Dude...that's sick even for you." He told me to go to CNN's webpage. I did and saw the photo of a smoking WTC. I figured it was a terrible navigational error. I was in shock. I went to go tell one of my buddies in the office when another coworker told me that a second plane had hit. A few minutes later another coworker added that a plane had hit the Pentagon. All of a sudden the gravamen of what was happening hit me like a ton of bricks. I turned to my coworkers and said: "Holy s***, we're under attack. What's next? When will it stop?" There were speakers in the hallways that played SUNNY 99.1 all day on a barely audible level. People were trying to get to the volume on the ceiling in order to turn it up since the receptionist had turned it to 740AM. I grabbed a chair and reached up and turned it up (thank God I have long arms). People were huddled under that speaker (right outside the office my meeting was in). By the time the meeting started they had dispersed. Just before the meeting I was standing under the speaker and I heard Peter Jennings say: "The first tower has fallen...Oh my God...Time of death 10:40am." My heart sank. I had to go into this meeting, although at that point I wondered why. Throughout the meeting, when it was my turn to discuss issues with the customer, the technical folks went to listen to the radio and gave reports by writing the info on a sheet of paper and holding it up for us to see. When the technical guy was discussing issues I went to listen and reported in the same fashion. After what seemed like hours the call ended. I went to my desk and saw that I had 4 voice mails (all from my mother-in-law asking that I go home and get out of a tall building). The entire office was summoned to the conference room. The VP of the company explained to us that one of our subsidiaries had an office in the first tower and corporate had received a phone call from them after the plane hit stating that they were alive but trapped. Corporate was unsure whether there would be further attacks since the business day was just starting in the West. As a result we were to all go home. I spent several minutes giving hugs to coworkers who were crying, even though I felt like crying myself. I then went downstairs and "collected" my then fiance (now known as Mrs. Ref). We went to the grocery store, fearing that further attacks could lead to curfews or even martial law. We then stopped by the Compaq Center (it's on the way home) and found that Smackdown would be held on Thursday. We went home and watched the coverage until I couldn't stay awake any longer (as I recall 3am or so). Then I went to sleep and awoke at 6:30am to go to work...and experience day 1 of what has proven to be a different world than the one I knew prior to the WTC attacks. This has really hit home. My father flies at least twice a week as he is a consultant. The first thing I did when I got home was to call my Dad, make sure he was ok...and tell him how much I love him. I'm 29 years old as I type this post. I'll never forget that day, even if I live to be 100.
I still remembered liked it was yesterday. After I walked my friend to class, I drove my car to another parking lot thats closer to my class. On the way, I was listening to the the morning crew Steve and Jeff of 94.5 the Buzz and were interviewing Dom Capers of the Texans promoting the team's unveiling of their jerseys the next day. Right after the the interview was over, Jeff mentioned that a plane hit the WTC and right before I got out of the car, a second plane hit the other. I thought it was no big deal and was thinking that it was just a small accident. As I had time to spare because my class wasnt until 10am, I went to the computer lab, got on the BBS and read the thread with the stunning news, I believe it was across110th's thread and actually saw pics of what happen. I had my jaw dropped almost to my knees. I was in disbelief and couldnt believe it. Went on to class, everybody was talking about it. In there, I heard someone mentioned that it hit the Pentagon also. Afterwards, I had an Art History class. Sat there for 5 mins and got out of there because I told myself I just couldnt stay in class. I called a few of my friends out to see if I can hangout at there apartment till I have work at 4pm. Went over their place, turned on the TV, and just felt sad for everybody. I was hoping and praying my family in NYC was OK. Whats worst is that it was my mother's birthday. She felt devestated also, but we still celebrated her bday. I ended up calling at work and went home to be with the most important people in the world to me, my family. At the end of the day, I just couldnt get enough of the news. I could even barley go to sleep. Here is a pic of me just at Ground Zero back in July:
I'm a news junkie, and had CNN on while I tried to wake up. I realized they were reporting that a plane had crashed into the WTC. I suddenly became wide awake, staring at the TV, when the phone rang. It was my wife at work... "Did you hear about the plane hitting the World Trade Center?" "Yeah. I can't believe anyone could be that stupid." We thought it must have been an accident. She had to go, so I kept watching the tube and saw the second plane hit and said "Holy ****!!!" or it's equivalent. I knew instantly that it was a terrorist attack. It couldn't be anything else. My wife works a block from the State Capitol in Austin. I called her back and told her to get in the car and drive home. She was right next to a big target. She did and we watched the coverage for hours. I was glad the kids were at school... they missed seeing some horrific images. I'll never forget watching the towers collapse, or the disbelief when the second plane hit. We're at war, and it's not over.
"Americans are asking, 'What should we do?'. I say, 'Live your lives and hug your children.' " George W. Bush 9/20/01
My long story (rehashed for cathartic reasons). I apologize for the length... At 8:46 AM, I was just getting off the subway (late for work as usual). When the second Tower was hit, I was in a conference room, waiting for a meeting to start. I heard 3 loud BOOMs and saw a flare of light from the reflection of the building across the street. The windows rattled. Panic and confusion began to sweep through our floor, and my meeting was subsequently canceled. People began chatting excitedly about planes and terrorists. I desparately tried to phone my best friend at Deutsche Bank in the World Financial Center, but my cell phone would not work. I next tried my brother, who works at the stock exchange. Once again... nothing. My work phone was also dead. With nothing to do, I milled about, waiting for the next news report on the radio. The first person to get ahold of me on my cell phone was my sister, in Houston. I assured her I was fine and told her to spread the word to the rest of my family and fiancee. Aftrer a couple more minutes of waiting, a few guys from work decided to go out and look at the carnage. Stupid me went with them (after telling everyone else I was going home). Our group moved a few blocks closer to Ground Zero (we were already pretty close) to see what was happening. We stood on the corner, with other on-lookers, watching the damage unfold. Looking at the Tower 2 (it was the first to fall, right?), I could clearly see the fire spreading, blowing out windows as it moved across the building. Noting this, I turned to one of my co-workers and said, "Look at the fire spreading! I think the building is going to collapse!" Sure enough, part of the building, from the damaged part on up, just seemed to implode, falling on the rest of the building. At that point, time just stopped for me. Everyone started running in every which direction. I never saw the rest of my co-workers that day or where they went (they turned out to be just fine, though). Thinking quickly, I chose to hightail it to Broadway. I ran down the street, turned the corner, and sprinted down Broadway (my messenger bag flailing on my shoulder). Halfway to Battery Park, I stopped to gasp for air, and turned around. What I saw next could only be described from a movie. As I wrote from my original report on 9/11, debris was barrelling down Broadway like an avalanche, moving at incredible speed. People were running and screaming by me. I was instantly reminded of the Empire State Building attack scene from Independence Day. My lungs still hurting (I was out of shape), I took off towards Battery Park, prepard to to jump into the river if need be. At the entrance of the park, I stopped running and walked towards the City edge (I was too tired to run anymore). A dense cloud of grey fog and debris enveloped me. My eyes started instantly burning, and the wheezing and coughing began. I could barely see. I made my way to a (closed) restaurant in the park where many other people were pounding on the window, trying to get inside. Many people were crying, and several men were screaming to get in to safety. On the advice from someone else, I took off my undershirt and wrapped it around my mouth, shielding me from the debris cloud. I yelled out for people to remain to calm. I don't think it did anything. One of the shouting men finally took a chair from the patio area (where we were huddled) and started smashing it against the window. After 2 attempts, the window shattered, and people began to file inside the restaurant. The waitstaff there, obviously getting prepared for the lunch crowd (or were getting prepared, at least) helped people to seats and brought around water and wet towels for everyone. People sat in booths and chairs, either stunned to silence or frantically trying to use their cell phones. After the dust clould settled, I went back outside to see what was going on. I chatted up a Blue Cross/Blue Shield worker who happened to be inside the Trade Towers when they were hit. He was in a bit of shock, and I let him use my cell phone (which did not work AGAIN -- thanks, Sprint). We heard more plane sounds flying overhead, which made us duck inside the restaurant for a moment. After a while (when I thought the coast was clear), I decided to leave Battery Park and head home (5th and 17th at the time). I got about 100 yards away, when a new batch of people began running in our direction and screaming. The second Tower had just fallen. Remembering the pitch-black debris cloud from the first destroyed Tower, I went back to the restaurant for refuge. I actually helped people into the restaurant, making sure they didn't trample each other trying to get inside. After a throng of people made their way inside, I closed the main door and walked upstairs. Sure enough, I watched from the second floor windows as a second debris cloud made its way toward the restaurant, eventually surrounding it. My hands shaking, I pulled my CD player out of my bag and listened to some music (a little Phish) while taking deep breaths. The chaotic scene around me hadn't really hit home yet, and for the first time, I realized I was in shock myself.
Wow, VecseySux. Incredible. My account seems trivial by comparison. I was trying to shower off a hangover when the first plane hit. It's odd, to think of it now; I am not a morning-TV watcher, but around this time last year, I had started turning FOXNews on as background noise while I got ready for work. That's the only reason I even had the TV on. I remember thinking, "Dumbass pilot", because it was being described as a "small plane". When I went into the bedroom to pick out a shirt, I glanced at the TV and saw the smoke billowing from the first tower. I thought, "That's a lot of smoke for a small plane"-- I thought they meant a little Cessna or some such had essentially bounced off the building. About five seconds after I stopped to look at the TV, the second plane came veering into the picture and hit the second tower. I felt like I was going to vomit, because a) I knew at that point that something extremely sinister and, yes, evil was going on, and b) I have a horrid fascination with plane crashes and to see one on live TV like that... well, I had a very vivid impression of what it might have felt like to be on that plane. I dragged myself to work and tried to keep abreast of the situation as best I could. Radios are not permitted in cubes here (fire hazard-- I think they think Sam Cox is going to spontaneously combust while railing against premarital naughty time), and the proxy was extremely sluggish since 6,000 other people in my area were trying to hit cnn.com too. I had a presentation to give at 10 AM, which I sleepwalked through. Finally went home at about 4, I guess. Got drunk as ****. That was about it.
I was at work...on my computer...frantically writing code as was common at the time. As I was typing I kept on hearing co-workers utter something about a plane crash, and something about the World Trade Center. I just kind of thought to myself, " oh that's horrible...a plane 'accidentaly' crashed in NYC." While that would have been terrible, it didn't really stop me from continuing to work. Next thing I know I start hearing about a plane hitting the Pentagon, and that's when I snapped out of it. From that time on I started hearing all these rumors about a car bomb going off in DC, fighter jets pursuing an airplane directly over Dulles Airport (which is about 10 miles from my work), etc. I don't know where all those rumors came from? But then, everyone just went into the cafeteria and watched the coverage on TV. That's pretty much it. I visited New York for the first time at the end of August 2001 and got the wonderful view of the city from the top of the WTC.
I was actually packing my bags preparing for a later flight to Evansville, Indiana. My wife usually takes the kids to school but this morning she wanted to sleep in so I got my kids in the car and headed to their schools. Usually I listen to sports radio and this morning was no different, I heard some special report about a plane crashing into a building in NY, I thought it was a gag. I changed my radio stations and it was all over the place, terror, disbelief, pandemonium. Like a zombie I drove my car thinking that this crash was some horrible accident, but when reports started to surface about terrorist activity being involved, I looked to both my kids and told them to remember this day, because after this the world would NEVER be the same. I still fly at least twice a month, and solicit the prayers of the believers for air safety all around the world. I've been listening to Ray Charles' "America" all morning.
Having yet to make my desk, I was outside enjoying a cup of bean when I received a phone call from one of my clients. She asked if I had the TV on. -No. -Get it on now! -Oh dear God... RR
CONTINUED: My cell phone vibrated in my pocket, and I quickly answered it. To my delight, it was my fiancee, her voiced panicked and excited. I explained to her what happened and told her I was fine. She recounted her story about actually seeing the plane hit the building, while on her way to law school. I told her I'd call her later, after I made my way home. After about an hour, I decided it was time to go home. I left the saftey of Battery Park and headed west, away from Ground Zero. The sky was still kind of dark, and the air was thick with debris. I found a group of people walking uptown and joined them. While walking up, a generous man was standing in front of a building, handing out paper towels dunked in a trashcan filled with water. After receiving my "mask," I quickly thanked him and used the wet paper to cover my mouth. The ground, buildings, cars, etc. were caked in at least 2 inches of grey soot. It looked like fresh powder snow, only grey. The general area where my workplace was located was now covered in a huge black-as-night cloud. I was so black, I could not see down the street. I eventually made my way towards SOHO, where the ground magically was devoid of soot. The farther north I walked, the less somber the people were. It seemed "business as usual" from SOHO on up (which quite frankly angered me). I could feel people staring at me, this mess of a man, covered from head to toe in dust. Many, many ambulances, police cars, and ambulances raced down the street. I watched a camera crew interview a caked-in-soot Wall Street type with a crowd of people listening to him. He was recanting his tale on TV, while the crowd looked on with horrified expressions. I tried dialing my best friend again, to no avail. The cell phone worked this time dialing out, but his phone was obviously off. I then called my parents to ease their anxiety. I reached my apartment at about 12:30 PM. I was tired, pissed off, and extremely hungry (the restaurant did not feed us). After a well-deserved shower, I finally got ahold of my brother, who was kind of close to the Towers when they fell, but quickly fled to safety. (His pics of the event appear here.) My fiancee and brother came over to my apartment, where we consoled each other. We went outside and looked downtown to where the Towers should have been, but they were gone. Sadly enough, I had such a good view of them, too, before 9/11. Everyone I knew turned out to be okay, but a few friends of my friends did not come out alive. A year later, I'm still shaken up by 9/11. My fiancee, after witnessing the actual plane crash, still refuses to fly. We both occasionally have nightmares, too. I will try to forget what happened that day, but I will always remember.
