Transcribed by Ginny Carr
Liz Shephard (talking business):… you get a big change event…
[Sound of approaching plane. Huge boom.]
Bryan Groppi: What the heck was that?
Valerie Pfeifer: Was that the um, Concord?
Liz: Could be.
Ginny Carr: Wow.
[Second huge boom, about 7 seconds after first.]
Bryan: It sounded like something crashed!
[Liz looks out window and sees huge, smoking hole in North Tower.]
Liz: Something DID crash.
[Gasps from everyone.]
Liz: Oh sh****t!
Valerie: Was it the airplane that I just saw taking off?
Bryan & Ginny: Oh my God.
Bryan: That was pretty close to us!
Bryan: Let’s open the blinds.
[Sound of blinds being raised.]
[unintelligible conversation.]
Valerie: I wonder if that plane hit the building!
Liz: It hit the World Trade Center!
Bryan and Valerie: Yes!!
[sighs, gasps.]
Bryan: Holy Cow.
Ginny or Valerie: Holy Cow.
[Sound of blinds being operated.]
[unintelligible conversation, women questioning each other.]
Male voice: You can actually see a little better down, that’s why.
[people leave room.]
[sirens start outside.]
[A few minutes go by, then Liz says something unintelligible.]
Liz: Oh sh****t!
Editor's note: End of Part 1, but actual tape is continuous.
[Sound of someone dialing phone.]
Valerie (on phone): Hey it’s me. Um, the World Trade Center just had a big explosion. Fortunately we’re not in that building. But we were sitting – I thought – I was watching a plane take off and I thought the plane hit the building, but, we, I’m [nervous laugh] like one or two buildings over from the World Trade Center. And there is smoke just pouring out --- by the way [unintelligible]. Yeah, I mean there’s just smoke pouring out and papers… I don’t know if they… I mean the sirens are just starting. I was just wondering if you’d, like, if you’d heard it on the news [unintelligible].
[Valerie pauses to listen. Says a few things that are inaudible.]
[Emergency alert siren inside building begins to squeal.]
Valerie: Um, it just happened 5 minutes ago.
Male voice, entering room: We’re leaving.
Valerie (still on phone): Okay, we gotta go. Ok. Bye. [hangs up.]
Valerie: I kept telling Rick I was going to the World Trade Center!
Ginny: Yeah I know. I know, I did too.
Valerie: I was like, I knew you were worried. He’s like no, there’s nothing on the news.
Ginny: Um, are we leaving?
Liz: We are. Yes.
Valerie: I’m bringing my purse.
Ginny: Where are we going?
Liz: [unintelligible]
Valerie: Computers?
Ginny, Valerie, Liz (agreeing): Just leave ‘em.
[Emergency alert siren is squealing. Male announcer tells everyone to stay in the building, go to the inside, get away from the windows.]
Ginny: I don’t feel safe in this building.
Valerie: Oh, I don’t think it’s gonna…I was thinking we’re better off staying inside with all that debris.
Bryan: In ‘93 they bombed… the World Trade Center.
Valerie: Oh I … don’t know that it was a… ‘cause I saw a plane go in. And I thought I was [unintelligible].
Bryan: I really hope that wasn’t a terrorist attack, [unintelligible] …. lockdown.
Emergency alert announcer: May I have your attention please. May I have your attention please. Everyone stay in the building. Stay on the inside of the building and get away from all windows. Stay away from all windows.
[Announcer repeats this message many times for several minutes. Emergency alert siren squeals repeatedly. Sirens squeal outside.]
[Several minutes of this. No one in room, but tape is running.]
Editor's note: End of Part 2, but actual tape is continuous.
Male voice, entering room: Wow!
[More sirens, inside and out.]
[Sound of person dialing phone.]
[Sound of approaching plane, then HUGE cracking sound, followed by several seconds of gushing, hissing noise – probably fireball]
[Voices heard, but unintelligible.]
[Male voice clears throat.]
[Ginny and Valerie re-enter room]
Valerie (urgently): Are you gonna take your computer?
Ginny (abruptly): Yeah.
Ginny (voice shaking): I’m sorry, we’re outta here.
Male voice: Yeah, you oughta be. Well, I would be very careful ---
Valerie: I don’t wanna go on the street, though, that’s the other problem
Ginny: Yeah.
Male voice: Ya know, if you’re going to [unintelligible], just leave this way.
Valerie: Well, I mean, we have nowhere to go. It’s on the other side of the World Trade Center.
Male voice: Where?
Valerie: Marrriott Financial Center.
Male voice: Oh is it? Yeah, you’re not gonna get in there.
Valerie: No. And then that buys us nothing.
Male voice: And I think you’re relatively safe here, as long as you don’t stand near THIS window.
[Liz re-enters room.]
[Unintelligible conversation.]
Liz: That’s a HUGE hole.
[Unintelligible conversation.]
Ginny: They’re telling us to get out.
Valerie: Yeah.
Liz: I think that’s the smart thing to do.
[Kevin Riker enters room.]
Kevin: You guys gotta come now. Leave your stuff.
Everyone: OK.
[final unintelligible conversation. Everyone leaves. Sirens continue.]
Building announcer: May I have your attention. May I have your attention. At this time we want everyone to leave the building. Please everybody leave the building at this time.
[This announcement continues repeatedly.]
[Tape runs out.]
Editor's note: End of Part 3, but actual tape is continuous.