story9601.xml

story9601.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2003-09-11

Its 1:00 AM Sept 11, 2003.I know its two years later, but I figured that this is as good a forum as any to share this tidbit of info.

I was on the last PATH train from Jersey City into the WTC on Sept 11, 2001. I arrived in WTC between the planes. As we came out there was a burning smell. I was going up the big escalator that takes you to the lobby of the WTC, and noticed a man who was slowing everybody up. As I passed him I noticed that his leg seemed injured and his pants looked all torn up. When we got to the top, I saw a number of uniformed officers (looked like police men to me,)take him and escort him away. (i guess it was for medical attention).
I assume that when the first plane hit it must have caused some electric fire or something down by the PATH and thats how this guy got injured. I'll never know I guess.

When I came up I was told that I was to exit the building immediately. I did notice that the stores seemed empty. As I came outside (Right opposite Deutsh Bank (Spellcheck), I saw all sorts of stuff on the ground . like when you go near a house after a fire. there were envelopes , pictures, bills, statements, etc. I asked a building guard what happened and he told me " there is a fire on the top floor". I was wondering weather I should hang around and see whats going on, but decided to continue on to my office. . I passed the fruit stand where I occasionally buy produce, but it was unattended buy the midle eatern vendor who was usually there. If I am not mistaken, the stand was also about half a block away from where it usually was. I contiued on and was cutting under 2 Rector place (thats a corner building where you go from Greenwich to Rector, when I heard a big BOOM. (The second plane hitting the WTC). Everybody started running so I ran too. As I passed by Syms (clothing store) I made a stupid joke to someone else running next to me. At the time I still had no idea what had happened, although in hindsite, my joke was in extremely poor taste. About a block later on the corner of my office building, I turned around and saw what everone was looking at. The WTC burning. Someone said that a plane fl;ew into it, I didnt believe it, until they said that they saw it with their own eyes.

What really bothers me is, that at first, when the guard told me there was a fire on the top, i didnt realize the tragic ramifications that would have , even a regular fire up there would be devastating and deadly. Later as I watched the fire spread from one window to another (Like watching lights go on in an apartment building from across the way) I realized that there are people dying there. I saw the first tower fall and then was busy helping out in my building (we couldnt go out as the clouds of debris and smoke made that impossible for some time.) so i just heard the second tower fall but didnt see it.

Remember 9/11 and all the innocent people who died , because a few wacko Islamic extremists wanted to prove a point. Lets not make the same mistake again, and be more vigilant.

I apologize for the spelling mistakes and bad grammar but its 1:51 AM and I need to get to sleep.