story1281.xml
Title
story1281.xml
Source
born-digital
Media Type
story
Date Entered
2002-08-20
911DA Story: Story
I was driving to my court appointment at around 8:35 am. It was a normal day. I turned on Q104.3 the New York classic rock station.
At 8:45 they started saying that there was an explostion on top of one of the World Trade Center buildings. It didn't phase me a bit. I thought it was just a regular office fire or something like that. Then they just played music like nothing had happened.
At 9:05 I got into the courtroom and no one knew what had happened. All of a sudden, a police officer rushes into the room and runs to the judge and whispers something into his ear. The judge tells everyone that there will be a 15 minute recess.
I went outside to have a cigarette and my friend Ryan had called my cell phone.
"A plane just crashed into the WTC." he says.
I couldnt believe it but I told him that I could not talk because I had to go inside. Literaly 45 seconds later, Ryan calls back saying that we have no more World Trade Center. I was in total shock. All I could think of was my brother who lives in Manhattan. I tried calling him but Ryan's phonecall was the last one I made that morning.
I went inside the courtroom and the judge had told us all to go home and everyone will have an extended court date.
On my drive back I turned on the radio and everyone was so quiet. I came home and had 4 voicemails on my cell phone. Everyone that I went to school with in Albany was asking me if I was ok. I couldn't even call them back to tell them I was fine. I got in contact with my brother and he was ok. My parents were in France at the time so I could not get in touch with them.
I watched tv for a little while but I couldnt find any regular programming. Every station had the same picture on it. The towers on fire. It was awful. I just wanted to go and help out in some way but I couldn't.
I spent the night by the beach. I had to get away from everything. It was so relaxing during a time so stressful. I knew the second that I got that phonecall from Ryan that everything was going to change. Nothing was the same since.
At 8:45 they started saying that there was an explostion on top of one of the World Trade Center buildings. It didn't phase me a bit. I thought it was just a regular office fire or something like that. Then they just played music like nothing had happened.
At 9:05 I got into the courtroom and no one knew what had happened. All of a sudden, a police officer rushes into the room and runs to the judge and whispers something into his ear. The judge tells everyone that there will be a 15 minute recess.
I went outside to have a cigarette and my friend Ryan had called my cell phone.
"A plane just crashed into the WTC." he says.
I couldnt believe it but I told him that I could not talk because I had to go inside. Literaly 45 seconds later, Ryan calls back saying that we have no more World Trade Center. I was in total shock. All I could think of was my brother who lives in Manhattan. I tried calling him but Ryan's phonecall was the last one I made that morning.
I went inside the courtroom and the judge had told us all to go home and everyone will have an extended court date.
On my drive back I turned on the radio and everyone was so quiet. I came home and had 4 voicemails on my cell phone. Everyone that I went to school with in Albany was asking me if I was ok. I couldn't even call them back to tell them I was fine. I got in contact with my brother and he was ok. My parents were in France at the time so I could not get in touch with them.
I watched tv for a little while but I couldnt find any regular programming. Every station had the same picture on it. The towers on fire. It was awful. I just wanted to go and help out in some way but I couldn't.
I spent the night by the beach. I had to get away from everything. It was so relaxing during a time so stressful. I knew the second that I got that phonecall from Ryan that everything was going to change. Nothing was the same since.
Collection
Citation
“story1281.xml,” September 11 Digital Archive, accessed December 23, 2025, https://911digitalarchive.org/items/show/11292.