story1161.xml

story1161.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-08-19

It's been almost a year now, but this is the sortof of thing that never leaves you. I wrote this up the day after, trying to get everything down before I forgot.

This is mostly a stream on conscious, since I was really trying to get as much out as I could, and still was a bit shell shocked afterwards.

I went to what I figured was a usual day of work visiting my client, up on the 37th floor of the WFC. I was talking with one of the staff when I heard a boom and noticed some rippling in the shadows off the WTC. I looked up and saw a huge gash in the tower and fire pouring out and immediately thought a plane had crashed. With that I grabbing my bag and headed to the stairwell.

The stairwell was a crowded madhouse, with people acting with no regard to it being a serious occasion. I was pretty worried at that point though, since I had a sickenign hunch it was a terrorist incident, probally cause I am a bit of a pessimist.

The people from the department and I managed to get to the ground floor, but just as we exited the building, the second plane flew right over us and crashed into the building. I saw everything, and it was just luck that I was on that side, and not the other where the flames came out. However, a ton of debris came out the back too.

It was sheer pandemonium then. So much for everybody staying calm. Someone behind me ran into me so hard I was shoved to the ground, cutting open my knuckles as I hit the ground. As I got up, something charred hit the ground about five feet away from me. It was human sized and smelled like burnt meat. I did not stick around to look, since at that momment I figured I had better keep moving and got up and got out of there, turning to a side loading door for shelter from the falling objects.

Strangely enough, I managed to find one of the people in the department who was stuck there having an asthma attack and paralyzed with fear. I knew I could not just leave her there, especially since in the streets it was everyone for themselves. I figured that if we got to the water we should be relatively safe from any flames, at least there would be something to jump into if it came to that. So I grabbed her arm and led her to the water.

The rest of the department found us, and I stopped walking her once we got to the water. With everyone accounted for, I figured I should find a phone so I could call my Mom and my office to tell them I was still in one piece. With the chaos occuring, all lines were dead, and with me not owning a cell phone, I was out of luck. I returned to the department group, mainly cause I didn't know anyone else and wanting to look after them. On returning, I suggested to the department that we try to find which direction we should start moving away from the building to. This area was still too close to the buildings, and I warned them that they were in a huge risk of falling down. So he and myself went off looking for the best way to go, me still mindful of trying to find a working phone.

I finally found a phone, in a bar of all places. The Department Head said he would wait for me outside while I called.

I was not able to get in touch with home but I did manage to call work and told them to please pass a message on to my Mom that I was all right. I then exited the bar....

To find I was ditched by the Department Head and on my own. Just then I heard a creaking noise and screaming that building was collapsing. After cursing to myself for being for stupid cause I was so trusting, I started quickly moving to Battery Park, but could not out run the dust storm that spread out in the area. I wore loafers that day, and they are not the best type of shoe to be running in.

Ever see pictures of Mount Saint Helens erupting? That's what the cloud was like. Totally blinding with raining dust and ash.

Kept walking, jumping over ledges to get further along. I may not be a fast runner, but I can walk very fast. Probally best that I did not run, since with all the dust, I would have slipped onto the concrete. Eventually I stopped, held my breath, and converted my buttoned down shirt to a makeshift breathing mask.

The air cleared and the sun came out again. I found I was by the water still in a corner area where a bunch of other people had ended up. I think the area is where the boathouse is, but not being familar with this place (I only visted the WFC and WTC cause of work and never went outside). I must thank the policemen and policewomen here, they were really doing a great job keeping people calm and handing out breathing masks. Unfortunately I never got one cause some jerk snatched the one I had in my hand and ran away.

Well then the second building falls. This time I was ready. I put my make shift mask back on, got down on the ground, and remembering a portable umbrella I had with me, opened it up and covered my head. This one was not as bad, it went in the opposite direction mostly (which actually was the area my brother was in at the time. He managed to out run it by heading into Greenwich Village and maneuvering through alleys).

Eventually a bunch of boats, from tug boats to ferries and even sail boats, came to the railing. In a quick and organized way, everybody got onto the boats. I managed to get on one of the ferries, which brought me to Jersey City.

Which was another area I was not familar with.

Well I wandered around there for a while not sure what to do. I first tried to go to the Pavonia/Newport PATH station, since people mentioned it was still wokring. This was closed, so I had to think fo what next to do.

Eventually I went to one of the hotels, just to clean myself from the dust and ash. I just did a quick cleaning, mainly for my face, shirt and hair. With that accomplished, I left the bathroom and looked around the hotel lobby.

With no other plce to go, I decided to stay put there to try to figure out my next move. I first tried to get a room, but they were all booked up. I decided to do the next best thing then and rest int he lobby so I could calm down a bit. I also got some food, since I figured I would need some energy, as well as a beer to calm me down a bit.

After eating, I figured that maybe I should try to call home again. Since I know was in New Jersey, I may have a bigger chance of getting through. After a few failed attempted, I did manage to finally contact home. My borther had made it out of the area alright as well, and my Mom did not have a heart attack when she heard the news, which was actually my biggest worry that entire time.

I only stayed on the phone for a small amount of time. There people behind me, and I knew they needed to contact people as well. Plus I wanted to try to get out of there and back home asap. I went back to the desk to inquire if they knew if any cabs were running still. None were, however the hotel was trying to set up a limo service to get people to their homes. I waited arround a bit more, to fidn out no car service was going to the area of my toen, but the trains westward from Hoboken were running again. This meant a way home. It also meant I had to walk to Hoboken.

It was extremely creepy taking that walk. I was literally the only person walking on the sidewalk or the side of the street in broad daylight on a sunny day. The plumed cloud from the site of the blast zone across the river added to the unsetteling situation.

After a half an hour walk I arrived at Hoboken and found a train on my route. But once inside the train it was evacuated cause of a bomb scare. Everybody was quickly evacuated, and luckily it was just a false alarm. We climbed back in and the train left, bringing me back to my town. I walked from the station to my house a few blocks away and finally collapsed once inside the front door.

I was one of the lucky ones. I managed to get out of their with some messed up lungs and a scared hand. My lungs cleared up in a month, which was rather surprising to the doctor.