nmah1684.xml

nmah1684.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-09

I was on the N train on September 11th traveling my normal commute from Astoria into Midtown, Manhattan. It was a beautiful, clear blue morning - not a cloud in the sky. When I boarded the train, I managed to get a seat, which is pretty unusual at 9 am. It's an
elevated train, so I could see the World Trade Center and the financial district from Queenboro Plaza, our last stop in Astoria.

All the sudden everyone on the train stood up, pointed out the window and started murmuring. I stood up as well, having no idea what everyone was pointing at, but heard some woman say it what I thought was "train fire". Since the station passes close to the Long Island Rail Road, I thought that must be it and sat back down. We continued on, underground to the next station, Lexington Ave.

There were no announcements about train delays or anything. I don't know why, but I actually thought for a brief moment to get on the outbound Queens train to see what the heck everyone was looking at. But I didn't.

I got to my office and it was surprisingly pretty empty, since I was late. I usually left my apartment around 8:30. Since I was at the Yankees game the night before, I left at 9ish on September 11th. While going up the elevator, a fellow passenger said that a plane had hit the World Trade Center and a second one had just hit the second tower. I was totally shocked. I asked if she was kidding? I thought to myself, some airport controller will be fired over that. I kept thinking how strange it was that the pilots didn't change course, because they had to have seen the buildings, it was such a gorgeous day - bright blue clear skies. I got off the elevator and went to my cubicle. I turned on the computer, figuring I would try checking the NY News stations websites for information.

The internet was useless, it completely crashed. My phone was blinking, so I picked it up and had three messages - one from my mother asking if I was ok and telling me something about a terrorist and a plane crash and to call her - she said it was impossible to phone in, she'd been trying for awhile. The next call was from a friend in Kansas City - he wanted to know if I knew what was going on, if I was ok and to call him. The second was the same friend again, he said he was just amazed at the site on television. On the message, he suddenly interjected, "Oh my god!! Another plane just hit the other World Trade Center Tower! I just watched it! It just flew right in there! Oh my god! What the hell is going on there?"

As I was listening, the SVP of my group came in the office, sprinting down the hall. It occurred to me then that no one was around me in the office.
I called my mom and talked to her and then tried to call the friend in Kansas City, but couldn't get through. I decided to go find out what was going on and found everyone
from my office who had made it in, watching TV in our EVP's office.

I was totally shocked, we just sat there for awhile fixated on the TV and then they cut in and said another plane had struck the Pentagon. That terrified me. I kept thinking, cancel all the flights and if you are in the Sears Tower, go home.

So then I went back to my cube to try to call my friend again. Finally, I gave up on that attempt and phoned my mom, saying I couldn't get through to anyone else. My mom said to call my dad at work, as he was worried. I reached my dad and while on the phone he told me one of the towers had collapsed. I just couldn't believe it. My mom told me about people jumping from the Towers rather than dying from burning to death. It made me sick.

Other friends in other parts of the country kept calling to check on me. Some I managed to call back and finally I sent a massive email explaining that I was no where near the WTC. A good friend from work came by, very upset, crying and telling me we had to leave right now because Mayor Giuliani lived in the ajoining building and she was scared. I calmed her down a bit and she said she was
leaving and made me promise to leave as soon as I could. I decided to head home - I wanted off that island, even if just to Queens.

I walked out of my building and it looked like a football game had let out. No traffic on the road. Just people walking. Eerily quiet. No one walking downtown, everyone walking uptown. My office is close to the Queensboro Bridge, so I walked up there and then crossed with all these people.

We crossed the bridge and about halfway you could look down and beyond the beautiful blue skies by me, there was just clouds and clouds of smoke and debris. I couldn't even begin to describe this experience. It was just surreal.

A loud woosh sound came from overhead and everyone's heads jerked up. Some people started saying it was yet another plane. But someone loudly said they were fighter jets doing fly bys. A man next to me said, "Jesus Christ, they are patrolling our skies." They are so close they sound like they are right overhead.

Halfway across the bridge some guy start talking about god and the day of judgement and how we are all going to hell. Thousands of people were just walking across the bridge, all trying to get home and off Manhattan. It was the most surreal moment of my life and the towers were just gone. Completely gone. I mean, I saw it, I saw on TV, but walking home and not seeing them, I just couldn't believe it.