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9/11 was day 2 of the 4-day entrance exam for chartered accountants in Canada. Along with ~100 other people I was stuck in a big room with no outside communications between 8:30 AM and 1:00 PM (Eastern time).
When time was up, the proctor told us to stay put as he had an important announcement to make. We were expecting some sort of exam-related announcement regarding cheating or something, but instead he summarized the day’s events so far in maybe 50 seconds (all 4 planes, towers crash, airspace closed, etc). For that time it truly felt like the end of the world as we didn’t know where it would end. Needless to say we rushed to whoever’s apartment was the closest to turn on the TV and quickly took our minds off the big exam we had been studying for about 18 months.
I was just going down my driveway on my way to work and turned on the radio in the truck. Normally it’s a rock and roll station, no news at all. But this time it was an announcer saying that the World Trade Center had just been hit by an airplane and was on fire. By the time I got to work 20 minutes later, the second plane hit and they said the US was under attack. Not much got done that day as everyone kept going back to the TV in the break room to see the latest news. My neighbors didn’t find out about the attack until two weeks later, they were on a back packing trip way out in the bush.
I was working in downtown Calgary at the time. I first heard the news on my car radio as I was driving to the CTrain station on my way to work. The radio was short on details and I just assumed it was a small plane that had had mechanical trouble. I learned differently of course when I got to the office and joined others around the TV.
I remember when I returned from lunch that day the security guards were only allowing those with building passes to get on the elevators. I assumed it was because at least one oil company had offices in the building.
I was on the 43rd floor of One WTC when American Airlines 11 slammed into the building.
One of the more inane things I said to my escape-mate after we got out and were on the street looking up was, "I wonder if anyone outside the city knows this is going on."
I am always interested in other people's stories of That Day.
My office was on 140 Broadway but that day I flew JetBlue from JFK at 7am to Buffalo. Needless to say the office was closed for quite a while, with HEPA filters for another year. I was in the south tower the week before and kept my visitor pass in my bag for months as a reminder.
I was living in Montreal at the time. I remember I woke up a little late that day. Everyone was gone, I was home alone. I got up and as usual I went to the computer to check my email. I got on the Yahoo homepage and I noticed it said "plane crashes into world trade center". I didn't click on the link but I remember thinking what a crazy "accident".... So I used the computer for a minute then got ready for the day, showered, made something to eat and I was about to head out the door but then I remembered I forget to do something online so I went back to the computer......This time the yahoo homepage had a black heading and said something like America is under attack, another plane crashes into the second tower. At this point I rushed over to the TV and watched the horror unfold. Sad sad day.
omg
Quote:
Originally Posted by Mightyqueen801
I didn't hear about it.
I was on the 43rd floor of One WTC when American Airlines 11 slammed into the building.
One of the more inane things I said to my escape-mate after we got out and were on the street looking up was, "I wonder if anyone outside the city knows this is going on."
I am always interested in other people's stories of That Day.
Coworkers and I were getting ready to celebrate some birthday. Sitting around sharing laughs and giggles. I didn't see any of the agents at the time. There's usually one or two. I heard some pagers going off in the distance. My bosses' office was openened and the tv was on in his room. I then saw a plume of dark smoke across the ways towards Virginia - area where Pentagon located. I couldn't believe what I was hearing on tv. I think my knees were close to giving out on me. I started to walk back to my group (many of which were still joking). Another agent emerged from the stairwell. Apparently po'd that the group was having a good time. I just tried to relate they didn't know 'cuz at that time, many of us did not have pagers on us. I told the ones closest to me what was/had enfolded. We went back to boss. I think some more agents were starting to show up. More people became aware of what happened now.Things got quieter as some were gathered around by tv.
A few took off to head home. Others took positions in the CP. Others were doing whatever we could to help - answering phones, photocopying, organizing/setting up special database computers. Some sent home to come back in to work later shifts. That's the way it went for many weeks thereafter.
The days I had off, I saw many vehicles driving around displaying the American flag. People helping other people. Relatives and friends talking about those they knew that worked in either place, the people that took matters into their own hands on the plane over Pennsylvania. My Dad knew a few through his job in the banking /investment business. A year or two pass by, more people displaying specialized stickers and/or magnets on their vehicles. Eventually license plates were made never forget 911.
My office was on 140 Broadway but that day I flew JetBlue from JFK at 7am to Buffalo. Needless to say the office was closed for quite a while, with HEPA filters for another year. I was in the south tower the week before and kept my visitor pass in my bag for months as a reminder.
Wow, that's right in the neighborhood. We likely passed each other on the street. Or were next to each other on line (and yeah, in NY/NJ you say "on line", not "in line", lol) for a sandwich or a slice.
I worked at 115 Broadway for two years as part of the rebuilding project, in 2008 and 2009.
That must have been weird knowing you flew earlier that day.
As an aside, what's the flight time JFK to Buffalo? An hour?
DD was 11 days old. We were up for her early morning feed and DH turned on the TV.
Zoisite, where were you living then? We're Northern BC, were watching TV all day and I don't remember ever hearing anything about the possibility of a war. Just the concern of more planes crashing in large population centres until they were all grounded.
I was living in Pitt Meadows at the time. As mentioned, the possibility of war coming to home soil was some speculation heard on TV, but also on local radio stations (including Washington radio stations) and on marine and ham radio and CB and scanner chatter. It never takes long for wide spread speculation and rumours to get started when people are worried and don't know exactly what the facts are and what's going on.
I was living in Montreal at the time. I remember I woke up a little late that day. Everyone was gone, I was home alone. I got up and as usual I went to the computer to check my email. I got on the Yahoo homepage and I noticed it said "plane crashes into world trade center". I didn't click on the link but I remember thinking what a crazy "accident".... So I used the computer for a minute then got ready for the day, showered, made something to eat and I was about to head out the door but then I remembered I forget to do something online so I went back to the computer......This time the yahoo homepage had a black heading and said something like America is under attack, another plane crashes into the second tower. At this point I rushed over to the TV and watched the horror unfold. Sad sad day.
omg
There are many of us. Rightly so, people remember that nearly 3000 people died in lower Manhattan that day, but it doesn't seem well-known that those towers, badly damaged as they were, stood long enough that an estimated 15,000 of us got out alive before they went down.
recovering. I had an eye injury and had both my eyes bandaged for that week.
I didn't see the horror until a week later.
fortunately my other senses felt the wrath of that dreadful day.
unbelievably surreal
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