Where were you today 15 years ago? (Pittsburgh, York: apartments, house, dorms) - Pennsylvania (PA) - City-Data Forum

norcider · 09-11-2016, 10:03 AM

This is not intended to point fingers and play politics. I was working for a large non profit when somebody from an adjacent office came through and so matter of factory stated, "they're crashing planes into buildings in New York" I immediately jumped on CNN on my PC and watched what was essentially a frozen web page for many minutes. Somebody put on KDKA radio and they were broadcasting live info as it came in. When CNN became available the 2nd plane had hit and they had what must have been a GIF of the second plane hitting the tower. I remember leaving the building for a walk in Oakland and it was a ghost town. Air space had been restricted after the Shanksville crash and there were fighter plane patrols in the sky. We were allowed to go home if we wished but it would get charged to PTO so I remained but many people did leave. No work got done the rest of that day. I think it was a Wednesday.

Faerunner · 09-11-2016, 10:28 AM

Sitting in class in high school

PghYinzer · 09-11-2016, 10:51 AM

I was standing outside of Keith Hall at IUP talking to some friends before my Macro Economics Analysis class. It was a Tuesday, so that means all classes were 1.5 hours in length, so this was approximately 9:35 in the morning. Someone threw open the window and yelled out to everyone standing outside that they heard something horrible was happening in NYC. Soon after 9:45 my professor came into the room and turned on the TV. We watched live on TV as both towers fell, and then with the announcement of Flight 93 crashing in PA, we were sent back to our dorms and apartments. All I really remember from the rest of that day and week was an extreme sense of uncertainty.

I remember my dad telling me about where he was when Kennedy was shot. He was sitting in class and the teacher came into the room, kicked the garbage can, and with tears in his eyes told the class what happened. Although I remember the Challenger disaster, I was too young to really understand what happened, but that Tuesday morning still feels like it happened yesterday.

goofy328 · 09-11-2016, 11:00 AM

Working at a relay for the deaf and hard of hearing in Ohio. Heard conversations about the first tower being hit while on the job, which was odd because people generally are not talking about the same thing on these conversations. Then went to the break room to see the second tower hit. I was in disbelief when the towers actually fell. It was surreal; honestly did not expect to see that happen. I was 29.

Someone mentioned the Challenger disaster. That was surreal too. That one stuck with me because Judith Resnik was from Akron. Not to say that no one from Akron was at the WTC or anything on 9/11, but it was 1986 and that was a different time. I actually watched that one in the classroom on television when it happened. Strange the stuff you see on TV, live, where someone dies. I was 14.

Okay now you're freaking me out because it has been 15 years since 9/11 happened and the Challenger blew up 15 years before that.

_Buster · 09-11-2016, 01:31 PM

Working about 5 miles from the pentagon in NVa. Saw smoke from the crash driving home. I remember there were so many rumors going around about other attacks that were happening that weren't true, even on the news.

guy2073 · 09-11-2016, 01:36 PM

I was building a house in South park. The fighter jet chasing flight 93 flew directly over our heads, it was close enough I could hit it with a rock. About a half hour later they announced the crash on the news.

bradjl2009 · 09-11-2016, 01:41 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by guy2073

I was building a house in South park. The fighter jet chasing flight 93 flew directly over our heads, it was close enough I could hit it with a rock. About a half hour later they announced the crash on the news.

I believe Flight 93 did actually go over the South Hills and possibly even the city as well. It's a good thing the passengers of the plane didn't do anything any sooner than they did or the hijackers would have potentially crashed the plane in a populated Pittsburgh metro neighborhood.

fleetiebelle · 09-11-2016, 01:46 PM

I parked in Schenley Park before 9am to walk to my internship, and between the time I got of the car and the time that I got into work the world had changed. It was hard to find out what was going on because at that time our work internet wasn't great, and all the news sites had crashed. Eventually they sent us all home and it felt so surreal. It was a beautiful fall day, the sky here was clear blue, and yet everything was haywire. I didn't want to be alone but I couldn't get hold of anyone, so I sat in my apartment by myself and watched the news for the rest of the day.

grampaTom · 09-11-2016, 01:55 PM

I had just finished making morning rounds and was sitting down in the Doctor's lounge to have a bite before clinic. CNN was showing the first tower on fire and then showed the second plane flying into the second tower. The room went nuts. I will remember that and the day JFK was killed forever I guess.

guy2073 · 09-11-2016, 01:57 PM

Quote:

Originally Posted by bradjl2009

I believe Flight 93 did actually go over the South Hills and possibly even the city as well. It's a good thing the passengers of the plane didn't do anything any sooner than they did or the hijackers would have potentially crashed the plane in a populated Pittsburgh metro neighborhood.

If you look at the flight path it is scary how close to pgh it came, I know it flew over South park. We did not see it but there was no mistaking the fighter jet. It was solid white, not even a marking or number or anything. It had what appeared to be a full set of missiles on it. I will never forget it, in my mind it was like it happened 15 minutes ago. I never saw a plane fly so fast and so low before. The sound was intense.