story4992.xml

story4992.xml

born-digital

story

yes

no

2002-09-11

There were a few unusual breaks to my normal routine. In retrospect that should have told me this day would be different. But I went about my business paying no mind. I was a Controller of a Tele Service company that employed over 1500 persons.

I had only slept about three hours 1 - 4 AM due to insomnia. As sleep was impossible I started the day early and voted in the Primary elections prior to catching the train to work. Normally I vote after work. I joked with a Police Officer about it being too early to face this type of decision.

By my estimations I should have been at my office in West Greenwich Village by 9:00 AM. I boarded the "L" train (Manhattan bound) at 8:15 AM and switched to my second train the "9" train (Staten Island Ferry bound) at 8:45 AM. I only had to travel one stop to the Christopher Street station - in all probability a three-minute ride. The train pulled out of the station and entered the tunnel. Almost immediately it stopped.

After a few minutes the conductor announced that there was a problem with a train ahead and we were being held. After ten minutes the train started again and brought us to the Christopher Street station. I exited and began walking Southward on 7th Avenue South. Normally I walked Westward on Christopher and Southward on Hudson Street.

As I took a few steps I looked up at the Twin Towers. I noticed there was a fire in the North Tower. A large flame ball in the top third of the building. I thought at first a transformer or HVAC apparatus had exploded. There were things flying out of the building. Since I was about twenty blocks North, I did not know it was people as well as inanimate objects.

Everyone was staring at the tower. No traffic moved on the street. People were standing outside their cars. Lights changed, the Walk signals changed without a reaction. Drivers turned up the volume on their radios for everyone on the street to hear the announcements.

It seemed something, maybe a plane had crashed into the tower. A few people commented that it was a terrible accident. How horrible. Etc. No one moved away.

Suddenly something streaked across the sky and into the middle of the South Tower. A large section of the building burst into flames. I saw the entire top half of the tower move towards the West, away from the bottom half, and then sway back. I and others screamed that we were being bombed. And I thought about all those innocent people.

People tried to telephone loved ones on their cellular phones. But they did not work. I knew I had to get to my office. To me it was the safest place for the time.

When I reached my office I tried to call my mother (disabled with a heart condition and convalesing from hemmoraging and a subsequent surgery to save her life). I wanted her to hear what happened from me and that I was safe so she would not worry.

The land lines did not function. After a few minutes my cellular phone worked and the call went through. Thankfully she had not heard anything yet.

I said I wanted her to know I loved her and if anything happened to me to take care of herself and live the best life she could. (At this time we thought we were being attacked and had no idea if anything else would hit anywhere). I also promised that as long as nothing more happended as soon as I was able I would come home.

I next tried to call my father at work in Manhasset (Nassau County) to let him know I was safe. I could not get through. I eventually called his house and asked his wife to relay the message.

The city was in a state of Emergency, areas were in lockdown. All highways throughout the entire city and Nassau and Suffolk counties were closed to anyone except emergency personnel. Pedestrians were asked to stay off the streets.

My office window looked out on the corner of Morton and Greenwich Streets. As Greenwich Street ends at the World Trade Center it was a clear conduit to Ground Zero. I watched as the hours passed that emergency vehicles from the entire area as well as nearby states were driving down that street coming to help us.

As a native New Yorker I have always felt that most of the nation if not the world disliked us. To see all those communities sending their emergency personnel and emergency vehicles to help touched my heart. That is when I started to cry. Not from sadness but from gratitude.

I stayed in the office for six hours until our section was given permission for non-residents to make our way home. I had to walk to 14th Street and 6th Avenue to take the "L" train since the "1,2,3, and 9" trains were not operating.

I had to wait a half hour before I could board a train. The mass of people taking any train that was running just to get off the island of Manhattan and on their way towards home. No one speaking to anyone. All lost in their own thoughts and concerns.

I stayed home for the next three days. We were not allowed back to work as Manhattan was still in a state of Emergency. My company did not fare well after that event. I was laid off due to economic cut backs in January 2002.

I began working again last month for a lower salary and a lower position in a company that is not stable. Although what company is now? My new office is on Pearl Street. My office window looks out on the corner of Pearl and Wall Streets. It is six blocks from the World Trade Center.