What were you doing on 9/11 before you saw the news?

Ok, I'll play. I was just getting ready to go to my shop and work on some computers that had piled up since I didn't have any morning appointments. My mother called me and told me to go turn on the TV because a plane had crashed into one of the World Trade Center towers. I went to the den and turned on CNN. I had been watching for about 5 minutes when the second plane hit. I knew then we had been attacked and someone was going to pay dearly. And he did.

to all who contribute!

Now that I think about it I didn't even know about 911 until the next day. I stopped watching television before I graduated from high school and I didn't have a phone at the time. Still don't have a cell.

I read a poem about putting away childish things and to me that included television. I guess I related television to back when I was in middle school and they installed televisions in all the schools. We gathered in the library to watch the Space Shuttle Challenger explosion. I got in trouble because I laughed. I didn't know it exploded and it looked kind of beautiful. I guess there is an advantage in seeing the beauty in things sometimes.

It seems like for every generation there is some kind of tragedy that results in kids being sent home from school. When Kennedy was shot they sent my Mother home. Of course that was in Dallas and she lived in Dallas so maybe that's why they sent the kids home here. Terrorists might shoot up the schools. When the Challenger exploded they sent me home. Maybe the challenger exploded over Houston and they were afraid debris would fall on the schools, because they are built so close to the power lines, and hit us all in the head. Some of you say that you were sent home on 911. Were you in New York or did they send kids home all over the country? Did they expect more hijackings?

Sure is funny how every 20 years or so there is a tragedy in America. Kennedy was 1963. Challenger was 1986 almost 23 years later. Then 911 was 2001 only 15 years. I guess before that was Pearl Harbor back 22 years before Kennedy. Funny how people always ask you where you were when there was some great tragedy. Maybe that fosters patriotism. Anyway, we should be safe for another 10 years.

reply to post by NE1911


Lets hope so.

I was working as security for a bank then. I'd gotten my raggedy ass up, dressed, and out the door. A friend met me at the end of my driveway as I was going to work, and said "Bastards got us."

"Which bastards?" I asked.

"Terrorists, man! Ain't you been watching the news?"

"Nope. Been getting ready for work."

"They flew a plane into the World Trade Center. It's going up like a Roman Candle."

"Thanks for the tip. Looks like I'll be busy today then. I reckon I better git."

I turned on the car radio to listen to as I was driving in to work. News of the "horrible accident" was all over the radio. The news wasn't saying anything about an attack, just that a plane had accidentally flown into the WTC. Then, when I was about half way to work, another one hit the other tower. About the time I pulled into the parking lot, news of the Shanksville crash and the Pentagon hit were just hitting the airwaves. It suddenly didn't seem so accidental, and people were starting to ask questions. To this day I wonder where my boy got his information that it was terrorists so early on, while all the talking heads were carrying on about an "accident".

At the bank, news was on in the break room, but I didn't see much of that, either, as I was working out side. Got most of my information from the rumor mill, people coming by scared and wanting to talk. Occasionally one of the bank employees or another would come out and update me with what was being said on the news.

I recall that all the airplanes were grounded after so many had fallen out of the sky in such a violent manner. It was eerie having no airplanes and not even so much as a contrail in the sky for the next 4 days. It seemed quieter, for some reason, as if the lack of air traffic somehow muted all the other sounds.

I was on a 10 minute break when the first tower collapsed, and did see that live on the news, which was running constantly and had pre-empted all other programming on the idiot box. Later, a teller came outside on a smoke break and told me that the second tower had caved in, too. By my afternoon break, muslims were dancing in the streets and celebrating the attack on the Great Satan. I recall seeing that, and thinking "I bet this don't turn out so well for you all party animals in the end".

I had an Islamic acquaintance, a woman who used to come by the bank covered head to toe in a black chidoor. She came by just to tell me to watch my ass, it looked like it might be on. I recall her vividly, telling me that I needed to keep my eyes peeled, since someone like her could be hiding an AK under that chidoor and I'd not know it until it was too late. I told her that thanks, but I wasn't as dumb as I looked, and had already been around the block. Anyone fumbling and struggling to get anything out from under all that cloth wouldn't live long enough to brag about it afterwards. They might get me, but it wouldn't be free. She grinned (the only way I could tell was because her eyes crinkled at their corners) and said " you'll do."

Like I said, everyone was scared, and that included the muslims in my neck of the woods. She was scared, as was a Palestinian guy who used to come by and shoot the bull with me. They made no bones about it, either. They were scared for me, figuring I might be a pretty good target, and they were scared for themselves, figuring they were pretty good targets for a retaliation. Much easier for unthinking folks to take out their frustrations on a neighbor than to hop a plane and go take them out overseas, and as it turned out they were right about that. During the backlash here, anyone with a swarthy complexion was "fair game", regardless of where they actually came from, or what their religion or politics (or lack thereof) really were. People from India were even being retaliated against, just because folks couldn't get it straight in their head that Indians weren't Arabs, and didn't give a damn at all about any actual politics or religion involved. They just wanted to unthinkingly lash out against any one who might fit a general description.

Even the woman in the black chidoor I mentioned before was a target. A woman, just going about her business! I had to break up a mob that was forming against her in the parking lot and hustle her inside the bank, then go back and disperse the mob. All because of what she was wearing, had nothing to do with what she said or did. Just because of what she was wearing. The kicker was that she was entirely American, born and bred. She probably spoke better English than I do, but had converted to Islam years ago, and took it seriously - seriously enough to make herself a target simply by not compromising on her apparel.

The Palestinian guy was an American citizen, too, and had probably been through a lot more red tape and BS, had jumped through many more hoops to get that citizenship than ANY of his detractors, who had gotten theirs for free through a simple birthright, and no effort at all of their own. His politics on the Israeli-Palestinian issue were what one would expect, but the 9-11 attacks were an entirely different matter. He was an American, and the country he'd chosen to adopt was under attack. Because of that, he came under attack himself, from fellow citizens who hadn't put nearly as much work into getting that citizenship as he had, nor had they made any sort of conscious effort or choice at all to gain it.

Unthinking bastards.

Another friend of mine, a Pakistani, put 20 YEARS into getting his citizenship, and was treated like an outsider by people who had been born to it, and so never had to think about it at all.

Yeah, there are real monsters out there. They need to be dealt with as has recently occurred, and that won't get done when mobs rule and no one has to think about what they're doing, or against whom. Picking the wrong targets has two negative results - it lets the real monsters off the hook to go on their merry destructive way, and it makes monsters out of the unthinking constituents of the mob as well.

They become themselves what they claim to fear the most. In that way, the real terrorists win, and the victory is handed them on a silver platter. I know this beyond doubt, since I've faced those mobs myself, on behalf of innocents ill equipped to deal with them, and in so doing have had my own "patriotism" questioned. Piss on 'em. Question me and my "patriotism" all you want, but you'd best do it from more than an arm's length away. If that's patriotism, they can have it and be damned.

I prefer real targets, not just whatever happens by.

What were you doing on 9/11 before you saw the news?
~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

I was working in my cubicle when I got up to go
to the break room to get me a soda. The break room
TV had CNN on and a few were gathered around it
so I decided to see what was happening. I got there
just in time to see the 2nd plane enter and explode.
Then they said that had been the 2nd plane attack.
And I said "Two of them? This is no accident."

Went to my supervisors' office and informed her
and she also went down to check it out. She told all
of us to get back to our work stations and she would
advise.

About 15 mins later she went around to every cubicle
on the entire floor and told everyone to go home for
the day.

I got home about 20 mins later and watched it on
3-4 different TV networks for the rest of the day and night.

And nothing has been the same since.
9/11 changed my life and not for the better.

2 months later, that same supervisor laid
me off as well as a few more from our tasking
order, advising that the company was downsizing
due to economy and events of 9/11.
And I wondered how that was, since I was
working for a US Defense contractor by
the name of Lockheed Martin's technological
division.

And within 6 months, Lockheed Martin
lost that contract and it went to DynCorp
on open bid,
And the tasking order moved to another
building bout a mile down the road.

That was the best job and the most money
I had ever made in my life. And 9/11
wiped it clean.

As far as what I did for Lockheed Martin,
I'd rather not say but it did include a thorough
background check from the FBI and included
a security clearance with an ID badge.

And many employers I worked for afterward
could never get a job reference from their
home office in New Jersey about me.
They would call the number, and all they
would say is we do not give job references.
So the only proof I have of working there
is my W-2 on my tax forms which freaked
quite a few employers out in the civilian sector.

I lived about as far from new york as possible in the states,yet that tragedy had a huge effect on our state...Southern AZ is home to numerous military bases and large plots of land owned by private contractors..Many people moved further north and to the east of tucson to put distance between them and one of the largest military contractors known as raytheon which is on the southside of town..The city was informed that we were on high alert for a possible attack...Jets were out all day for about a week and military was out and about on the far southside of town for about a month after..

I was in my kitchen, breaking up with a woman i liked in peru, i had known n kinda wanted to date since march of 2001. I didnt know she was here illegaly, and got cuaght, and had ot go back. so i went ot peru, helping to amrry her, which i never finished. I felt i was in love with her, and she didnt feel the same. Went to lima 2 weeks, end of june into july. Couldnt bear long distance anymore, so called her up and told her i couldnt go through this anymore. All the sudden, the news was smearing the twin towers falling almost live, as i looked at the tv in tears over her. qutie dramatic in my case, wouldnt yuo say!

I was 26 at the time*

Originally posted by nenothtu

They become themselves what they claim to fear the most. In that way, the real terrorists win, and the victory is handed them on a silver platter.

That is very astute. People like to feed their fears. Some people like to feed the fears of others and watch them dance. They are watching and laughing right now. I'm sure you know what people fear the most. Their gods. That's why they judge others as well as themselves. Gives them an excuse to go to war. To build weapons based on new technology. To mine, drill, and pollute the earth.

If you know about geology or if you've ever looked at a map of this world you can see how the continents used to fit together. Indicating that the planet is expanding. This is where the expanding universe theory originates. It's more likely, though, that the universe was done expanding ages ago. That the earth slowly expanded after it was hit by a comet, which are mostly ice, and water expands when it's heated.

Man has spent the last 75 years drilling 200 quadrillion pounds of oil out of the earth. Affectively displacing the weight of the planet. This will cause changes. Possibly the end as you know it. All because some men wanted to live like their gods. Oh, well, you know how it goes. So long, and thanks for all the fish.

I was in 11th grade and I had just gotten home from school, and a friend of mine was in the hallway of the apartment I lived in, and he was running around, freaking out, yelling "OMG We're all going to die!!" There's a war going on!!", "IT'S HAPPENING!!!" And then I went inside and saw it on the tv. Buddy was acting way over-dramatic, considering what was actually happening and our location, but it was very surreal nonetheless.

imagine how much better off the united states,and even the world would be had that tragedy never happened..

I woke up for school, my father left home, to go to the city to work. My mom started to scream and I ran to her, to see my brother and sister, comforting my mom while watching the disaster on T.V. We called my father and for almost two hours he didn't pick up, we were scared to all hell, thinking my father was killed. Than when we were almost convinced he died, someone knocked on the door, it was him . He decided to skip work for the day, and to pick up pizza for the family to eat, so he walked into the living room to see the news, which ended in dropping that pizza.

Moral of the story - I miss that pizza

I was a freshman in high school, and I remember sitting in Foods and Nutrition class when the teacher turned the tv on and told us terrorists had attacked the WTC. I remember not even knowing what a terrorist was, so I wasn't really scared-just confused and had a lot of questions. We got sent home early from school (live in Michigan, so not sure why, other than the staff not really knowing what else to do), and I spent the next few days glued to the TV and crying. I think that's when I really began questioning things; God, the Gov't, etc.

I was 11 years old. The whole day, nobody decided to tell the students at my school for some reason so I heard about it after school while I was at the dentist. I saw it on the TV in the waiting room but the volume was too low to fully understand what was happening. But my mom explained everything to me during the car ride home. It was pretty surreal.

I was at work at an amusement park in Florida. I managed a very large store there and it was inventory day. I was in the stock room counting, and the director of retail came by to chat and he got a phone call. He told me that a plane had flown into the Trade Center and then he told me that other planes had been hijacked. The next plane hit, he got a call, and then he ran out and I didn't see him again for about half an hour. Next thing I knew, he called me to my office in the cold stock room and there was a tv in there. We sat there, watching in incredulity at what we were seeing. I called my friend who worked in another shop in the back of the park, because her mother worked at Verizon in the Trade Center. She called her mom and was unable to reach her at all.

We finished out the day's inventory and I called in my assistant manager and had her take over so I could go to my friend and be with her while she tried to reach her mom. I did my best to keep her panic at bay. Later, we were allowed to go home so I drove her since she was too freaked out. Later that night we verified that mom had not gone to work that day and the cell lines were down during all of that, which was why she couldn't reach her.

I sat at home that night and watched and watched. I was watching when the people started jumping rather than burning to death, and I was watching when the trade centers fell. I cried, I watched, and I couldn't believe it.
It was a horrific day, and is one that will live in our hearts forever.

reply to post by NE1911


i had to pick up my sister from middle school. they had all the kids in the lunch room (which was also a fallout shelter) and had parents/relatives pick up the children there. nothing short of the hand of god shuts down nyc public schools. i dont know if the kids had school for the rest of that week, but i know my sister didnt go and i dont know anyone who sent their kids that week either. i worked in lower manhattan so i didnt goto work for the rest of that week either. i remember mayor 9ul1an1 asking everyone to stay out of there unless you were emergency personnel

reply to post by VicDiaz89

It was my last day at Replacement Company in Fort Drum, New York. We were getting our initial issue. This was my first duty station. I was halfway done getting my issue (up to the part where they give you sleeping bags and such) and someone on the other side of the desk had a radio on. A man behind the counter said, "Some plane crashed into the World Trade Center." I thought small plane. My mind pictures a small Cessna, single-engine ... Wow! That's crazy, I wonder how that might have happened? And then I just move on down the line, grab my gear and move back onto the bus to go back to the company. I'm still wondering about the "plane."

I got on the bus. Only a few of us had all our gear issued, there weren't many on board the bus yet, but the bus driver had the radio on about the "plane." Then I heard the REAL news. It wasn't a plane. They were commercial aircrafts (not just one "plane") and it appeared to be some kind of high-jacking attack. (I think, "In New York. Holy crap. We're going to war.")

Next thing I know: Threatcon Delta, taken away by my first unit, locked down for 18-hour deployment standby, onto Guantanamo Bay, later to Afghanistan, and the rest is history.

I lived in a tower block in London when it happened and can't really remember what I was doing before it, I remember seeing the second plane hit. But I do remember what I was doing afterwards. Looking out of my window at canary wharf for hours thinking if that can happen in New York, It would be so much easier here.

I was getting out of bed, and as usual when I went downstairs I turned on the TV, I couldn't believe what I was seeing, I had family in NY, visiting, and my first thoughts were with them, but as everything played out, I felt for the first time in my life that as a nation, we were not secure and safe anymore. I never felt that before, and I know that as the day went on, others were feeling the same thing too. I noticed a kinship among us all, I worked in a store at that time, and the air that day was despite the events, one of compadreship. I felt united with my fellow Americans in that we would stand tall in the face of terrorism, and by the end of that day, I no longer worried about such matters, I know now that the people around me and myself will become united in one cause should need be.