NY WTC Experience

[Guest guest]

Tuesday morning class finished between 8 and

8:30, I think. I showered and came out of the locker

room at Chelsea Piers and a few people were looking

out the window. There was a little bit of smoke

coming out of the world trade center. What happened? I

said. Somebody said, "A plane just flew into the

building." There was a small hole and a small amount of

smoke. <br><br>Pier 60 of Chelsea Piers is at 20th

Street, with a clear, unobstructed view of the World

Trade Center towers 40 blocks directly south of

it.<br><br>As we watched, the smoke became more voluminous and

black. Helicopters began circling, looking at the

damage. I thought, how are they going to get up there to

put that out? Fifteen minutes we saw another plane in

the air. Unbelievably, the plane drove straight

toward the WTC and right into the still-undamaged

building. At that moment we knew this had to be deliberate.

We all surged forward and called out as a huge

billious cloud of flame and ash came out of the opposite

side of the building. Neither plane passed through the

building, but each lodged inside. We all sat/stood there

transfixed for the next hour as first one building collapsed

before our eyes and then the other one. <br><br>Hardly

anybody's cell phone worked. Transmitters were on top of

the World Trade Center towers. Those who could get

through on pay phones had their friends and associates in

safe places took lists and had their friends make "I

am safe" phone calls for those of us who couldn't

get through to friends and family out of

town.<br><br>There was nowhere to go. The subway would be hopeless,

let alone possible unsafe. At that point, we didn't

know what would happen next. Air raid? World War III?

Like many others, I just stayed there, watching,

barely able to think. Finally, after there was nothing

left but smoke to see, I remembered I had other

out-of-town family at a hotel in midtown. I left at about

11:30. <br><br>Outside, the West Side Highway was lined

with hundreds of ambulances and police. Hundreds of

people were walking up the highway from downtown. Water

stations were set up and they were passing out water to

the walkers. I walked with the others to mid-town,

passing the lincoln tunnel, which was shut off with

orange cones and the cars on their way there were lined

up, stuck, with their engines off and their

passengers and drivers out/gone/walking/hanging around

outside. Some streets were eerily empty, closed off for

emergency vehicles only, others were unbelievably crowded.

People sat along curbs alone and in groups, individuals

without belongings and travellers on their suitcases and

baggage. <br><br>Everything stopped. Nearly every business

closed instantly so people could find their

families.<br><br>Along the West Side Highway and 11th and 10th Avenue,

here and there a car door would be propped open and

groups of people clustered around listening to the radio

reports. Near Times Square people clustered around video

screens and those ticker-tape LED-like announcement

things. <br><br>A lot of people walked a very long way.

Friends of mine walked all the way from the World Trade

Center to the 59th Street Bridge, over it, and all the

way home to Astoria. A group of older women from my

sister's work place set off together to walk over the 59th

St. Bridge and then down to BROOKLYN. There was no

other way to go anywhere.<br><br>When we reached our

destinations, many of us were glued to the television and on

the phone, such as it was, for the rest of the day.

Sleep was weird. Every time I closed my eyes I would

see that plane driving into the building, and again

feel my incredulousness, and worse. How was it for

those of us who saw the people jumping? My friend who

walked (and run) from WTC has gone back to bed this

morning/afternoon and gotten up again already. She has baked linzer

tortes, made tea for everybody in the house, snapped at

us, cried. There is no place to go to get away from

this.