Topic: 9/11

[...]

I honestly can't remember, I guess I was in school though.

[Lord Roger Hunt]

On a plane. Coming back from Frankfurt. Got on in Germany and the world was at relative peace. Got off an hour or so later to be met by police with machine guns and dogs.....the first tower had been hit and the second as we went through Passport Control.....

[1021]

In assembly in school.

Teacher came in and told us there was a plane crash in NY, was shaking and told us all to say a prayer.
None of us thought it would be that big of a deal, then got home and saw the news and watched it all night.

Have an auntie out in NY, so my parents spent the rest of the night calling relatives to see if anyone had heard from her.
Fortunately she was at work.

[nicholasanthony]

This. I can remember all the talk in school that day was where one of our classmates was, as he was on holiday in America at the time.

I was gutted at the lack of Pokemon and Dragon Ball Z. And went to a catholic school so we had to pray all day.

[gordonchas]

On a plane. Coming back from Frankfurt. Got on in Germany and the world was at relative peace. Got off an hour or so later to be met by police with machine guns and dogs.....the first tower had been hit and the second as we went through Passport Control.....

I had a similar experience to you as I was also in the air at the time on the way to a meeting in Zurich and knew nothing about it till I got to the other end and all the TVs in the airport were carrying the news.

I had to come back late in the evening (about 9pm) and looking back it's a surprise they actually let us back in the air as we were overflying London that night at about 10 o'clock. 

There were absolutely no extra security measures at Zurich that day.

[Zanchent]

I was 7 so in school. Cant remember anything apart from a teacher mentioning the day after that she had a relative who'd escaped from one of the towers. It meant nothing to me at the time obviously.

[Snail]

I was at school (in Year 6), didn't know anything had happened until I got home and switched the telly on to see that the cartoons had been replaced by two giant skyscrapers on fire.

Can't believe it's been ten years already, I remember it like it was yesterday.

[007.lankyguy]

Don't remember much about it. Was in Year 2 so was only 6 years old but remember being quite shocked at it all.

[Alan_X]

I was working from home and got a call telling me to put the tv on. Sat and watched as the second plane hit.

The full horror of it is still difficult to appreciate. Last night's ITV documentary showed people throwing themselves from the 100th floor, something we never knew about at the time.

* anyone diverting this thread will get a two- week holiday.

[CorKopite]

Was at school when it actually happened but when I came home I remember being shocked at the pictures on TV and worried sick as my Gran couldn't get through to my parents at the time who were in Newark, New Jersey(Newark sounding like New York didnt help my nerves even though they're very close anyway) at the time. Couldn't get through to them for 2 days and they couldn't fly home until 3 days later aswell due to the airports being closed. Very scary few days. Will never forget it.


Can't believe its nearly 10 years ago.

RIP to all.

[Father Ted]

I'd come home from Hospital that morning after having my appendix out, still feeling a bit rough.

I remember flicking through the channels and landing on Sky News and seeing the first tower on fire, at that stage it was still being reported as an accident with a light aircraft hitting the tower, thirty seconds after turning it on the second plane came in from the right of screen and slammed into the second tower. In my slightly groggy state I had to check about three times to be sure I was watching the news and not just the preview for some fantastic new CGI disaster movie.

[Anywhichwayicant]

In school. Came home and watched news coverage for the rest of the day with my chin embedded into the floor.

[rowan_d]

In school, they never even mentioned it for some reason. Didn't know a thing about it til I got home and my Dad told me, I'd put the kid's channel straight on without checking the others

[El Campeador]

I walked out of my apartment in the North End of Boston, pretty close to Logan airport, at 8.15, and walked to work as usual. The two planes flew right over my head on their way to disaster. I got in to work, and heard a rumour about a small plane crashing into a NY tower. Didn't pay it much mind.

Then my Mom called from Abu Dhabi, in hysterics, trying to find out if I was in NY or Boston. She was babbling so fast, I didn't understand what was going on. I yelled at some to turn on the telly, and the office came to a standstill.

As the second plane hit, the mailroom guy came in with a set of construction drawings, return address 2 World Trade Center. I will never be able to explain fully what I felt at that moment.

I had a lot of business acquaintances there. I also had a friend who went downstairs to smoke a Marlboro at the time, and survived because of his smoking habit.

Boston went mental. It was out of a Stephen King novel. From my tower, I can see the airport very clearly, and it was locked down - no planes flying. Traffic was jam packed with people running away. I went downstairs when they called the work day off, and downtown Boston was streaming with people headed out. Closest thing to a mass panic in the States I've ever seen.

My Irish mate and I headed down the pub to watch Liverpool, and everyone was watching CNN.

The looks we got when we said - turn on the soccer - could have killed us.

[jambutty]

In NY, on the phone. 

Me Mum called and said a plane had hit the WTC.  I said "Sure, Mum, I'll call you back."

Went upstairs and saw the evidence only 5 miles away.

Slowly the ash cloud headed my way and dropped pellets of dust all around.  The cars, the trees, the ground, all layered with a fine powder.

The smell was disgusting.  Never smelled anything like it before.  After a couple of days I didn't notice it, but I'm sure it was still there.

Watched as the rest of the tragedy unfold, then got my wife and 4 to the hospital to donate blood for the survivors that never emerged.

NYC's Hillsborough.

RIP

[Fiasco]

Heard about it in school, was in about year 4/5. Still remember it like it was yesterday though, the teachers obviously knew how bad it was as we were only kids, and they just tried to carry on as normal. Got home to my street and our neighbour Tommy, who's passed away now actually, was standing there shaking his head and said to my mum ' Bloody terrible isn't it girl? '. Seen the pictures on the telly, and it really was like something out of a disaster movie. Can't believe it's been ten years.

[alonsoisared]

I was 9, my mum worked at the school and was telling me what had happened as we were walking home. Looking at the time it all unfolded, the North Tower must have collapsed as we were chatting about it. I didn't have a clue what it was all about, what terrorism was, what the point was etc but when I got home and saw it all on the tv it was just horrifying. Like everyone else I guess, we were glued to the tv for the rest of the night. The fact it happened in the daytime here for some reason always strikes me, everyone seeing the second tower getting struck and both of them collapsing on live tv, it was something that we'd never seen before. Since then we've had every major event captured live on mobile phones and we've almost become immune to it, that day though was something else.

As I said, utterly horrifying, yet there's something about seeing the planes hit and the towers collapsing that you just can't stop looking at. Will never forget that day and cannot believe it was ten years ago.

[jed the red]

I had not long split up from my first wife and was going through a shag anything phase, i was on leave but had stayed in camp as i had a lot of stuff from the house to sort, the night before i had met a bird who was a millionaire but who was married, her fella treated her like shit so she agreed to meet me the day after, we ended up in a bar in Grantham drinking and waiting for the Match to come on later (you can take the lad out of Liverpool.......!), when it came on the news i thought it was some sort of CGI imagery from a new film or a documentary of the 'what would happen if' variety.It was really mad as it became apparent what was unfolding before our eyes, the whole boozer was transfixed on the tele.

I went out that day thinking i could have a life changing moment and never have to work again, what actually happened was i had a life changing moment and haven't stopped working since! the whole world changed that day, some people have likened it to this generation's Kennedy moment, but i think it was far more far reaching than that.

[LiverLuke]

i was young, 10 years old and my mum told me on the way home from school i remember that vividly, but at that age i didnt really realise the significance of it, eventually i realised how big this was after all the news coverage.

[ollick]

At the British Army Training Unit, Suffield just about to brief General Jackson.

[scatman]

at home, just came home from college because it was weird and I had like a lecture from 9 to 10 and then one at 4 to 5. Watched it all on the news with my dad who wasnt working at the time...

[lostpet.]

i was in GCSE media class, we walked in and it was just after the first plane hit, we stayed and watched the 2nd plane hit, then the towers fall, was something thats ingrained into my mind.

[jerseyhoya]

I was in second period, a stats class, my senior year in high school in Philadelphia. The principal of the school came on over the loud speaker to announce that there had been an attack in New York and two planes had hit the twin towers.

I had third period free, and the school had rolled out the big screen TV, which normally only made an appearance two days a year - the first two days of the NCAA tournament - into the foyer to put on the news. The first tower fell during third period while we were standing around watching, and I remember going to calculus next period trying to describe it falling to a bunch of kids who were in class when it fell. The second tower fell while we were watching some choppy live feed of one of the news networks that Yahoo was streaming, then after fourth period they let us go home.

I remember a lot of people were concerned that maybe they might try and hit Independence Hall or one of the other historical landmarks in Philly, but in retrospect that was kind of a stupid worry, especially since we were a couple miles away from Center City, and to drive back to Jersey we had to drive very close to that area. The guy who I rode into school with didn't want to listen to the news on the way home, so we listened to music. I spent the rest of the afternoon on the couch watching the news, and remember feeling guilty for being happy when I found out school was going to be closed on Wednesday September 12th. 

[Umbarto]

Was still in North Carolina then working late hours so I was still in bed.  Mother woke me up crying and told me to turn on the TV.  I was more infuriated by what I saw than heartbroken, but as the anger subsided it turned more to just sadness and grief for all those innocent people, as opposed to anger.  Then I started thinking about when the US figures out who's done it and how many more innocents might die if a war kicks off...

Was a very, very sad day.

[UntouchableLuis]

In last year of primary school - remember coming out and my grandpa asking if I'd seen what had happened - had no idea until I got home and watched the news. Didn't sink in 'til I grew older just how big a human tragedy it was.

[Rococo]

I was in the Lakes - had been out walking up a mountain with some mates, came back and switched the news on.

The documentary last night (that Alan mentioned earlier) was pretty shocking.  Mentioned that some 200 people had jumped from the buildings before they collapsed.  The dust cloud was also something I hadn't fully appreciated until last nights documentary either.

Hard to believe it's 10 years

[Red_Mist]

Not being facetious here, it's just a vivid memory from the pub before the match.

A group of four fans walks into the Cabbage and sits down on the table next to us. It's obvious they haven't seen anything to do with the attacks.

One of them looks at the big screen (which is re-running the moments when the towers came down) and goes, "Fuckin ell...look at that!". The other three turn to watch the big screen and for a few moments they watch with wide eyes and open mouths.

After 30 seconds or so, one of the group says, "bad that" and they all turn back to face each other. Another one then says, "So who do you reckon'll start up front tonight then?"

It was almost funny, in fact we did laugh about it afterwards, but I repeat I'm not saying it to be funny. It was just something I thought about in the following days...how quickly life goes on (in this case maybe a tad too quickly to not seem a bit weird). But we all do the same all the time with earthquakes and other disasters. The shock registers for a moment...and then life goes on. Sort of like El C asking for the soccer on the telly...what else can you do?

[srs507]

I was in school, 5th grade at the time here in Northern NJ. They didn't actually tell us what happened, but we knew something was up because they had asked us if we had any parents who worked in NY; if we did, were taken to the office and they tried getting in touch with them or the other parent in the household. They got in touch with my mom who was home (father works in the city) and she told them to keep me in school, to keep some sense of normality. Didn't see that the towers fell until I got home.

My father saw the second plane hit from his office under the Manhattan Bridge in Brooklyn. His co-worker was having a smoke on the balcony of their office, and saw the first plane hit; the entire office came out and saw the second plane hit. Once the first tower fell, they all decided to leave. It took my father 8 hours to get home for a commute that normally takes 1. He worked on the recovery post 9/11 and then was the project manager of the temporary PATH station which opened up in November 2003. He's had the opportunity to go work there a few times but he just can't bring himself to go work there again.

[Bavaria]

It happened not long after I had joined the army and I was on leave at home. My Dad turned round to me and jokingly said your one year in the Army and world war III kicks of. Who knew everything it would lead to.

[Suspect Package.]

Was coming out of school in Hunts Cross

A lad was outside of school and said something about "they've bombed the Pentagon". Went to a mate's house cause it was on the way to mine, ended up there for about 2 hours watching the news reports and the towers come down. Ended up phoning home too and telling em to turn the bloody TV on.

Not something I think I'll ever forget to be honest.

[redforlife]

Was in an economics lesson in school, there was only me, another lad and a teacher in there.  Another teacher came bursting in saying a plane had kamikazied into the World Trade Centre.  I didn't actually know what that was at that point, but just had visions of it being a little two seater plane rather than what it turned out to be.

Went into town after school to put a deposit down on a holiday to Magaluf and the Echo had a special edition out which was the first time I realised the enormity of it all, it had pictures of people jumping from the World Trade Centre to their deaths.

Went the match that night and we drew 1-1.  Didn't really matter though

[brownie 09]

Year 6, teacher just walked out the class to the media room where al teachers had gathered round the tv (great teaching leaving near enough every classroom full of kids and unattended petty i know but anything could've happened). Dont really remember much in-between finding out and getting home just engrossed in the TV watching what happened and just thought wow, the next couple of hours watching it all unravel in front of you my house has never been so quite, it was just so surreal.

When it gets to this time of year I just watch the programmes about it and it is just as shocking as the first time you see it, that horrible gut feeling all those people needlessly dying. The images of those planes crashing into the towers is one that will never leave me imo fucking horrific.

[buzzing]

Just coming to end of summer break at uni. Remember the first day back at the lecture "it's payback for the killings of innocent Iraqi children"

[kavah]

on a flight, Mumbai to Heathrow, didn't know a thing about it until we got off the plane in London.

I'd been away for about 2 weeks and was dying to get home and watch the England/Germany 5-1 game, that I'd taped. Obviously I switched on the news and didn't watch another channel for days - i don't think I've ever seen the goals.

[RuncornRed25]

At college, Cronton College to be exact

Went the match later that day and got the new CL shirt (We were only 4 stars back then  )

RIP to all those who sadly perished

[Cre_mCr_cker]

Listening to it on the Radio on the way home from school then watched the news. Didn't really understand what was going on and remember being annoyed at missing Pokémon. (I was 6)

[Aido LFC]

In school when the first one hit, hadn't got a clue it was happening until my mam picked me up after school and by the time we got home we saw the news reporting that the 2nd tower got hit.

[ben138]

Remember it well, and was reminded when I randomly bumped into the girl I was with at the time last weekend,

Was "between jobs" at the time so got up late, wandered in to the living room and put on sky news as background noise. I saw the first tower on fire and thought to myself "oh just a fire" or whatever...
Got my coffee and toast and came back in and the second tower was hit a few minutes after just sat there watching it in disbelief...

The GF texted me with some girly cheery nonsense and I just rang her to tell her to put on sky news... couldnt really explain it..
Spent the whole day watching it with the other lad in the place who was unemployed @ the time

Was in NY just before the first anniversary with that girl and I just cant describe the atmosphere there then....

[John_P]

was in a pub in Chester had gone there to have a look round prior to starting uni there a few weeks later. Vividly remember walking into the bar area to buy a pint looking at the screen seeing the first tower on fire. then the 2nd plane hit. spent most of the afternoon in the pub watching, before getting a eerilly silent train back to Liverpool. Can't believe its been 10 years.

[Golden_Child]

This is a weird thread but I don't see a problem with it as long as it stays within boundaries.

I was 16, in bed, missing a 6th form biology lesson. I got a txt from my ginger mate saying "Wake up, twin towers, BBC c*nt".

First thing I thought of was how I was gonna kick the shit out of the spotty twat. Then I flicked the telly on, jaw dropped, went downstairs, sat with mom and watched the news for 10 hours.

I saw the 2nd plane hit, towers collapse and everything after the 2nd plane. My mind was blown, didn't make much sense. Disgusted but fascinated.

To this day I still can't get my head around the towers collapsing. Not that I don't believe the explanations, just the actual, physical mindfuck of the processes involved. Peoples bodies, desk chairs, computers, vending machines etc. Horrible yes, but something that needs to be thought of in order to attempt to understand what actually happened (as opposed to seeing it as a special effects bonanza).

This was my generations JFK moment, only much much worse. I'll never forget, I wish I could.