September 11, 2001: The Worst Crimes Against Americans In US History- A Memoir On September 11, 2010
*Reposting this today in tribute. It took me 9 years to finally write about it last year, I don’t imagine I have anything to add. Except this- Never Forget this day, tell your babies to tell their babies. Tell them how proud this great nation is of it’s grace and poise in the face of this atrocity. Be vigilant.*
At 8 am I was humming up I-287. I had just tuned in the FM to Elvis Duran and the Z Morning Zoo because Howard was discussing his last night’s escapades and as usual, it simultaneously made me blush and wonder who else was listening to it. Siriusly.
My first distinct recollection is always the color of the ethereal sky that day. I recall the color exactly. I do not know if my cellular memory is now my SIM for the event, but it was a vibrant water- color diluted indigo with a transparency I do not think one could replicate if they tried.
It was brilliant. It was extraordinary. It was the ultimate in aerial visibility clearance for evil, I will never forget.
I was headed to my office about 20 minutes outside the city via Route 3 to pick up our graphic artist for a meeting with a client on Water St.
I was buzzing through the presentation in my head in the hopes I could stay succinct, DTCC was not one for banter or frivolousness.
I remember being distracted from my gaze out the windshield by an excited and tonally ominous radio voice:
“Did you see that? What the F*ck was that, what in the…”-
Radio silence for a few minutes. I never thought for a second we were under siege.
In retrospect, I recall thinking; “I just turned off Howard to NOT hear about some topless whatever in the lobby: I am not feeling shenanigans this morning.”
Once back on- air, the program resumed. It was announced that a plane had accidentally flown into the North Tower of the World Trade Center.
To be honest, given my client base and frequency of trips into NYC and surrounding areas, this “accident” rose only to the level of commuting nuisance. The probability of logistical snafu however, was now a pressing reality.
I called Scott, my CGI savant and told him I felt we might be late for our meeting due to traffic concerns going through the tunnel. We agreed not to be open to rescheduling for another day, but to push back the meeting time.
You already know what happened next. Within minutes the second plane hit the South tower- we were under attack.
I write those words. I relay them to others.
However, in hindsight, there was definitely a- not- to- be- believed quality to what was happening and how it related to the world I knew.
The F-16’s zinging overhead moments later triggered a few more pangs of reality. Earsplitting reality, to be precise.
By the time I arrived at my office, staff was standing around the conference room plasma exhibiting each person’s individual and outwardly- noticeable nervous ticks.
We were however, united in our various and personal looks of fear.
Nobody knew where this was going as our computers at our cubes were dinging in the background with RSS feeds and emails announcing the end of the world. We were cemented to the live action, the white noise simply reminded us it was as bad as we suspected.
I gasped with my hands over my mouth as I saw the tower fall. I don’t remember who it was, but a woman screamed.
I remember thinking it was like a Godzilla and Rodan image, with the exception that there were people on video jumping from the building and it gripped me in my waddle.
I am a gallows- humor- gal, and as each update came across the wire or through Matt Lauer’s voice, my fight or flight response was hedging into first gear.
The missing planes, the crash into the Pentagon and the crash into the field in Somerset, PA were all kind of background trauma in anticipation of would be next.
I think of it as “fear legos”- nobody wants to think of what it will look like when it is finished.
It took another solid hour for my psych to win over the “I am going nowhere but directly in front of a news source at all times” paranoia, which had set in.
It dawned on me if there was going to be a mass exodus across the bridges and out of the city, I would be trapped for hours.
Although I opted to leave the office and head home for the 90-minute commute, I never turned my phone on.
I had already checked the kids, had our daughter picked up from preschool, got the call from the parents checking on my whereabouts from the office. I was cognizant of wasting my cell battery all of a sudden.
As I sped my way back to 78W, I passed 3 New Jersey State Police barracks as I do twice daily, however, this time there were patrol cars and NJSP SUV’s and paddy wagons parked in every possible orifice and spilling onto the shoulder.
It was clear that every available Law enforcement Officer was called in for a briefing.
I pushed the pedal to 90. No self-respecting officer is going to waste their 9/11 participation by writing me a ticket, I told myself.
If I had to define one of the foremost panic-stricken markers of this day, it would be the observations on my ride home.
As horrific as I knew in my heart the attack on our people, on our soil, was going to play out, the feeling that we were bracing for what was coming next was unavoidable and emotionally paralyzing.
The epitome of terrorism- I was terrorized by the current terror, and terrorized at the fear of new terror.
My memory of heading home that day, to bunker down with my family in the safety of suburbia felt like I was being shot through some cosmic tunnel I just wanted to be able to see the end of.
For reasons I still do not understand, I stopped at a grocery store I had never been to, 40 minutes from home and filled 2 carts without a thought of what needed immediate refrigeration or what the hell I needed bulk packs of every size battery for.
I picked up the kids, ordered my husband home and waited for the world to end *LIVE* on Fox and CNN. For almost every American, it did. At least the world as we knew it.
6 Days Later
My meeting had been rescheduled, although now without the C-level audience I desired, as they were now mostly abroad or working from remote locations.
Scott and I met at the office, and I was emphatic I would not be traveling through the tunnel.
No way, no how, and I did not care that it added an hour travel time. I scheduled the meeting for 1PM for that very reason.
I was ill-prepared for the affront on every one of my senses and emotions as we arrived at the Weehawken Terminal.
After purchasing our tickets and heading to the dock the “wall of missing” hit me like a lead balloon.
I recognized some of their faces as the media had been playing the images with the last words and professions of love from family all week.
They played in my head instantly. I am forever humbled by the fact that in the fear of imminent mortality these people had the resolve to comfort those that loved them.
I have never seen more cops, somber as they were, and outside of that unspecified collegiate incident I was not a participant of, happier to see them.
Once we boarded the ferry, the National Guard, with their military-issue assault rifles were tactically positioned on each level.
I opted to sit outside on the top for my first personal look at the voids to the downtown skyline, and in retrospect, near the dudes with big guns should anything go wrong.
It was windy, foggy, and the grayest day on the water I have experienced. I waited with angst and anticipation of what undoubtedly was going to be the insult only one that has frequented “The City” could expect.
Within 8 minutes, what hit me first was the smell.
It was as acrid as it was thick. A combination of cement dust, metal, some sort of petrol and saturated with smoke.
It stung in my nose and tasted like my Poppa’s basement workshop before my Gram would yell at him to open the bilco doors if I was down there pestering him to wear his safety goggles or scribbling hearts on his plans with the cool square pencil.
Then I saw it.
The twisted crane thing just like the images I had seen all week in the 24/7 coverage, and dark smoke billowing into the sky.
It was true. I was seeing for myself. The towers were gone, the surrounding buildings were missing walls and windows and now covered with blue, orange or green mesh to contain any falling debris.
What I also saw, was that on the roofs of the remaining skyscrapers which survived the attack, were the largest American Flags I have ever seen.
They were either were flying or fastened to the upper side of the building faces. They were everywhere and my chest heaved with pride.
In the face of utter destruction, demolition and unspeakable numbers of dead or missing, someone had the bravery and tenacity to make that happen. It jolted me to remind myself that terrorism is only successful if I allow myself to feel terror by their actions.
My mind began moving back to anger.
As we docked and exited the ferry, I remember thinking I could not imagine how long the ride across the river must have seemed to those lucky enough to be passengers on it that day. Not just for them, but also for the loved ones who held their breath waiting to see if they made it out.
I wish I could say that the meeting yielded first hand spurious accounts of that fateful day for those that were witnessing ground zero unfold outside their conference room window. Although while we set up for our presentation and we could see the steady clouds of smoke passing upward, it was almost like our audience could pretend it didn’t happen.
Following our strategy brief and during the Q&A, we did learn that the building still had not provided a comprehensive emergency exit plan and we learned several employees did not evacuate until the very late afternoon that day.
What can I say? They call it the concrete jungle for a reason.
We were on our way to the 2-block walk back to the ferry, when the National Guard stepped in front of us, clearing the street for the delegation of Black Suburbans with Diplomatic plates heading toward us. We were told that almost every country was sending emissaries to Wall Street to hopefully stave off ,or improve, the mess formerly known as the US Stock Market.
While we waited, we noticed 2 doors down on the right was the Ladder Company missing 9 members. The doors were open, and the photos of the members of their company that were dead or still missing lined the doorway.
There was one firefighter in the bay, and with a shaky little voice I told him how sorry I was for his befallen brothers and their families.
I hugged a complete stranger and said I would be right back.
I backtracked to the last ATM I saw and withdrew cash for a donation. I wish it could have been more but the $600 rash grocery purchase from the week prior made a dent. I returned with my donation and a bouquet of flowers to add to the base of the memorial that took me 20 minutes to pick out.
I lost several business associates but did not lose any personal friends or relatives in 9/11.
I did not employ any heroic measures on that day to evacuate, rescue, or administer care to anyone.
I do not know why I was fortunate enough to escape the fate that thousands of others did not.
Had my meeting been at our usual 9:30am, I may not have.
I share this very personal memoir because I observe this day by paying my respect to the victims of the cowardly terrorist attack on our country September 11, 2001.
It is incumbent upon us to remember that our tomorrow is not a given.
It is incumbent upon us to teach our children what hate, zealousness and intolerance looks like.
It is incumbent upon us to praise the Heroes that gave their lives to save others in service.
It is incumbent upon us to never forget.
Acknowledgement: A special thanks to my son, who on our way home from school yesterday told me that he heard on the school morning news session that some crazy dude was thinking about burning the Muslim bible and asked me. “ Isn’t that kinda the same thing the attack on us was about, but in reverse..?”
Copy Editor: Madeline Tanner, blinkoncrime.com
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I am very far from New York, and did not experience 9/11 as others did, but the experiece I had was still very upsetting to me, and one single, awful remark made that day by a co-worker stands out more than anything else that happened around me. I work on a military base, and when this happened we all went into the conference room to watch. People from our base travel regularly and soon we were scrambling trying to locate all of them and make sure they were safe, it was very scary. (We were sent home soon after and for several days after we had to stay home. The first day back it took so long to go through security and it hasn’t been the same since. Our casual atmosphere is certainly gone.) This is not a good thing to remember, but it is something I can’t forget from that day. We had a woman in our office who used to be in the Navy, and she was in the room watching with us. They were discussing on the news that people were jumping from the towers, and I was just shocked and so upset at that. And when the towers came down, all I could think was “oh my God, there are still people in there!!” and she actually stated something like “well, guess they don’t have to jump anymore” and she laughed. I was so horrified by that. I have never forgotten it and it showed her true character more than anything else could have. It was a disgusting statement. A lot of awful things happened that day, and for me, very far removed, she was one of them.
Great writing. It returned that pit in my stomach from 9 years ago. How it changed us all, even in the unfortunate bevity of the change. People were polite to each other, and loving, forgiving, aching, yearning, afraid; all of these emotions and more.
A wise son regarding the burning of the quoran. Extremism is the problem with those that wish to denounce another’s religion in such ways as killing and/or burning.
Peace. Important now more than ever.
True dat.
In further conversation with my son, I was attempting to explain what analysts refer to as a “religious war” and the fact that nobody can win against those ideals, and those extremists willing to kill others behind the farce of “faith”.
He responded, ” Mom, nobody really wins any kind of war.” I guess it was his turn to teach me.
B
Sadieblue, just read your comment and all I have to say is ‘pure evil’ came out of that woman’s mouth that day. Did anyone respond to her comment? If I was there, I would of bitched her out and then some.
That being said, I remember exactly where I was and what I was doing, the moment I found out about the towers. I will never forget that day. My heart hurt for everyone who lost a loved one that day. May the people who died, RIP.
I have to say, I made it a point, as I do ever year to make sure I watch all the specials on TV regarding 9/11. I watched, commercial free, on the history channel “102 minutes that changed the world” St. night. It was video of a few everday people who caught that day as it unfolded on tape. I cried my eyes out and got angry. I watched the names of those who perished being read at the WTC site. I vow to watch any coverage every year.
I feel that we all every year, no! make that every day, need to remember 9/11/01 so as not to become complacent.
Blink reading what you wrote about your experience that day brought tears to my eyes. I did not realize you were so close to NYC.
I remember where I was as well and, like others, thinking it was an accident, and when the 2nd plane hit, thinking in all my pre 9/11 naievity, “gee, were they following each other?”.
I live about 40 minutes out of NYC along the Hudson River and could see the smoke from the WTC from a mountain nearby my house. There were dozens of us watching, in silence.
2 Firefighter friends were unahrmed, but only because it was their day off but were there for the aftermath. One long ago friend (I knew his 2 botheres more; one is in the armed forces serving in Irag) was a NYC Firefighter as well as a local volunteer firefighter, and lost his life. His name was was Greg Sikorsky. He and several other NYFD Firefighters in my county perished along with others who worked at the WTC.
They were murdered!
Blink, I think we could all learn something from your son…
Thanks again for sharing.
O Linda, I could tell exactly where you were.
It was not lost on me that the fact that I was now a Mother, and I would have killed or died to get to my babies on this day, when that option was taken from so many. I chose the end image of Dad and Son for that reason.
Our babies slept in our room downstairs that evening as we held vigil in the family room through the night watching the coverage. I wanted them with us or within a trek down the hall in an emergency.
I spent WEEKS researching bio terrorism, I had conference calls instead of meetings, and my Pharma Clients were on lockdown for obvious reasons.
I pray that we do not see another day like 9/11, but I prepare them for it, as we all should.
With respect to NYC this eve, and not for my personal preferences:
J E T S
JETS JETS JETS
God Bless your son’s and daughter’s in the armed forces.
God bless our troops, but please God bring them HOME.
I was working as a labor and delivery nurse on 9-11. I felt so bad for the women giving birth during this, we had no idea what was happening and they were so vulnerable. And the babies who share that day as their birth-day. I kept thinking “maybe these will be the children who grow up and make things better in this world”.
birdie says:
September 13, 2010 at 6:51 pm
Sadieblue, just read your comment and all I have to say is ‘pure evil’ came out of that woman’s mouth that day. Did anyone respond to her comment? If I was there, I would of bitched her out and then some.
Thank you for your reply. No one responded to her for some reason that I have never understood. I am not the type of person who stands up to others by my nature, and she is an overbearing, loud person and I didn’t say anything. I always wished I would have since that day. But I think we were all in shock and just lost in our own minds right then. I’m not really sure, it was a room full of people and she just said it and we were so busy talking about who among us was possibly on a plane right then and who was accounted for and all of that, it was just said and no one responded. But I’ve never forgotten it and never will. She no longer works here and I’m so glad. She does not deserve to work in support of our military. I’m sure it is strange to you, for me to tell you someone said something so terrible in a room full of people who said nothing, but it was such an odd atmosphere, it is really hard to explain. She was always crass and rude, and I guess it was something you would have expected from her anyway and we just went on as we were, worried about our personnel and watching the horrible scene unfold on TV.
Hi Blink. I just realized I could comment here, duh! Thanks for sharing your 9-11 experience, it was very touching. It is so important for all of us to remember that day, and to teach future generations about it. Your son is quite amazing, out of the mouths of babes, right? I’ve only been to NY once, and did the World Trade Center tour. On 9-11 I was in Seattle watching the news, clutching my pregnant belly, crying my eyes out. Utter, complete horror. I’m still amazed and thankful that the death toll wasn’t higher. Thank God for our service men and women, and the brave police and firefighters that serve us every day. God Bless America. We will never forget.
Every year I hold a special service in our little church. We will never forget and I will never be the same.
God Bless America!
To me, this is first and foremost a mass murder – a cowardly and indiscriminate attack on innocent people who happened to be at their workplace or on a plane. It was certainly designed to be an attack on the United States, but somehow this is not how it comes across. A friend of mine could have been there – he had just turned down a position at the WTC. I just see individuals, people being so desperate to escape the flames that they jumped out of the window. To me, these pictures should be kept in the public domain, just as other photos showing victims of violence, as a reminder that this must never happen again.
I think we all remember where we were and what we were doing on 9/11. My mother called me that morning and said turn on the news. A plane had hit the WTC. It was with horror that I watched the events unfold and our country be forever changed. I discovered in the following days how emotional and deep the love and loyalty for my country was. I had never really had a significant emotional experience before with my country. I grew up reciting the Pledge of Allegiance but it was rote. Prior to 9/11 I was proud to be an American but never felt the true emotional impact to the meaning. 911 changed that for me and many others. As for the lady that made the callous comment. It was gallows humor and shows a person who was traumatized on the inside but exhibited it in an unacceptable format.
Blink, thanks for reposting this. I was just reading about the theory that it was not a plane that hit The Pentagon but instead 1 to 3 missiles. Yeah right, tell that to the relatives of the passengers of Flight 77.
I WILL NEVER FORGET! LET’S ROLL! .. trademarked by Lisa Beamer, and quote by her husband and hero, Todd Beamer
We had an in-law family member with an office in the pentagon. He was on assignment when it was blown to smithereens or he would have been an additional casualty. Surreal.
B
Yes, Todd Beamer is a hero (along with so many others). I did not know that Lisa Beamer trademarked it.
She did, and I knew you did not, quite ok.
B
>>September 11, 2010 at 6:48 pm
Oh. My god. At 7:13 that morning
I thought that the world was ending.
I heard the news on the radio and went to check
the TV and fell to my knees
I had my “9-11″ baby 9 months later-
we kept getting sent home from the hospital because too many babes
were being born
____________________
lol, a Happy Ending I love to hear.
B
_______>>
Thank you for re-posting me, Blink.
I was looking for it and it gives me great pause. Surely, there was a Baby Boom. Cole can’t be the only one
May God/whomever please bless our great USA and all of its true patriots.
______________________________________________________________________
I guess this would be a more appropriate place to leave my link. I dare you not to cry :’o(
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=xoxxix0QQdU
Sadieblue said
>>and she laughed. I was so horrified by that. I have never forgotten it and it showed her true character more than anything else could have. It was a disgusting statement.<<
Completely disgusting.
Remember, in the end, Just desserts. She'll get hers.
It is 911 2011. Ten years after the attack on our country. My wife got a birthday present she never wanted. Today is the big 80 for her.
Blinks story is as applicable today as it was when it was written. We as Americans must all learn to pull together as I witnessed after Dec. 7, 1941. We must never let terrorism win in our country.
We live where I can see air traffic from Dallas, Houston, Austin and San Antonio on the way to California and back. The skies were silent and empty for days as we struggled to work our way through this attack.
Just as happened in 1941, people took steps to defend our country. Children had to learn once again about the horrors of war and how families lost members because of it. Young men and women made the choices to defend our country again against evil.
Thank you Blink
For those who have not spent a great deal of time in NYC, I really do not have an apt analogy as to how creepy it was, overall. Suspending air traffic with the exception of fighter planes patrolling was flat out the second most unnerving thing I witnessed. It was like you suspended NYC, and it was now in a fishbowl.
B
For the past few days I’ve merely peeked in, glued as I am to everything 911. Rest in peace, Jimmy. We miss you still and always will.
Ragdoll, I’m in awe.
I read your Memorial last year Blink and am thankful that you have brought it forward. So many people lost their lives that awful day and we should never forget their sacrifice. Thank you Ragdoll for the link… it is a very powerful 60 seconds indeed and my throat swells and tears stream every time I watch it. God bless America!
Thank you CJ, just for today, to honor our fallen, our heroes, and those that love them.
B
Paul Simon on Fox singing Sounds of Silence, true for fallen heroes and victims of all abuse. Both foreign and domestic.
Thank you for sharing Blink. Our hearts don’t ever forget such tragedy. Reading here today caused the same physical reaction as I remember having that day as I watched it unfold on TV…rapid heartbeat,confusion and extreme anxiety, not knowing where to turn or what to do other than be close to those that matter. Fear that it was only the beginning of what could come, as well as the knowledge that no true American would ever be the same. I Remember the phone calls from my direct reports wondering if they should even show up to work that day, my not knowing and telling them do what felt right in their hearts. Very touching Blink, God Bless our Country our people that truly give of themselves to make a difference.
Here in Ireland last night we had a couple of brothers from Cork being interviewed on national tv, one of them, Ronnie Clifford, told how he was on his way into the World Trade Center for a meeting when the first attack happened. He was helping injured victims to relative safety just as the second attack happened, all the while not realising his sister, Ruth and her 4yr old daughter Juliana, were passengers of the plane that hit the south tower, they were going on a suprise trip to Disneyland. Absolutely heartbreaking, as there are many others with similar stories. This was not only an attack on America but also the free world in general. God bless the victims and families of 9/11 and God bless America.
I remember 9/11 so well. I was riding around on a John Deere Gator at a plant farm when we were walk talkied a plane had hit the WTC. It was a gorgeous, crisp fall day – in fact, my older brother’s birthday. I thought to myself what fool would have done that – it must have been a heart attack or medical problem. When we were walkie talkied the second plane had hit, the hair stood up on my neck. It was obvious we were under attack. Once I was able to get to a small tv and see the destruction, the death, the fear, the bravery, it was just too much to even comprehend. That night was truly my first night ever of watching all night news. Our innocence was truly lost and our country will never, ever be the same. God bless all those who lost and gave their lives that fateful day. Also, my heart to all the survivors of the 9/11 attacks as well as all of our brave military who have given so much of themselves, including those who made the greatest sacrifice for us all. God Bless America.
We will never be the same. I too remember the sadness, shock and terror of the events that horrible morning. I worked just two blocks away from the capital in Austin/one block from a federal building. In all of the confusion and chaos with unaccounted for planes and possible other targets, we were all sent home. That was after watching with owners/coworkers as the events unfolded. The owner’s best friend/college buddy worked in the WTC and perished that day. I vividly remember the repeated calls to reach him and those of his mother’s concerns trying to find ANYBODY who had made contact with her son. It was surreal. My boss home-officed from PA and was in town to work with me as I was just on my second day on the job. She was stranded here for days since the planes were grounded. I remember flipping back and forth between the non-stop coverage and the I Love Lucy reruns. I had young children who were 1 and 3 at the time that were with their grandmother. I could not pick them up. I sat rolled up in a blanket in my recliner in tears for most of the day, terrified and wondering, “what next?” My children know what happended that day. They attended a rally with us to support our troops at the capital. My son who is way beyond his years at just 13 is a history/military buff and he feels the impact of this day. I don’t know that he fully understands it, but his facebook page today was posted with a new picture of his, “FBI Most Wanted” tshirt of Bin Laden “Deceased”. He wears it proudly and supports our country and our military. I too would prefer an out of work actor but will support any efforts, including enlistment, on behalf of our country in which he decides to pursue. It won’t be easy but I know that he will give his 100% and do it well.
God bless the families of 911. We think of you often and share your pain and heart-break even as far away as Texas. I love the resolve of the New York spirit and we support you in your defiance of terrorism. They will will not win and we will never forget.
I was at an industrial conference/breakfast of nearly 250 in attendance. This quarterly breakfast was always used to promote the platform of industry and the politicians who supported their efforts consistantly. Mid-breakfast, the LCA President interupted our meetting. I remember the plant managers and engineers at the same table as me as though it were yesterday. The head of our group, the president of the LCA, came to the podium to announce what had occurred with the world trade centers…at this time no towers had fallen. He asked…please let’s all take a moment of silence and pray…as our world as we know it will never be the same. In short time we all disassembled and most left. However, I chose to go into a hall that led to a conference room/meeting area that I knew had tvs/newsfeed on all the time. I was in shock…and stood there, with our highest ranked local politicians, the mayor, the sheriff, the state representative, the parish president, and our state congressman. I was not sure why I was the only “civilian” present. Still, I stood beside them as we watched the news and witnessed live the horrifying events taking place and watched as the 2nd tower fell. In that instance, I was shaken to my core…it was unlike anything I’d experienced in my life. These leaders standing beside me were physiologically affected as I was. We truly realized the words spoken moments before were truer than any other we’d heard. We commented on this fact and we all wept…and then we left. I’m sure we all felt there were places we needed to be and we all had loved ones we wanted to touch. I stopped by my office to be sure everyone was aware of what was happening…and by that time we knew President Bush was in Louisiana somewhere and scared the attacks may come here with so many oil and gas and chemical plants within a small radius. Fortunately we were allowed to just leave and go gather our children and go home. That’s what we did…and believe it or not, our leaders, in companies, in government and in community asked us to pray. And thats what we did.
I’ll never forget…God Bless all who were lost that day, especially their families who have grieved and hurt with chronic heartaches for their losses. I offer many prayers and thanks to firemen and first responders of this national tragedy and also to the soldiers and their families who have sacrificed since that day for our freedoms. We are truly a blessed nation…even in tough times, we are so truly blessed. For that, I am forever thankful.
Blink said:
“It jolted me to remind myself that terrorism is only successful if I allow myself to feel terror by their actions.”
This is such a profound statement, Blink. I well imagine that each and every person involved in the rescue shared that very same thought.
I was terrified for weeks. We postponed the first family vacation we could go on with 2 pottry trained kids, lol.
I bought every stupid book on small pox and read up on every counter-terrorism theory- etc, etc.
I dont think we can ever be complacent, but panic-attack driven living did not suit me so I decided to be vigilant but sane.
B
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZE4wjGp-80A
Final post on the subject, then I’m letting it go. Again.
Blink, very touching reading here.
Now, this is the first time I’ve put this in writing and could not think of a better place to put it.
You know nowadays we have unmanned drone aircraft we fly with bombs and cameras. We just sent an unmanned rocket towards the moon. We have a tv show called, ‘bait car’, where the police can shut down a car after it’s been stolen/hijacked.
We are spending billions of dollars on airline safety. We’re making flying very unpleasant. I remember the day when it was fun, thrilling to fly.
Here’s my question. Why can’t we take over a hijacked plane from the ground? Or even a plane that’s lost contact or has gone off it’s planned course. I’m sure we have the technology for this. I’m sure it would cost a bunch to implement in all airlines but what the heck, why not?
Let all potential hijackers know we are willing to give up the plane they’ve hijacked but that’s it. They will not get any farther than that. Either we take over the plane and circle it until it runs out of fuel or land it and storm it to save as many lives as possible.
Peeps, this is not a crazy idea. It can be done. Once the word is out, I truely believe we may never fear a hijacking again. They’ve set the bar very high with 9/11 and I don’t think killing a measly 50 – 400 people is going to get them all cranked up like before 9/11.
It’s been 10 YEARS. Searching 2 year-olds and little old ladies in wheel chairs is NOT the answer. We can do better. Right?
Boz
Your idea of having total control of a commercial airliner from the ground, if necessary, is a good one. It is not commonly known, but some functions can be controled via radio from the ground at the present time.
The easiest thing to do would be to shut and lock the fuel valves via a code so they could not be overridden from the cockpit. The people onboard would probably loose their lives when the plane went down. This may make the jihadists somewhat happy, but it would never endanger a large building again.
Another approach would be to lock out the cockpit control of the auto pilot and turn it over to radio control from the ground. The hard part would be to build a suitable control box to interface to the autopilot that would allow remote control of a landing.
I just read today an interview with the congressman that introduced the legislation creating the TSA. He was sorry that he a done so. The original plan the congress passed was intended to have 5,000 specialy trained agents to be assigned to all US and some foreign airports to look at boarding procedures and other significant issues (maybe profiliing). However, when the transportation department was given the task they took a totally different approach. Now we have 62,000 poorly trained government employees that cost the taxpayer fifteen times the amount originally legislated, and spend time searching babies, people that are old and in wheelchairs and other such useless exercises.
There are test proceedures to see if illegal substances and weapons can get through. According to the congressman, the TSA failed 65 percent of the tests. Makes one feel really safe.
ATG, the terrorists who took over flight 93 had knives. Nothing else. I swear, if I wanted to get a knife on an airline today, I could do it. I don’t want to write here how, but I’m serious, I could get one on a plane and go through all screening. And remember, I’m just a simple old man with some college. Give me the resources and look out.
We’re approaching the resolution of this problem incorrectly. Someone needs to start thinking ‘outside of the box’ and approach this from a different angle. I do believe we have or could have the technology to take over an airplane from the ground and leave the hijackers with their pants down. Instead of searching everyone and everything(what a waste of time and money), just have all passengers sign a waiver saying they’re flying at their own risk. We are no longer bending over backwards in fear and will take action from the ground if anything should happen in the air. We must never let this happen again and we can do it. No ransom, no dealing, just bring them down and shoot it out. Eventually they’ll get the message and hijacking will be a thing of the past.
Don’t even get me started on the Somali pirates.
Blink @ 27.
If I’d have had my way, the swimming pool would now be a bomb shelter.
I read all about how to convert it, right down to the hand operated air purifier thingy that ONLY had to be cranked a full 10 hours a day, or some such thing. The way I saw it, between the lot of us I fully planned on cramming into a 15 x 35 foot space, someone would always be available to crank. THANK GOD the babies born since 9/11 have outgrown their swimmies.
Thanks Blink, for sharing your 9/11 and letting us see it from your shoes. Thanks for providing us this venue where such topics inspire us to write.
On 9/11:
I was living in Vancouver, my alarm set much earlier than usual as I had an acting gig that day, two hours before my call time on the set. Instinctively, I woke up BEFORE my alarm went off (something I never do) and strangely, my roommate had turned on the TV while getting ready for work (something she didn’t usually do either). Hearing her gasps and “Oh my God”s coming from the living wasn’t all that uncommon and assuming it was her usual reaction to ‘Tom Cruise and Nicole Kidman’ are getting a divorce’ kind of news, I ignored the “Quick, come sees” of her beckoning me. My self-absorbed thoughts preferring to look ahead to my big day, I pretended not to hear her.
But she only became more persistent and commanding…so finally I shuffled out to the living room – if only to appease her.
“WHAT??”
And it was at that exact moment, on CNN live, the second plane hit.
THAT, was what.
Oh. My. God.
THAT which changed everything and everyone from that moment on. That which became the day our usually buzzing film set was somber and surreal. The weekday hustle and bustle of the entire world, stopped to a stunned silence of simultaneous realization of exactly what THAT was.
That which 10 years later – the same footage of the plane’s impact, the burning building of lives in a race against time, the horrific plight of those jumping to their death and the ultimate terror of the towers final end – can still evoke the same emotions and immediate tears as that day we watched it happen live.
I did not know anyone who was taken by this irrational act of terror, but my heart holds each and every one of them just the same.
Perhaps we at least have some form of solace this year, no more is the m*th*r-f**k*r behind it.
Humbled and Thank You JR-
B
Thank you, BLINK, for writing and sharing your empathic thought, rationalization and anger.
Living on the west coast, I thought the early morning call was to wish me a Happy Birthday, but it was a former student from a Western series in the mid-severnties years ago but we had remained good friends since then. She said, with great conviction, “”IBE” (not using my real name here, but my Scared Monkey avatar name”), wake up and turn on the TV! What you told me in 1985 is happening!’ ‘
Well I was experiencing my 5th year of a loss of cognitive ability from Fibromyalgia Disability, so could no longer teach all subjects, all grades, enforce Child Labor Laws and safety on the set. My mom, Isabelle, 94 1/2, a teacher of 45 years and I were now each other’s care givers.
So needless to say, I couldn’t remember what I that discussed in 1985 that would someday happened. But it seems it was about a discussion how many in Congress and one is our VP now was going to make laws that would hinder the chance of the CIA and other intelligence agencies to recruit and communicate with each other.
This would weaken the spying ability that we needed for the future. That somehow this would lead to planes attacking tall buildings. (I can’t remember the way that type of terrorism came into the conversation but it would be so easy without a serious spy structure and a weakened one at that, for Congress {VP Biden was one of them} who voted to limited the money needed for cross asset communication (ie: assets and all agencies talking to each other which then we would know what, as known now in hind-sight was never shared with other agencies, so egos carried on with only their own small intelligence of what was going to happen but didn’t co-oporate with other agencies so the whole events could be seen and prevent almost 3000 lives lost and more now of those who responded and volunteered.) This could have prevent less money coming
As teachers, mentors, know it is quite a compliment to have a student, blossom, remember what you say, and put it current context. The bitter-sweet side is that you can’t remember what you said at the time.
So watching the horror, terror, realizing at that first moment the plane hit the first building, everyone dying and jumping, the thought that we were now in a war was making me physically sick even before the second plane hit.
I climbed into bed to be with my elderly mom, Isabelle” clinging on to her. I asked her how she survived The 1918 Flu that scared her, the Depression, World Wars, Korea, Vietnam and the latest wars.
She said that there was no TV to see it over and over, altho we had a TV in 1949. Watching it over and over was not a good thing to do for healthy survival; she told me that time should be used in positive ways for survival for you, you family, community, country, world.
I miss my mom’s wisdom everyday. She never lived long after that to see me have my next Sept. 11 Birthday. I don’t know if she would be happy that I don’t celebrate them any more…. I mope, get depressed, cry, have empathy for all those who lost their lives, their families, friends, co-workers; i get proud, sing, laugh, want to fight the evil and these feelings come and go very fast and over lap.
Well, mom, I made myself watch everything this time but only one time, then prayed, thought, felt guilty, cried, wanted to be young again, since I turned 71 and wanted to be young again to go out and take are of the evil ones.
Mom come help me be happy again on my Birthday like it used to be. Sept.11 and a few days after are so lonely.
Know the bastzxds had to pick someone’s Birthday like Mrs. TGG here and others,, but what do we do with the guilt that were are still living on our Birthday but they are not. Barbara Olson, on the Pentagon flight and married to Ted Olson, Attorney General of the US on 9/11 took a later light so she could cook him breakfast on his Birthday, Sept. 11.
Thank you BLINK for letting us share our thoughts. Stay as good as you are.
Thank you for sharing that IBE. Fwiw, a very dear friend of mine, who also happens to be a Federal Agent, shares that September 11 birthday with you. When we spoke last and he told me he was flying into DC for continuing training ON September 11th this year, it gave me pause.
Not him, he said God help any sorry SOB looking to cause problems on his aircraft, on his birthday, which he would be spending away from his family. Now, that is the attitude we need to have going forward.
B