OT Where Were You 13 Years Ago Today?

[omgitssydthekid]

I was in second grade and we were at school, but were let out early after a church service (I went to a parochial school). My dad had left for a business trip that day to Connecticut so his plane was in the air at the time the attacks were going on/starting. Their flight ended up in Florida, which is a heck of a detour considering we lived in Missouri. It was terrifying not knowing what was going on.

 

[njallday]

Airplanes never scared me, before or after. I think because of my proximity to NYC, and knowing they probably won't do the same thing again...it's bridges and tunnels. That is my fear.

yes. I am convinced I will be trapped in the Holland Tunnel and/or it will collapse in on me. I've sat in there many times in heavy traffic and could see all the wet spots and water leaking in and tried my hardest not to panic.

my class had a field trip scheduled for the next week to go to Liberty Science Center, which was obviously cancelled. (LSC had such a perfect view of the Twin Towers, too) and for whatever reason after 9/11 all class trips were cancelled indefinitely in fear of nothing being safe. 13 years later, they still don't go on trips. it's sad that we have to fear the world we live in so much.

I still have this one picture of my dad and I on ellis island with the towers in the back and I get the chills when I look at it.

 

[SachaaFiercee]

I was in kindergraten, and I remember i was at recess playing on the playground. The teachers made everyone come inside and sit and listen to the radio to see what was going on. Parents were picking kids up, and some of the little kids were crying and honestly... I was just confused.

 

[oncecoolcoachnowmom]

I was headed for my 3rd or 4th period class senior year of HS. I do remember that it was Law/Government. When I got there, the teacher had the TV on. Pretty sure second plane had just hit. I thought he was showing a movie or something like Independence Day because what we were seeing didn't look real.

When everyone else got there, he told the class "We're not doing work today guys. What you're seeing on TV is way more significant and you'll probably never forget it just like I have never forgotten where I was during the JFK assassination" and we watched the coverage for the rest of the period.

 

[CheerBank]

I was headed for my 3rd or 4th period class senior year of HS. I do remember that it was Law/Government. When I got there, the teacher had the TV on. Pretty sure second plane had just hit. I thought he was showing a movie or something like Independence Day because what we were seeing didn't look real.

When everyone else got there, he told the class "We're not doing work today guys. What you're seeing on TV is way more significant and you'll probably never forget it just like I have never forgotten where I was during the JFK assassination" and we watched the coverage for the rest of the period.

I've always said it compares to the JFK assassination for our generation(s). My parents can tell you in detail exactly where they were and what they were doing when they found out JFK was shot.

 

[gymnastyetafanofcheer]

I was 3 years old, and we were living back on the west coast then. Me and my family were up early that day, getting ready to leave as we were going to visit my grandparents, and we were supposed to land at JFK. And I remember the tv was on, and we watched as the second plane hit the World Trade Center. Long story short, our flight was cancelled and we never did visit them.

Also, that very day my Grandfather was supposed to be there for a meeting, however though he got really sick, and cancelled. So luckily, him and who he was spost to be meeting with weren't there.

 

[Eyes On The Prize]

Airplanes never scared me, before or after. I think because of my proximity to NYC, and knowing they probably won't do the same thing again...it's bridges and tunnels. That is my fear.

This. I do not do tunnels that go underwater very well. Driving through the Lincoln Tunnel is the worst part of going down to NYC. Do not tell me how much water is on top of me or how old the tunnel is while I am in it. I do not like going underground in the subways. You can imagine how excited I was when I went to NYC for St. Patricks day and had to take the VERY crowded train from jersey (Hoboken I think? I don't really remember too much about getting there... Hehe) into the city and it went under the river. Longest short train ride of my life!! I don't mind bridges though but being on the bottom lanes of the bridges does not make me feel safe. I prefer the top part. Cuz when it collapses at least I have a chance of survival if I'm on the top. Being on the bottom is a 100% death wish.

I just don't like underground.

 

[ErinS]

I've always said it compares to the JFK assassination for our generation(s). My parents can tell you in detail exactly where they were and what they were doing when they found out JFK was shot.

Yeah my mom was 6 when JFK was assassinated. On the 50th anniversary she was telling me the entire day from her perspective. I was impressed.

 

[cheerKT]

yes. I am convinced I will be trapped in the Holland Tunnel and/or it will collapse in on me. I've sat in there many times in heavy traffic and could see all the wet spots and water leaking in and tried my hardest not to panic.

I have now just developed a fear of underwater tunnels.

Good thing we don't have many (or any?) of those down here.

 

[CheerBank]

I have now just developed a fear of underwater tunnels.

Good thing we don't have many (or any?) of those down here.

I'm not afraid of tunnels but I definitely prefer bridges (I actually love the architecture of bridges). Whenever I go through a tunnel though, especially from NY to NJ, I can't help but think about Stephen King's The Stand.
Have you ever driven over/thru the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel? It is 23 miles of bridge-tunnel-bridge-tunnel combo. @njallday, you would not like this one!

 

[luv2cheer92]

This. I do not do tunnels that go underwater very well. Driving through the Lincoln Tunnel is the worst part of going down to NYC. Do not tell me how much water is on top of me or how old the tunnel is while I am in it. I do not like going underground in the subways. You can imagine how excited I was when I went to NYC for St. Patricks day and had to take the VERY crowded train from jersey (Hoboken I think? I don't really remember too much about getting there... Hehe) into the city and it went under the river. Longest short train ride of my life!! I don't mind bridges though but being on the bottom lanes of the bridges does not make me feel safe. I prefer the top part. Cuz when it collapses at least I have a chance of survival if I'm on the top. Being on the bottom is a 100% death wish.

I just don't like underground.

I absolutely hate my daily commute involving the Metro (subway) under the Potomac into DC. It is the longest 1.5 minutes ever. I've always had a huge fear of overwater bridges as well, for some reason I don't mind when they go over land though.

@CheerBank I absolutely hate the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel. My eyes are always glued shut when we cross that and I have cried quite a few times. I don't know what it is, but it terrifies me.

 

[CheerBank]

I absolutely hate my daily commute involving the Metro (subway) under the Potomac into DC. It is the longest 1.5 minutes ever. I've always had a huge fear of overwater bridges as well, for some reason I don't mind when they go over land though.

@CheerBank I absolutely hate the Chesapeake Bay bridge-tunnel. My eyes are always glued shut when we cross that and I have cried quite a few times. I don't know what it is, but it terrifies me.

Maybe it is when you cross the first bridge, you are in the middle of the bay and then you go down into a tunnel with no land in sight? The first time we drove over it, it completely freaked me out as well.

 

[Pebbles49]

I can tell you where I was 13 years ago and I will not go into anymore details of that day...

13 years ago on that day, I was at work early, sitting at my desk getting ready to enjoy an omelette breakfast before starting my actual research work on the 8th floor in NYC, only a block away from the WTC and in just a short time my whole life changed forever... The building I was in shook as if, it was hit by something too... After the first plane, no one really did not know what was happening, but we were in a hyper- alert state, but it did not dawn on anyone to run out of the building, it was when the second plane hit was when the building Security (in a calm voice) on the intercom told everyone to get out and not get on the elevators. The receptionist in my building, an elderly woman was trying to run down the stairs and had a heart attack and I heard, the medics had to go in and get her. She survived and retired, never coming back to work again, but I heard sadly she did died in 2008.

Once reaching outside, that is where all havoc happened and actually being there to see that scene of devastation was mind blowing and the pure adrenalin that kicks in your body when you are trying to survive and get home is amazing,,, I am going to end it right there...

I remembered, NYC being closed down for about 2 weeks and my job allowed us to take 3 weeks off with paid and all the counseling that was provided and my job site was moved from the Financial district to Mid-Manhattan or the Theater district of NY. That was my experience of 9/11...

PS: We did not know in that moment that planes hit the WTC, many of us running the street thought that NYC was being bombed, it was only until I got home and saw it on TV, I realized those were planes...(Just wanted to add that in the mix to those who saw it only on TV and was watching it, many of us, were running because we were afraid of bombs--)

 

[UCFKnights07]

This.....

 

[gymnastyetafanofcheer]

I'm not afraid of tunnels but I definitely prefer bridges (I actually love the architecture of bridges). Whenever I go through a tunnel though, especially from NY to NJ, I can't help but think about Stephen King's The Stand.
Have you ever driven over/thru the Chesapeake Bay Bridge-Tunnel? It is 23 miles of bridge-tunnel-bridge-tunnel combo. @njallday, you would not like this one!

This. I do not do tunnels that go underwater very well. Driving through the Lincoln Tunnel is the worst part of going down to NYC. Do not tell me how much water is on top of me or how old the tunnel is while I am in it. I do not like going underground in the subways. You can imagine how excited I was when I went to NYC for St. Patricks day and had to take the VERY crowded train from jersey (Hoboken I think? I don't really remember too much about getting there... Hehe) into the city and it went under the river. Longest short train ride of my life!! I don't mind bridges though but being on the bottom lanes of the bridges does not make me feel safe. I prefer the top part. Cuz when it collapses at least I have a chance of survival if I'm on the top. Being on the bottom is a 100% death wish.

I just don't like underground.

yes. I am convinced I will be trapped in the Holland Tunnel and/or it will collapse in on me. I've sat in there many times in heavy traffic and could see all the wet spots and water leaking in and tried my hardest not to panic.

my class had a field trip scheduled for the next week to go to Liberty Science Center, which was obviously cancelled. (LSC had such a perfect view of the Twin Towers, too) and for whatever reason after 9/11 all class trips were cancelled indefinitely in fear of nothing being safe. 13 years later, they still don't go on trips. it's sad that we have to fear the world we live in so much.

I still have this one picture of my dad and I on ellis island with the towers in the back and I get the chills when I look at it.

We used to drive up from Pennsylvania to NY all the time and went through GW bridge or one of the tumms one point or another. I was always scared that we would die on them.

And we have driven through the Chesapeake bay bridge tunnel when driving down to visit houses and on the back up, ( moved to North Carolina about 6 months ago). And I was scared then, and same with my parentS. On the way down during the actual move, we ended up taking the longer route because my whole family is scared to death of it.