Where were you Sept 11, 2001?

[Ancient Iron]

I was at work in a hangar in Wichita, modifying a large aircraft for the Air Force. Had heard some reports on the radio that an airplane had hit one tower. Just about the time the report of the second airplane hitting came on the radio, my desk phone started ringing. It was security telling me to close the hangar doors... NOW!. I asked if he meant just the ones facing the street? He said ALL OF THEM! NOW! So I hopped to it.

An hour later everyone was told to leave. Went home and watched it the rest of the day. Don't think I'll ever forget the feeling.

[BillyB]

We were living in Denver at the time and I was getting ready for work when one of my friends that lived out in the suburbs and was riding the light rail into downtown called me to say that a plane had hit the WTC. I turned on the news just in time to see the second plane hit and quickly decided I was not going to work in a skyscraper that day. Stacy and I went into the living room and watched the coverage in horror the rest of the day and pretty much for weeks afterward.

[fred1369]

Tuesday was my day off (if you forget whish day of the week) and my wife kalled from work about 9 AM and told me to turn on the TV. I asked whih station and she said any station. She worked for IBM and a whole bunsh of people she worked with were from NY.
(keyboard degradation, new one on the way)

[Thorns]

I had just traveled from Illinois to the new house in Maryland the night before. The wifey was coming with the movers that week. I had no furniture, but a kitchen table/chair, and a small tv. I woke up and was on my laptop returning company emails, when my wifey called me, and she said,"you better turn on the tv right now!" I was on the phone with her watching the tv when the second tower was hit. Holy SHEEEEit! I had to call all the District Managers and tell them to stay home, or get home, as they were scattered all over the Northeast. Living in Maryland (very close to Aberdeen), the rest of the week was like it was TOPGUN all over the place. A10's, F15's, F18's screeching all over the sky. I kept thinking we are so naive to let this happen. Strange times...so vulnerable.

[Boop]

I had the day off work and was at home watching it happen on TV. That day forever changed the way the FAA does business. My youngest was 8 at the time and when she got home from school, I asked her if she had any questions. Her only question was, "Why would they do that?" Couldn't answer her.

[Slick]

I was at work and noticed a group forming in a co-workers office, she had the only TV in the place. We were shocked and speachless. By late morning we were all sent home to be with our families. The 2 year old was at home with Mom and we picked up the 5 year old from kindergarten.

[DAK47]

Was coming back from deer hunting, my old Scout had no radio so I was oblivious.... Till I turned on the radio in the shop preparing to hang the buck. Raced into the house and flipped on the tv, when I seen it I sat down involuntary like and the coffee table caught me.. We need to fight a total war, no more P.C. Crap.

Dirk

[dynageno]

In front of the TV when it happened. Saw the second plane hit live! Changed my life forever.

[Geezer-Glide]

I was there.
'Nuff said.

[Scabbydoo]

Originally Posted by MegaGlide

....What I remember about the aftermath is the eerie silence when the sound of aircraft are a constant in your life.

We live under one of the major corridors here in the east and commercial traffic is a constant. The complete absence of that traffic during the days of the flying ban was eerie to say the least.

I was in my office at work when someone came in and asked if I had heard that a small plane had hit the WTC. One of the people who lived close to the office went home and got a TV and we saw the second plane hit. At that point it was immediately evident, we were under attack. As close as we are to NY City, almost everyone either had a family member who worked in the city or knew someone who did.

When the plane hit the Pentagon, I began to worry about a friend of ours who was retired Air Force and worked there. Luckily it turned out he was at another location that day.

Less than a week after the flight ban was lifted I was on a flight to Dallas for business. Not many people on the plane and everybody kept an eye on everybody, the entire flight.

[spasicle]

I was in world history class during the 6th grade. Most of the school teachers were running in and out of the classrooms talking to each other, I don't think they wanted to let the children know or worry them. History teacher decided it was a pretty big event we would all remember for the rest of our lives and we watched the news for class. They sent us home early after that.

That was the day I started watching the news regularly and paying attention to world politics.

[Bone Stockman]

I was at in my office when I noticed that the phones weren't ringing and I hadn't seen anyone in about 15 minutes. I walked out into our showroom, and the place was empty. It was like it was suddenly Z-Day. I looked down the hall towards our corporate office, and could see people through the little window. I walked in and they were all watching TV. I blurted out, "are you fvckers watching a movie?" right as the second plane hit.

I called my (now ex) wife who was home that day and told her to turn the TV on. When she asked what channel, I told her that it didn't matter. By this time the cell phones were dead (45 minutes from DC and the Pentagon), so we were stuck with the land line.

My office is not even 5 minutes from BWI, and we're directly under the flightpath. It was surreal standing outside for a smoke and not seeing or hearing any planes. And then, about every 20 minutes or so, we'd see a flight of F-18s or A-10s.

To this day, Katie refers to it as the week the planes didn't fly.

[TimmyD]

I was at Quantico MCB - stayed home for a morning Doc. Appt., I was watching it live on TV when the 2nd plane hit. I ending up not going to work that day because I could not get off base. The base got seriously locked down.
I didn't know it then, but my wife became part of a rifle company in charge of securing various 'assets' on the base. I didn't see her for ~3 days.
I don't know if the world is any safer now - it seems its gotten crazier.

[MrSurly]

I was off work that day and had gone down to the rural courthouse annex in hallsville to renew the registration on the family Chrysler. I had guessed wrong about their hours so decided to just wait the half-hour till they opened. I was listening to the Bob and Tom Radio show, a morning drive time syndicated comedy sort of show. Their show is prank calls, toilet humor and non-stop yacking and joking with guests and callers. They made the announcement about the first plane and they tried to convey that no, this was not a joke, not another prank, this is serious, y'all quit laughing for a minute. There was confusion about the size of the plane "twin engine" was all the detail they had. The show sort of stalled, but then call or two and it was clear that the full meaning was not yet known or appreciated by the callers and guests; though the hosts were evidently able to see a TV and were sounding more concerned by the minute. They struggled a bit with trying to get across that this was not a drill and yes, we do that comedy stuff everyday, but, not now..."please, listeners, please, pay attention...find a TV if you can, see what's happening" and then, Oh My God...Ho Lee Shi.... Another plane... another plane has hit the other tower. It looked like a really really big passenger...oh my God... I had gotten to the house at that point and turned on the tube

[Xkvator]

the week b4, the garage door co., that installed the overhead door on my just put up Morton building, sent a couple idiots out, and they screwed up the installation...
since Morton contracted them, i told the rep, that when the door co. sent different guys out to fix the door, he had to be there to babysit them...

that morning, while the door was being re-installed correctly, i went up to the house to get us some bottles of water...

the tv had been left on in the bedroom, so i went to turn it off...couldnt believe what i was seeing...switched channels to make sure it was real...1st tower had just been hit...

ran down to the garage by the house and grabbed the 13'' portable and ran down to the building...
the guys were looking at me like "WTF is wrong with this guy"...

we watched the 2nd plane hit...

the reporters talked of the plane supposedly on flight path to White House/ Pentagon that was somewhere in this area...

we watched the planeless skies...no sight of any...

a little while later, Flight 93 crashed 40 miles away in Shanksville...