# Dumb luck on 9/11



## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

I was asked to relate my experience on 9/11, so here it is:

7:58 am United Flight 175, a Boeing 767, leaves Boston for Los Angeles
7:59 am American Flight 11, a Boeing 767, leaves Boston for Los Angeles
8:01 am United Flight 93, a Boeing 757, leaves Newark for San Francisco
8:10 am American Flight 77, a Boeing 757, leaves Dulles for Los Angeles

Approximately 8:45 am American Flight 11, hits One World Trade Center, aka North Tower.

I was sitting at my desk on the 63rd floor of Tower Two when I heard what sounded like an explosion in the distance. It was actually the first plane hitting Tower One, but I did not know what it was. I looked out the window and the air was full of debris, mostly paper, but also some ceiling tiles and some of the debris was on fire. I knew something was seriously wrong, but I did not know what. I spent less than 60 seconds putting my computer in my bag and was moving. I took a quick look around for the few people that I work with, but saw none of them. Three of us were actually on the floor, but none of us saw each other in the process of evacuating. I headed for the elevators hoping to get down before they were cut off. The elevators on 63 took you to the 44th floor. I got that far by elevator, but was directed to the emergency stairs to get the rest of the way down.

Approximately 8:50 am

Some of the people who were directing us at that level probably did not get out. I remember one fellow who worked in the cafeteria, and must have been a fire warden, directing me to the fire stairs on 44. At the time I did not know if he made it out alive. Morgan Stanley lost 13 people out of 2700, but those were mostly security people and fire wardens. I didn't know this fellow's name, so there was no easy way to find out if he was alive or among those killed. I began walking down the fire stairs. I learned about six months later that all of the cafeteria workers survived.

Approximately 9:03 am

Walking down the stairs people were not panicked, but were moving briskly. When I reached the fourteenth floor, the building shook as though there was an earthquake. That was the plane hitting Tower Two. According to the news afterward, this was 18 minutes after the first plane had hit Tower One, but I still had no idea what was causing the explosions. As soon as the shaking subsided everyone resumed moving and I remember one woman removing her heels at that point. I descended to the lobby level. There more people were directing us as we came out of the stairwell, but they were directing us away from the nearest exit, which happened to be the south side where the second plane had entered the building. I suspect there was too much falling debris to go out that side.

As I went through the mall, I saw three firemen who were heading in the direction of Tower Two. They were all very large fit young men carrying a lot of equipment slung over their shoulders. The route the crowd was following through the mall was rather circuitous. There were no directions being given in the mall.

Approximately, 9:13 am

We wound up exiting on the east side of the complex, under Five World Trade Center. There was some debris falling there too, so I hustled across the street and continued walking toward Broadway. When I got far enough away to look back at the Towers, both were on fire high up. Tower One (aka north tower) was on fire higher than Tower Two (aka south tower). I could see that a number of columns were broken on both towers. It looked like Tower Two was on fire at approximately the level of my office, but later news accounts placed the fire higher. I knew that there was no returning to work that day. The fires would need to be put out and the whole building checked before anyone would be allowed to reenter. I kept moving to Broadway and then turned north. My goal was to get out of New York before the exits across the Hudson were closed. I thought my best bet was the 32nd Street PATH. I tried to use the subway at one point, but found it had been shut down.

I walked quite a distance. I think it was about a mile. I tried using the cell phone but got busy signals. I heard one person say they had seen people jumping from one of the towers. This struck me as extremely far-fetched though I later learned it had been true. I had seen nothing of the sort. I had not seen anyone hurt in any way. A few people had been a bit winded from the walking and there was enough debris falling around that someone must have been hit with falling debris, but I did not see it.

I heard from someone that a plane had hit the World Trade Center. I thought of a small plane and this made no sense to me because there was no way a small plane could set both Towers on fire. I have also flown down the Hudson in a small plane and could not imagine a pilot so out of it as to ram one of the Towers on a beautiful clear day. I passed a newsstand that was open and bought a bottle of water.

Approximately 9:30 am

I finally got far enough away from the crowds to catch a cab. A well-dressed black woman piled in beside me and asked if she could share the ride as far as I was going and then continue north with the cab. I agreed and the cab driver started driving and turned on the radio. This was the only direct news I received. To this day I don’t know who the woman was or whether she made it to where she was going

Approximately 10:00am

I got to the PATH and got on a train headed for Journal Square, which is not where I wanted to be, but it was on the other side of the river. Once underway, the train stopped for what seemed to be a very long time, though no announcements were made. The train did not make any of the intermediate stops where I would ordinarily have changed trains for Hoboken such as the Pavonia Newport station. The train went directly to Journal Square and then went out of service, stranding me at Journal Square. I believe it was the last train out of NY before the PATH tunnels were closed. I talked to a lot of people on the train and heard that Tower Two had collapsed. 

Approximately 10:15 am Two World Trade Center collapses. I believe it was at this point the PATH tunnel flooded at the World Trade Center end. I did not know that the PATH tunnel was now flooded from the World Trade Center to Exchange Place. Weeks later I would learn that engineers trying to assess the damage would go from Exchange Place to the World Trade Center site via rafts through the PATH tunnel.

Approximately 11:00 am I arrive at Journal Square

When we got to Journal Square, there did not appear to be any way to get back to the stops at Exchange Place or Pavonia Ave where I could catch the PATH to Hoboken. A fellow I had met on the train and I decided to look for a cab to Hoboken, could not find one, so we started walking. We were walking toward Exchange Place but started to run into people who were coming from Exchange Place. We learned that the entire Jersey waterfront had been closed. We changed direction to walk all the way to Hoboken. On the way we caught glimpses of the NY skyline and there was a large impenetrable cloud where the World Trade Center had been. With all the smoke you could not actually tell it was gone. I made occasional attempts to use the cell phone, but still no luck. By this time the Verizon switching complex near the World Trade Center had been damaged, taking out 400,000 phone circuits, but I did not know this. Also, I heard later that ten cell towers that had been on top of the WTC had been destroyed. Essentially a record number of calls were being made at the same time massive amounts of communications capacity was going up in smoke.

Approximately, 12:15 pm

At Hoboken the station was cordoned off to receive injured. There were ambulances, stretchers, etc. all over the place. Some of the people arriving were covered with soot. A woman was handing out bottled water and I had gone through the bottle I bought earlier, so I took one and thanked her. I was surprised at all the preparation in Hoboken. By now I had been on the move for over 3 hours and had walked five miles and down 44 floors.

My train line splits at a station west of Hoboken. The next train to leave on that line was scheduled for 12:30 but would go down the wrong branch. I decided to take it anyhow, figuring to get to that station and change trains later, or at least be closer to home if the trains were cut off. I bought a couple cookies while waiting and got on the train. Everyone on the train was talking about what had happened. They were amazed that I had actually been in the Trade Center. They had been wondering if anyone got out alive and I was unaware that anyone had been killed. While on this train I finally made a phone connection to my parents and asked them to call the rest of the family. I was able to get the connection around Newark. I got off at the station I planned to.

Approximately, 1:30 pm

The train that was supposed to go down my branch was late, so I stood on the platform for awhile. When it arrived, a bunch of people in medical garb got off and were talking about letting them get the injured off the train, but I never saw the injured. Once they were done, I got on the train and it took me out to my station. I got home about 3:00pm, having left my desk about 8:45am.

I got home to find 15 phone messages and a large number of email messages from people trying to check on my safety. I spent the rest of the afternoon responding to all of these, still not having seen any news. There were messages from my children left before my parents had gotten in touch with them. Both sounded somewhat panicky so I called each of them but hit answering machines, so I left messages. I continued to answer phone calls and emails, while more flowed in.

I finally got to turn on the news after 6:30 pm and learned that there had been two planes, that both towers had collapsed, etc. I may have been one of the last people in America to know what happened.

Since then I have had people call me "lucky", which is true, "brave" which is not and a variety of other flattering things, none of which were deserved. The best adjective was probably Clueless. I've been interviewed about health effects and architects trying to determine how to make buildings safer. I've listened to more people telling me their 9/11 stories than I can count.

I've also concluded that the worst disaster is one you don't think of in advance.

Today I routinely carry a small AM/FM radio at all times in case I get caught in another disaster, just so I can find out what is going on.


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## VoorTrekker (Oct 7, 2012)

I was in the Knight Transportation yard in Fontana, CA. I woke up about 08:30 (11:30 NYC) and the security guard was shakenly upset. She told me a plane hit the WTC in NYC. I thought, small plane? 

No, jetliner.

I thought, fog?

No. A second jetliner just hit the other tower!

I said, terrorism. 

Then I called my National Guard armory and asked if we'd been activated. We were, in Aug 2004.


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## Sentry18 (Aug 5, 2012)

Wow, thanks for sharing. Quite an interesting life event and one that could have ended very differently. But I don't believe in "luck" in any form. You were either focused and quick thinking/acting or you were blessed. Perhaps all three.


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## Tirediron (Jul 12, 2010)

Wow thanks for sharing your story. I saw most of it on TV, well at least from the point the news coverage started, every move you made seem to be the right one, if you had panicked or hesitated long we might not be reading your account


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Thanks for those comments. Since then I have experienced the New York blackout, which again placed me in the position of having to escape from Manhattan Island, a couple hurricanes, including Hurricane Sandy, and the current administration.


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## redhorse (Dec 27, 2012)

Thanks for sharing Geek. 

I thought I had lost my step dad, he was on a plane that was due to land in Pittsburgh around that time. We couldn't get in touch with him at all, but it turned out he had been re-routed to another airport and just couldn't use his cell until he landed. 

What a terrible day


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## CulexPipiens (Nov 17, 2010)

Geek, care to share what you have learned from that experience?

You mentioned radio and only having the one water bottle... do you have more with you now? Do you have a BOB? What's in it? What would you do differently if you had to evacuate from somewhere again? Do you now have multiple planned routes out? etc.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Thank you, Geek999*

I really appreciate you sharing your story.

Some of it may have been luck. Some of it may have been reflex, quick thinking. Some of it may have been destiny.

No doubt it was a rough day in America's history and for you.

Small am/fm radio. Check! I have one I keep in my gym bag and have a larger one with a power crank, but this is a good idea. They are inexpensive and small. News would be good and the little radio with ear phones is almost nothing, while being indispensable.


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## Turtle (Dec 10, 2009)

Thank you for sharing, Geek. I have friends who helped search the wreckage and have heard their stories, but have never known anyone who was inside when the towers were hit. 

Powerful stuff. 

At the Federal Law Enforcement Training Center, they teach a course on flying while armed and how to fight hijackers. The approach to that area is lined with photos of the events of that day. What struck me the most were all of the photos of people who jumped, falling through the air. 

I firmly believe that you are here with us today for a reason. Call it "blessed" or "fated" or a thread in the tapestry.... I'm glad that you are here to share your story. Thank you.


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## weedygarden (Apr 27, 2011)

*Water*

Geek999, do you go to work in Manhattan now? If not, are you still with the same company? Have they relocated?

I thought about all the bug out (bug home for you) stuff when I was reading your story.

Water! This will always be a challenge. I was thinking about you buying water. That will not always be an option for some of us in a bug out situation. I talked to a guy who was in Florida after a hurricane. He said that some guy drove down his truck with a tank of water on the back of it from Georgia. He charged $5 for a gallon. (Highway robbery, except he had to buy gas to get there) If you didn't have a $5 bill, you could give him a $20 bill and get no change.

Having enough water is important, but having too much water to carry is a drag. For years I have kept a case of water bottles in my trunk and replaced it as needed. In emergency situations, I always have water in my car. So much different than walking though.

Walking as far as you did that day, having 8 lbs. of water in a pack on your back would have not been that heavy, but after several hours of trying to get around could make a difference.

What else did you wish you had that day? You mentioned buying a couple cookies. Would some bars (granola or something) have helped? Jerky? Gum? Chapstick? Hard candy? My electrolytes go fast for me when I work outside. It always takes something sugary or more to get my energy back up.

Here's a thought for all of us, only related to water and SHTF: If the day comes when it is rough and people are walking around, desperate, could we have a way to leave water out for people passing by? This would depend upon us having an endless supply (well, or water feature close) and a way of putting it out for people to use while not blowing our own OPSEC. Just a thought. Each of us have a different situation so if we could or how and where would be different for each of us.


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## Quills (Jun 14, 2011)

Were you of a prepping mentality before this event, or is this the event which made you a prepper?


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

I am in no way making light of anyone who jumped, if MY choice was jump or burn... I think I'd jump. 

but someone asked, what would you equip now... 

if I was in a building that was a known target for terrorists, which it clearly was since it had been bombed previously, and I'm somewhere between 2 and 100+ stories above ground level, I think I'd want to know kind of parachute rigs base jumpers buy.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

CulexPipiens said:


> Geek, care to share what you have learned from that experience?
> 
> You mentioned radio and only having the one water bottle... do you have more with you now? Do you have a BOB? What's in it? What would you do differently if you had to evacuate from somewhere again? Do you now have multiple planned routes out? etc.


Excellent questions. Lately I am not in Manhattan so I am able to keep a BOB in the car that is adequate for 3 days. The problem with commuting into NY is you generally don't have a car. Commuting is by train or bus followed by walking. A typical commuter might already be carrying a laptop or other personal items. I do carry more water.

As far as planned evacuation routes, yes but one of the big lessons of 9/11 was that plans fall apart when faced with reality, to paraphrase the Marines. For most of the folks who died there was no way out once the planes hit. From inside the towers you basically had 3 sets of stairs. If at least one of those routes wasn't open, you were SOL. In addition, there are limited ways to get off an island. Normally the high capacity routes are the trains, but the most reliable during disasters is the ferry. You need to be aware of tunnels and bridges.

As far as doing something differently, probably not as much as you might think because "the next time" will be something different.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

weedygarden said:


> Geek999, do you go to work in Manhattan now? If not, are you still with the same company? Have they relocated?
> 
> I thought about all the bug out (bug home for you) stuff when I was reading your story.
> 
> ...


I do not work in Manhattan currently. The company, which had previously been through the 1993 bombing, relocated people to a variety of locations, including lower Manhattan. Very few of the people who were there at the time still work there. I'd say the company has pretty much forgotten the whole thing.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Quills said:


> Were you of a prepping mentality before this event, or is this the event which made you a prepper?


I was a "prepper" in the sense every Boy Scout is a prepper. I was aware that the 1993 bombing had taken place so the possibility of a terrorist attack was known, though how it would be conducted was not.

My transition to prepping for longer term events has come more from a growing awareness of the fragility of the electrical grid.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

Dakine said:


> I am in no way making light of anyone who jumped, if MY choice was jump or burn... I think I'd jump.
> 
> but someone asked, what would you equip now...
> 
> if I was in a building that was a known target for terrorists, which it clearly was since it had been bombed previously, and I'm somewhere between 2 and 100+ stories above ground level, I think I'd want to know kind of parachute rigs base jumpers buy.


Jet fuel burns at 2000 degrees. The folks who jumped may not have even realized what they were doing on some cases. None of them had much time to consider the situation.


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## Dakine (Sep 4, 2012)

Geek999 said:


> Jet fuel burns at 2000 degrees. The folks who jumped may not have even realized what they were doing on some cases. None of them had much time to consider the situation.


No, I understand that completely. And it applies to different victims separately.

There are those who just became exposed to the immediate lake of gasoline from thousands of pounds of jet fuel being introduced to their immediate vicinity and there are those who got the same option because the fire simply spread to them. whether it was 3 seconds or 30 minutes, ultimately they didnt have much of a choice.

thats all I was getting at.

God rest all of their souls.


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## Geek999 (Jul 9, 2013)

There are a couple books I would recommend. "Last Man Down: A Firefighter's Story" is the story of a fireman who was inside during the collapse and survived. "Heart of a Soldier" is about a man who predicted both the 1993 bombing and the 2001 attack.


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