My September 11 Experience Stranded In A City Attacked by Terrorists

[BadPinkTink]

Back story
I was in New York September 2001 to go to Michael Jackson concerts in Madison Square Gardens. I was one of the fans who was outside the hotel he was staying at, The Palace Hotel, beside St Patrick's Cathedral Madison Avenue and E 50th Street. The concerts were September 7 and September 10. This is my experience of September 11 and the days that followed.

Tuesday 11 September

Even though it was late when we got back to our hotel, we decide to get up early. During our time here we have seen the huge queue at the checkout desk every morning and we don’t want to waste any of the short time we have left in a hotel queue. Our flights back to Europe are in the evening, so we decide to check out of the hotel around 8 am and go straight to The Palace Hotel. Our plan is to spend most of the day with the other fans and then go to the airport in the afternoon.

We eventually get to The Palace Hotel around 8.30 am. We find a spot to put our luggage and spread out our flags and banners on top of the cases. There are a few fans around, who are lying on the ground, looking up at the sky but as many were here late last night, most fans are in bed in their hotels.

Around 9 am, I decide to do a breakfast run. As we had our luggage with us this morning, we didn't stop for our usual breakfast on the way to The Palace Hotel. I decide to go to the deli on Madison Avenue, around the corner from The Palace Hotel.

As I walk down the street there’s a strange atmosphere, people are running. Suddenly I look up, down Madison Avenue and in the distance, way at the end of the island where The Statue of Liberty is I see a huge mushroom of smoke. My brain takes a few minutes to register what I am seeing. All around me, people are screaming, running down the street pointing to the smoke in the sky.

Something in me recognizes something very bad has happened and I run back to my friends at The Palace Hotel, all thoughts of food forgotten.

All the fans know something has happened but we don’t know what. Some fans have Walkman’s and turn on the radio, we try to ask people in the streets and shops but we don’t fully understand what is going on. All around us people are running and screaming.

Finally I decide to go into The Palace Hotel and ask the hotel reception. At last someone tells me the horrible truth, that terrorists have attacked New York and flown planes into The World Trade Centre. When I tell her that many of us were due to fly home to Europe today, she tells me that the airports are closed and that we will not be going home today. Her advice was to go back to the hotel we had just left and make sure we have somewhere safe for tonight and that we can work out what to do tomorrow.

In shock I go back out to my friends who have also found out the horrible truth. I kick into survival mode and tell my friends to stay at The Palace Hotel with our luggage. We have to have somewhere safe tonight, that’s the most important thing right now. So about 10 am I leave the Palace Hotel and make my way back to our hotel. As I walk through the streets of Manhattan, through Times Square and back to Madison Square Gardens, I don’t really take in what I’m seeing and experiencing. All around me, people are screaming, running, pointing to the sky. As I pass Grand Central Station, people are pouring out, the trains have been stopped, streams of people heading to the bridges, trying to get off the island, and all the while a never ending scream of emergency vehicles and police car sirens.

When I get to the hotel, there’s a huge queue of people. It seems many people have realized that they need somewhere to stay tonight. The hotel staff keep going up and down the queue, telling people if they don’t have a reservation than they won’t get a room. Every time a staff member comes near me, I explain my situation, that I just checked out this morning, that we are from Europe, due to fly home today but now cant as the airports are closed. All that’s in my mind is that I have to get a room, I have to make sure me and my friends are safe tonight. Slowly, slowly the line moves. I don’t even notice that I haven’t eaten today, or the scared chatter of the other people in the queue or even think about how we are going to get home. Nothing else matters, I just have to get a room and be safe. All else can be sorted later.

Eventually I get to the top of the queue and I’m at last talking to the desk staff. Again I repeat my story, how we have to have a room, that we have been staying for the last week and we only checked out this morning. A few minutes later, I leave the hotel with 3 room keys. I did it; I got us somewhere to stay tonight and not just tonight but for as long as we need to stay. The lady behind the desk even managed to put us back into the same room we had left that morning.

As I leave the hotel, I look at my watch. I can’t believe it, it’s nearly 3 pm!! It’s taken me over 4 hours to to reach the top of the queue. I still haven’t eaten but I know I have to go back to The Palace Hotel as quick as I can. I’m sure everyone must be worried as I have been gone so long. I didn't think it would take this long to get a room for us.

As I race back to The Palace Hotel, the streets are not as crowded but there is a very strong smell of smoke in the air and the sirens have not stopped.

When I get to The Palace Hotel, all the fans are there. My friends have been worried about me but they are so relived that I managed to get somewhere for us to stay. Finally I think about ringing my family. Up till now I was in survival mode, had to make sure we were safe and had no time or chance to ring my family. As soon as I can I join the queue of other fans at the payphone on the corner opposite The Palace Hotel. While I’m in the queue, my friends tell me that Michael is leaving soon. Just as I start to use the phone, I hear the fans scream and run to the hotel. As I talk to my family and let them know I’m OK I see Michael's car come out of the hotel garage, and through the back window of the car I see Michael and the children waving as the car goes down the street.

After I finish talking to my family, all the fans just stay at The Palace Hotel. It’s now nearly 4 pm. I tell my friends about my adventure getting our hotel room back. We decide to stay at the Palace Hotel for the rest of the day. Even though Michael has gone, we don’t want to leave. There are about 50 of us from many countries and we don’t know where to go or what to do. All we know is that we will not be going home today. Many of us are running out of money as this was supposed to be the end of our trip. We wander off to get food and bring our luggage back to our hotel, but we feel safest all together, in a familiar place, outside The Palace Hotel.

As night falls, we know we have to go back to our hotels. Some fans have not been as lucky as us and don’t have a hotel room. We all try to make sure everyone has somewhere to stay, those of us with hotel rooms helping out those who don’t. Just before we leave for the night, we see Michael’s bodyguards walking across the street towards us. They tell us that Michael has told them to check we are all OK They tell us he and the children are safe, that they are in New Jersey and that Michael is worried about us. We tell them most of us have a hotel room and that we are looking after those who don’t. Is this real, is Michael Jackson really making sure we are OK has he really instructed his staff to check up on us???? This day has been too much, how can all this be happening to us….

The bodyguards stay out with us for a while, getting to know us, asking us where we are from. Once they go back into the hotel we all agree it’s time to leave. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we all agree to meet back here in our usual place, at The Palace Hotel. It’s the only way we can stay in contact, the only way we can share information and make sure everyone is OK and its a good idea to have a central point we all know and feel relatively safe at.

We go back to our hotel, bringing with us one of the fans who had no hotel room. The walk back to our hotel, a walk we have done so many times over the last week feels very different now. The streets are very quiet, too quiet. This is New York, the city that never sleeps, yet as we walk through Times Square, there are very few people and no cars. The majority of the huge billboards are in not on. Other than the screaming emergency vehicle sirens, Times Square is silent and in darkness.

We go back to our hotel room and try to make sense of the day. We do not know what tomorrow will bring or when we will get home. We try to watch TV, to find out what’s real and what’s not. It very odd to hear the sirens outside being echoed on TV. Exhausted we try to get some sleep. Before we turn the lights off we make a pile of our clothes, money and passport, just in case the hotel evacuation sirens go off in the middle of the night.

Wednesday 12 September

The first thing we hear as we wake are the never-ending emergency vehicle sirens, a constant reminder that yesterday was real and we are still in New York. Numbly we get dressed and head back out to The Palace Hotel. We don’t know where else to go. We don’t feel safe in our hotel and we don’t feel safe outside.

When we get to The Palace Hotel, we see most of the fans are there. We find out that after everyone left last night, some fans were left, who had no hotel room. They tell us that Michael’s bodyguards came back out and when they heard that they had nowhere to go, they rang Michael. Unbelievably Michael told the bodyguards to bring the fans into the hotel and let them stay in his suite. Is this real, Michael Jackson taking care of us, Michael Jackson making sure fans are safe???

We share information, food, try to make sense of what’s going on. Mostly we just sit around, too scared to go anywhere else. The pay phone at the corner of the street becomes our only lifeline to the outside world. There is a constant queue of fans using it, ringing airlines, ringing family, trying to get home. A lot of the times the calls don’t even get put through, the phone networks drop out randomly and phones calls get cut off.

In the afternoon Michael's bodyguards come back out to see us. They bring us food from the hotel; try to help us get airline information. They tell us Michael has told them to stay and make sure we are OK until the airports have opened and we can go home.

Again we all stay together at The Palace Hotel until it gets dark. Again we try to make sure that everyone has somewhere to stay, and again we bring another fan back with us to our hotel.

Just like the night before we turn on the TV, to see what’s on the news, to see if there is any new information about the airports. Before we turn off the light we make our clothes pile with our money and passports just in case the hotel evacuation sirens go off in the middle of the night. Almost every building in central Manhattan has had hoax bomb threats today and we have heard from other fans that hotel evacuation sirens can happen at any time.

Thursday 13 September

Another day of the same. Waking up to the sirens on the streets, making our way back though a city which has turned into a war zone to meet up with the fans at The Palace Hotel, everyone on the pay phone to airlines and families, trying to get back home. In the afternoon the bodyguards come out to us.

How much longer can this go on, how much longer will we be stranded in a city under attack??

Thursday turns into Friday…..

Finally a breakthrough, we find out the airports will be opening tomorrow, Saturday 15 September. We ring airlines, our families, make sure that we are re-booked on a flight home.

Unfortunately as the airports have been closed for 4 days there is a huge backlog of stranded people and most fans don’t get flights home the day the airports reopen. Somehow we have managed to get on the first flight out of New York back to Ireland. We are the lucky ones, we are the first of the fans to make it home.

We arrive back in Ireland Sunday 16 September, 5 days after the life changing events of Tuesday September 11 2001.

 

[mmouse37]

2977 people died in the terrorist attacks on 911, and many, many more since then. Brave heroes risked their lives to save people and to find the dead. NYPD and NYFD running into burning buildings trying to save lives. The countless injured. Families and communities forever changed. For some reason, I find your post highly offensive. Maybe sit back and reflect upon what true loss is, you may have been scared or frightened, but you were alive and you didn't lose anyone close to you in the terrorist attacks on 911.

Don't forget the PAPD (Port Authority Police) which my husband was at the time and lost 37 of his fellow officers that day and whose headquarters were in the basement of the WTC.

I agree that it was a tragic day and one our family can never forget. We did not know for hours if my husband was dead or alive due to the lack of cell service. Last I heard from him he was he was to report to the WTC from the GWB (George Washington Bridge). Later when the towers fell we did not know where he was. It was horrible. I still get emotional thinking about it all. Many brave people and first responders lost their lives senselessly. I chalk up the OP's post as immature, not grasping the true significance of the day.

MJ (not Michael Jackson BTW)

 

[Oreo Cookie]

Don't forget the PAPD (Port Authority Police) which my husband was at the time and lost 37 of his fellow officers that day and whose headquarters were in the basement of the WTC.

A agree that it was a tragic day and one our family can never forget. We did not know for hours if my husband was dead or alive due to the lack of cell service. Last I heard from him he was he was to report to the WTC from the GWB (George Washington Bridge). Later when the towers fell we did not know where he was. It was horrible. I still get emotional thinking about it all.

MJ

Sorry, I did not mean to forget anyone. So many risked their lives, and there were so many lives lost. Hugs to you and your DH.

 

[mmouse37]

Sorry, I did not mean to forget anyone. So many risked their lives, and there were so many lives lost. Hugs to you and your DH.

No harm, everyone remembers NYPD and FDNY and I just think many don't realize how involved the PAPD were at the time and how they lost such a high percentage of their police officers on 9/11. The WTC was a Port Authority facility along with the Bayonne, Goethals and George Washington Bridges; and the Outerbridge Crossing, Bus Terminal, Holland/Lincoln Tunnels and all the airports (LGA, JFK, EWR) which all were potential targets that day (and still are). He worked at the site for several months after that and all were on mandatory extra shifts. Didn't see much of him that year. I don't post this to take anything away from the NYPD or the FDNY, only to enlighten people on the PAPD.

http://www.panynj.gov/police/sept-11-fallen-papd.html

I actually used the Disboard as a huge source of info and communication that day since people were posting about what was going on and keeping everyone updated.

Our friend does this memorial each year on his front lawn.

MJ

 

[dinolounger]

I agree that what the OP did was (perhaps unitentionally) rather insensitive. Here's a more "reality check" restrospective from someone who was also in Manhattan on that day and until this thread wasn't even aware (and frankly didn't need to be) that some celebrity was on his way out then.

On Tuesday, September 11, 2001 I arrived at work early (a little after 7:30am) at my office on 26th and Park. I had come in early because the manager running a task force I was on had the gall to call an 8am meeting. The meeting ended shortly before 9 and as I returned to my office, one of my staff came by and said "my wife just called me and said an airplane just crashed into one of the twin towers."

To be honest, my immediate reaction was "probably some poor confused guy in a cessna." But concerned voices from down the hallway - where my boss had her office -- gave me the sense whatever had happened was more serious than an errant light plane. I walked down there and saw everyone staring at the television that was in her office. One glance at the gaping hole in the north tower and the horrific clowds of black smoke made me realize that something much bigger than a cessna had hit the building.

I went back to my office and tried calling my spouse, but the phone lines wouldn't even produce a dial tone. However, the inter-office lines were working and a friend who was up on the 36th floor of the building called me and said "come up here, you won't believe what is going on downtown." I took the elevator up and walked to his office, which had a large window facing south. I was horrified to see how much smoke was coming out of the north tower and as I was turning to comment to him, one of his staff who was also in the office started shrieking "what is that sound?" Just as she said that , I hear a loud rumble to the left and all three of us then watched a large commercial jet pass over our building, heading south. It flew uneasily but the further south it went, the more clear it became that it was heading towards the smoke of the north tower. My friend's staff member started saying "no, oh please, no."

We then saw a massive fireball erupt on the west side of the south tower.

Within a minute, security came over the PA and announced everyone above the 15th floor (my office was on the 11th) needed to immediately go to a lower floor. I headed back to my office and was greeted by one of my staff who was in tears, and I quickly learned that was because his son worked in the north tower. Ed has not been able to reach him, and couldn't even reach his wife at their home in New Jersey, since all the outside phone lines and cell networks were completely overloaded (it turned out later that the north tower was hit before Ed's son even got into work and he was told to turn around the monent he got within three blocks of the WTC complex).

More announcements came over the PA, including one by the Chairman who advised everyone to stay in the building. That seemed both logical and odd. On the one hand, by now national guard fighter jets were flying back and forth over Manhattan at low altitudes, which frankly wasn't helping (the last thing anyone wanted to be hearing then was a low flying jet.) Rumors were also spreading that car bombs were going off in front Macy's. On the other hand, it was an absolutely gorgeous day outside (that is a distinct memory of anyone who was in New York that day) and since the wind was blowing to the southeast, all the smoke in lower Manhattan was being carried off towards Brooklyn. Those watching the situation on TV were getting a midleading vision, since the camera shots all focused on just the lower tip of Manhattan, which made it seem like the entire city was enveloped in chaos and smoke.

My office phone rang and my sister in Philadephia was on the other end. Since she was the first contact who has managed to get through to me, I immediately asked her to call my spouse and advise them I was safe. I remember her asking me "what do you see?" and I answered in honest but in retrospect, idiotic fashion: "When I look out on Park Avenue I see people walking around, no one is screaming or panicking, it frankly looks like a normal day where I am north of downtown, even though we all know it's not."

After our call ended I went down to my bosses' office, which was empty then except for Alan, one of my co-workers. We started talking and then we noticed on the TV a large cloud of dust cascading down the south tower. Just then, the windows in the office started loudly rattling and continued to do that for about 40 seconds. Alan and I looked at each other and I said "those windows were rattling because of a change in air pressure.... a big one." We then realized what had just happened, before the TV commentators were even aware the south tower had just collapsed.

The rest of the story? The Port Authority shut down all the tunnels and bridges in and out of Manhattan, so I spent the better part of the afternoon wondering if I was going to be spending the night in the office. But shortly before five, announcements were made that Grand Central (my commute portal) had reopened. I will never forget the walk up to the station; there was hardly any vehicular or human traffic on Park Avenue and Grand Central was erriely quiet when I got there. I literally felt like I was walking through the sets of the 1959 end-of-the-world movie "The World, the Flesh and the Devil."

The trains were running but the one I took was at best 1/10 full, which left me wondering how the hundreds of thousands of others who normally ride those lines daily had gotten out of Manhattan.

 

[WebmasterKathy]

All- it is fine to share your personal experiences or memories. It is NOT fine to insult, belittle or otherwise be rude to or about other posters.

Many posts here have been deleted. Please be respectful or step away from the keyboard.

Carry on.

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Here is another account of Michael Jackson helping out his fans on 9/11. It was easy to find.
http://www.michaeljacksonthelastangel.com/michael-jackson-2000s.html


I understand that this is an extremely sensitive subject for many. I live across the country, and my heart aches. I can only imagine how people who were actually connected feel. At the same time, other people had experiences on that day, too, and I don't believe that sharing those experiences take anything away from those horrific events, and the hurt and anger people still feel today. I don't believe that the original post had any malice in it when posted.

 

[BadPinkTink]

wow , seriously, please step back a second.

I am not American, I was in New York on vacation, I was due to fly home on September 11, I had very little money left, our cell phones did not work, no not because of the attacks, but because of technology.

Yes it is an American day of tragedy and everyone focuses on Americans and how they were affected BUT many many other people from many other nationalities were affected to.

Yes horrific things were happening at Ground Zero, but around the city, people came together and helped each other out. No matter what nationality you were, whether you were a tourist like us, or a native New Yorker, people came together and helped each other in whatever way they could.

There is so much I didnt write, so many memories, like going into St Patricks Cathedral and praying for the city of New York, and
the huge amounts of ordinary people who were doing the same thing, putting my donation to light a candle in the box but not being able to light a candle as every candle holder in the cathedral was full.

How many of the shops gave us free food and let us use their landline phones to ring our parents in Europe to let them know we were alive.

The very frightening sight of a dark and silent Times Square and no cabs. The island of Manhattan was in lockdown, you could get our but not back in. The cab drivers wouldnt take fares in case the journey took them off the island and they couldnt get back.

To get home I had to go to JFK and get on a plane. So many Americans wont fly because of the attacks, have you any idea how traumatic it was to be in JFK and get on a plane 5 days after the attacks???

6 weeks later, in November I returned to New York. Yes it was to see Michael Jackson again. I returned as a tourist to the city when so many tourists would not travel there. The funerals were still taking place but we came back and spent our money in a city trying to get back on its feet.

In the last 14 years I have only worked on September 11, twice, both times I had no option not to work. Every other year I pay my respects to the people of New York in different ways. Every year I relive the memories, hour by hour. I went back to New York in 2006 and went down to Ground Zero. I had to leave as it was too traumatic for me to see the timeline.

Yes I still suffer from PTSD. Most of the time I am ok but I know my triggers. My most recent episode was in 2013 in California. I was at a restaurant with my friends when the emergency evacuation alarm went off. There was a fire in the kitchen and the restaurant was evacuated. The building alarm, combined with smoke in the air and the sirens of the fire trucks was too much for me to deal with and my body went into shock. In my head I was back in New York, and I was shaking, breathless and completely spaced out, not aware of my surroundings. Luckily my friends realised what was happening to me and took care of me and we left the area and went to a different restaurant.

The September 11 Memorial in London, beside the US Embassy was a place I would often visit when I lived there.


New York and what happened that day are with me forever. You are soo far off the mark to think that in any way my original post was insensitive or disrespectful.

 

[BadPinkTink]

As a Long Island resident and a Manhattan professional, 9/11 holds a special pit in my stomach. I'll never forget that day and I don't see anything wrong. The OP has decided to share an experience on the anniversary of the event, speaking about how people came together to help each other and acts of kindness and what it felt like to be in the city those days. I for one appreciate the post. I am sorry it upset you, I hope any pain the memory of the day may bring you passes swiftly.

Adam

THANK YOU
Everything focuses on what happened at Ground Zero, but the whole city was affected, and the stories of how people helped each other get through a very traumatic time need to be remembered too

You realize some people never made it home. Instead of being ungrateful it took you a few extra days to get home. You should count your blessings that you were safe and thank the NYPD and NYFD that they ketp you safe.

Oh for goodness sakes, seriously, how the heck do you twist my post into something soo soo far from the truth. Open your eyes and your heart and just for one second see the trauma experienced by EVERYONE that day, not just Americans

I don't think OP meant to be offensive at all, what I read was a touching account of how people banded together, how a celebrity reached down to his fans, and the confusion and fear so many people experienced that day. I don't diminish the horror of that day, it was very terrible, but I think reflecting upon the way people handled it and experienced it is also key. I'll never forget the days following and all the different stories of people coming together to persevere, and while I would erase that horrible day from history without hesitation given the chance, I cannot, and I find comfort in knowing in the darkest hours, people helped each other.

I didn't say the memory should pass quickly, I'll never forget it, no one should, but the pain it brings when the anniversary comes around is not something that should linger.

Again, I don't feel this posting was made for some sort of notoriety or attention, I believe OP was sharing an experience, a perspective and a compelling story about people coming together

I'm not going to spend any more time in this thread, it breaks my heart to see people sniping at each other over a shared experience of a terrible day. I wish everyone the best and my condolences to all who lost something that day.

Adam

THANK YOU. I experienced something different, but at the same time my experiences no way belittle the suffering of what was happening a few miles from where I was. Its a different side to the September 11 story, thats all

If so, I stand corrected. Just seemed like quite the story to have not shared it fully in that other thread.

WOW, really, you doubt my story becsue I didnt share it before??? That thread turned all sorts of nasty before the Admins closed. You read many of my OTHER posts all over Dis you will have seen I have mentioned being in New York during September 11 numours times.

I know she mentioned it on another thread and also that she still suffers from PTSD over this........

THANK YOU

I don't understand what's so offensive about her post. She is telling what she saw and witnessed on 9/11. What's the big deal about her talking about Michael Jackson in the post? That was the whole reason why she was in the United States in the first place. I thought fanfiction was about a fictional story - there's too many details for this to be fiction (or maybe I'm just really gullible...).

The tragedy of 9/11 deeply effects me, but I still don't get what is so offensive in her post.

THANK YOU

Don't forget the PAPD (Port Authority Police) which my husband was at the time and lost 37 of his fellow officers that day and whose headquarters were in the basement of the WTC.

I agree that it was a tragic day and one our family can never forget. We did not know for hours if my husband was dead or alive due to the lack of cell service. Last I heard from him he was he was to report to the WTC from the GWB (George Washington Bridge). Later when the towers fell we did not know where he was. It was horrible. I still get emotional thinking about it all. Many brave people and first responders lost their lives senselessly. I chalk up the OP's post as immature, not grasping the true significance of the day.

MJ (not Michael Jackson BTW)

Thank you for sharing your story. There are many many stories of what happened to so many people that day but everyone focuses on the headliners. Your story needs to shared too and those of the PAPD who were lost

I guess I'm just not that easily offended.

She wasn't from the United States. Try putting yourself in her shoes. Imagine you were a foreigner in another country for a vacation and something similar happened. Would you have done anything differently? She was probably scared and confused. Wouldn't you wonder when the next possible chance would be to get out of that horrible situation? Wouldn't you want to find a place to stay for the night? You would be focused on your own survival and your own safety. Of course it's going to sound all about her, because it was from her point-of-view.

Her recalling the events of the day as she saw them unfold does not diminish the lives of any of the victims. Not in the least bit.

THANK YOU

All- it is fine to share your personal experiences or memories. It is NOT fine to insult, belittle or otherwise be rude to or about other posters.

Many posts here have been deleted. Please be respectful or step away from the keyboard.

Carry on.

THANK YOU KATHY
I shared my story to show solidarity with the people of New York. I share my story so that that day will never be forgotten. I had no idea that people would twist it into me being insensitive. I just cant believe that people would be so blind to the sufferings of EVERYONE who was affected, just because I am not American and I was there on vacation

Here is another account of Michael Jackson helping out his fans on 9/11. It was easy to find.
http://www.michaeljacksonthelastangel.com/michael-jackson-2000s.html


I understand that this is an extremely sensitive subject for many. I live across the country, and my heart aches. I can only imagine how people who were actually connected feel. At the same time, other people had experiences on that day, too, and I don't believe that sharing those experiences take anything away from those horrific events, and the hurt and anger people still feel today. I don't believe that the original post had any malice in it when posted.

THANK YOU . That is actually written by one of my friends

 

[Soldier's*Sweeties]

and you are sooo far off the mark, that I cant even formulate the words to how far off you are.

There are soo many stories of what happened to people that day, of what it was like to be in the city and have no idea what was going on. My parents did not even know if I was alive until 6 hours later when I finally managed to phone home.

Okay.

 

[Jennasis]

Nothing insensitive at all about the OP's post. Heck there were entire threads at one time or another about people dealing with the day while on vacation in WDW and how it affected them.

I lived on Long Island, working in tv news that day. I smelled jet fuel burning for days and the plume of smoke. I lost friends. Spent hours pouring through raw footage I was feeding back to the station looking for faces of friends and family in the chaos. Held crying friends and colleagues. Everyone has their own story that day.

Thanks for sharing OP.

 

[BadPinkTink]

Nothing insensitive at all about the OP's post. Heck there were entire threads at one time or another about people dealing with the day while on vacation in WDW and how it affected them.

I lived on Long Island, working in tv news that day. I smelled jet fuel burning for days and the plume of smoke. I lost friends. Spent hours pouring through raw footage I was feeding back to the station looking for faces of friends and family in the chaos. Held crying friends and colleagues. Everyone has their own story that day.

Thanks for sharing OP.

Thank you, sending you hugs across the miles. Thank you for sharing your story. ALL stories of that day need to be shared. We need to keep the memories alive to honour those who were lost and those like you whose job it was to keep us all informed even though you were dealing with personal trauma too. Thank you to you and your colleagues for having the strength to keep going that day

 

[WebmasterMaryJo]

Thank you, sending you hugs across the miles. Thank you for sharing your story. ALL stories of that day need to be shared. We need to keep the memories alive to honour those who were lost and those like you whose job it was to keep us all informed even though you were dealing with personal trauma too. Thank you to you and your colleagues for having the strength to keep going that day

I appreciated your story, and thank you for sharing.

 

[nd5056]

Back story
I was in New York September 2001 to go to Michael Jackson concerts in Madison Square Gardens. I was one of the fans who was outside the hotel he was staying at, The Palace Hotel, beside St Patrick's Cathedral Madison Avenue and E 50th Street. The concerts were September 7 and September 10. This is my experience of September 11 and the days that followed.

Tuesday 11 September

Even though it was late when we got back to our hotel, we decide to get up early. During our time here we have seen the huge queue at the checkout desk every morning and we don’t want to waste any of the short time we have left in a hotel queue. Our flights back to Europe are in the evening, so we decide to check out of the hotel around 8 am and go straight to The Palace Hotel. Our plan is to spend most of the day with the other fans and then go to the airport in the afternoon.

We eventually get to The Palace Hotel around 8.30 am. We find a spot to put our luggage and spread out our flags and banners on top of the cases. There are a few fans around, who are lying on the ground, looking up at the sky but as many were here late last night, most fans are in bed in their hotels.

Around 9 am, I decide to do a breakfast run. As we had our luggage with us this morning, we didn't stop for our usual breakfast on the way to The Palace Hotel. I decide to go to the deli on Madison Avenue, around the corner from The Palace Hotel.

As I walk down the street there’s a strange atmosphere, people are running. Suddenly I look up, down Madison Avenue and in the distance, way at the end of the island where The Statue of Liberty is I see a huge mushroom of smoke. My brain takes a few minutes to register what I am seeing. All around me, people are screaming, running down the street pointing to the smoke in the sky.

Something in me recognizes something very bad has happened and I run back to my friends at The Palace Hotel, all thoughts of food forgotten.

All the fans know something has happened but we don’t know what. Some fans have Walkman’s and turn on the radio, we try to ask people in the streets and shops but we don’t fully understand what is going on. All around us people are running and screaming.

Finally I decide to go into The Palace Hotel and ask the hotel reception. At last someone tells me the horrible truth, that terrorists have attacked New York and flown planes into The World Trade Centre. When I tell her that many of us were due to fly home to Europe today, she tells me that the airports are closed and that we will not be going home today. Her advice was to go back to the hotel we had just left and make sure we have somewhere safe for tonight and that we can work out what to do tomorrow.

In shock I go back out to my friends who have also found out the horrible truth. I kick into survival mode and tell my friends to stay at The Palace Hotel with our luggage. We have to have somewhere safe tonight, that’s the most important thing right now. So about 10 am I leave the Palace Hotel and make my way back to our hotel. As I walk through the streets of Manhattan, through Times Square and back to Madison Square Gardens, I don’t really take in what I’m seeing and experiencing. All around me, people are screaming, running, pointing to the sky. As I pass Grand Central Station, people are pouring out, the trains have been stopped, streams of people heading to the bridges, trying to get off the island, and all the while a never ending scream of emergency vehicles and police car sirens.

When I get to the hotel, there’s a huge queue of people. It seems many people have realized that they need somewhere to stay tonight. The hotel staff keep going up and down the queue, telling people if they don’t have a reservation than they won’t get a room. Every time a staff member comes near me, I explain my situation, that I just checked out this morning, that we are from Europe, due to fly home today but now cant as the airports are closed. All that’s in my mind is that I have to get a room, I have to make sure me and my friends are safe tonight. Slowly, slowly the line moves. I don’t even notice that I haven’t eaten today, or the scared chatter of the other people in the queue or even think about how we are going to get home. Nothing else matters, I just have to get a room and be safe. All else can be sorted later.

Eventually I get to the top of the queue and I’m at last talking to the desk staff. Again I repeat my story, how we have to have a room, that we have been staying for the last week and we only checked out this morning. A few minutes later, I leave the hotel with 3 room keys. I did it; I got us somewhere to stay tonight and not just tonight but for as long as we need to stay. The lady behind the desk even managed to put us back into the same room we had left that morning.

As I leave the hotel, I look at my watch. I can’t believe it, it’s nearly 3 pm!! It’s taken me over 4 hours to to reach the top of the queue. I still haven’t eaten but I know I have to go back to The Palace Hotel as quick as I can. I’m sure everyone must be worried as I have been gone so long. I didn't think it would take this long to get a room for us.

As I race back to The Palace Hotel, the streets are not as crowded but there is a very strong smell of smoke in the air and the sirens have not stopped.

When I get to The Palace Hotel, all the fans are there. My friends have been worried about me but they are so relived that I managed to get somewhere for us to stay. Finally I think about ringing my family. Up till now I was in survival mode, had to make sure we were safe and had no time or chance to ring my family. As soon as I can I join the queue of other fans at the payphone on the corner opposite The Palace Hotel. While I’m in the queue, my friends tell me that Michael is leaving soon. Just as I start to use the phone, I hear the fans scream and run to the hotel. As I talk to my family and let them know I’m OK I see Michael's car come out of the hotel garage, and through the back window of the car I see Michael and the children waving as the car goes down the street.

After I finish talking to my family, all the fans just stay at The Palace Hotel. It’s now nearly 4 pm. I tell my friends about my adventure getting our hotel room back. We decide to stay at the Palace Hotel for the rest of the day. Even though Michael has gone, we don’t want to leave. There are about 50 of us from many countries and we don’t know where to go or what to do. All we know is that we will not be going home today. Many of us are running out of money as this was supposed to be the end of our trip. We wander off to get food and bring our luggage back to our hotel, but we feel safest all together, in a familiar place, outside The Palace Hotel.

As night falls, we know we have to go back to our hotels. Some fans have not been as lucky as us and don’t have a hotel room. We all try to make sure everyone has somewhere to stay, those of us with hotel rooms helping out those who don’t. Just before we leave for the night, we see Michael’s bodyguards walking across the street towards us. They tell us that Michael has told them to check we are all OK They tell us he and the children are safe, that they are in New Jersey and that Michael is worried about us. We tell them most of us have a hotel room and that we are looking after those who don’t. Is this real, is Michael Jackson really making sure we are OK has he really instructed his staff to check up on us???? This day has been too much, how can all this be happening to us….

The bodyguards stay out with us for a while, getting to know us, asking us where we are from. Once they go back into the hotel we all agree it’s time to leave. We don’t know what will happen tomorrow, but we all agree to meet back here in our usual place, at The Palace Hotel. It’s the only way we can stay in contact, the only way we can share information and make sure everyone is OK and its a good idea to have a central point we all know and feel relatively safe at.

We go back to our hotel, bringing with us one of the fans who had no hotel room. The walk back to our hotel, a walk we have done so many times over the last week feels very different now. The streets are very quiet, too quiet. This is New York, the city that never sleeps, yet as we walk through Times Square, there are very few people and no cars. The majority of the huge billboards are in not on. Other than the screaming emergency vehicle sirens, Times Square is silent and in darkness.

We go back to our hotel room and try to make sense of the day. We do not know what tomorrow will bring or when we will get home. We try to watch TV, to find out what’s real and what’s not. It very odd to hear the sirens outside being echoed on TV. Exhausted we try to get some sleep. Before we turn the lights off we make a pile of our clothes, money and passport, just in case the hotel evacuation sirens go off in the middle of the night.

Wednesday 12 September

The first thing we hear as we wake are the never-ending emergency vehicle sirens, a constant reminder that yesterday was real and we are still in New York. Numbly we get dressed and head back out to The Palace Hotel. We don’t know where else to go. We don’t feel safe in our hotel and we don’t feel safe outside.

When we get to The Palace Hotel, we see most of the fans are there. We find out that after everyone left last night, some fans were left, who had no hotel room. They tell us that Michael’s bodyguards came back out and when they heard that they had nowhere to go, they rang Michael. Unbelievably Michael told the bodyguards to bring the fans into the hotel and let them stay in his suite. Is this real, Michael Jackson taking care of us, Michael Jackson making sure fans are safe???

We share information, food, try to make sense of what’s going on. Mostly we just sit around, too scared to go anywhere else. The pay phone at the corner of the street becomes our only lifeline to the outside world. There is a constant queue of fans using it, ringing airlines, ringing family, trying to get home. A lot of the times the calls don’t even get put through, the phone networks drop out randomly and phones calls get cut off.

In the afternoon Michael's bodyguards come back out to see us. They bring us food from the hotel; try to help us get airline information. They tell us Michael has told them to stay and make sure we are OK until the airports have opened and we can go home.

Again we all stay together at The Palace Hotel until it gets dark. Again we try to make sure that everyone has somewhere to stay, and again we bring another fan back with us to our hotel.

Just like the night before we turn on the TV, to see what’s on the news, to see if there is any new information about the airports. Before we turn off the light we make our clothes pile with our money and passports just in case the hotel evacuation sirens go off in the middle of the night. Almost every building in central Manhattan has had hoax bomb threats today and we have heard from other fans that hotel evacuation sirens can happen at any time.

Thursday 13 September

Another day of the same. Waking up to the sirens on the streets, making our way back though a city which has turned into a war zone to meet up with the fans at The Palace Hotel, everyone on the pay phone to airlines and families, trying to get back home. In the afternoon the bodyguards come out to us.

How much longer can this go on, how much longer will we be stranded in a city under attack??

Thursday turns into Friday…..

Finally a breakthrough, we find out the airports will be opening tomorrow, Saturday 15 September. We ring airlines, our families, make sure that we are re-booked on a flight home.

Unfortunately as the airports have been closed for 4 days there is a huge backlog of stranded people and most fans don’t get flights home the day the airports reopen. Somehow we have managed to get on the first flight out of New York back to Ireland. We are the lucky ones, we are the first of the fans to make it home.

We arrive back in Ireland Sunday 16 September, 5 days after the life changing events of Tuesday September 11 2001.

OP, thank you for sharing your experience. Only the one that ever travel abroad could understand the terrifying experience you must have went thru.

 

[BadPinkTink]

OP, thank you for sharing your experience. Only the one that ever travel abroad could understand the terrifying experience you must have went thru.

Thank you, my story is just one example of all the tourists who were in New York. It is important to remember ALL who were in New York, no matter their nationality. What we ALL experienced that day and in the days that followed is a shared trauma.

A few years later some of my friends went back to New York. They went back to the deli which had given them free food and found the employees who looked after them. They just wanted to say Thank You for caring , Thank You for looking after scared and frightened teenagers (in 2001 my friends were 18)

 

[Goofy_Disney_Dad]

I was listening to Howard Stern on the radio that morning. Quite a contrast to his normal show that day.

 

[DizBelle]

People are offended by the OPs first hand account of her experience on 9/11? What she experienced is what she experienced. That's all it is. And there is nothing wrong with that. She found community and support with her fellow fans and appreciation for her idol when he showed concern.

What she experienced and is reporting doesn't diminish anything that anyone else experienced that day.

People just need to get over themselves.

 

[cabanafrau]

I was listening to Howard Stern on the radio that morning. Quite a contrast to his normal show that day.

Dark days. I remember late night comedy talk shows struggling to get a handle on how to come back to the airwaves with anything close to normalcy & rare display of emotion from Letterman.

 

[mnrose]

No one has a monopoly on how to feel about 9/11. All of us old enough to remember the events of that day have a "story" to tell. All of us were affected by it. It is a SHARED experience. I may not be interested in every person's "story" but we all have one. If you don't want to read other people's "story" then don't click on the link. Simple. No reason to be offended by it.

 

[penn19]

I was listening to Howard Stern on the radio that morning. Quite a contrast to his normal show that day.

So was I. That was the first I heard about it. I always had the news on in the morning but it was my kids first day of school so then it was just me and an infant in my car so I turned on Howard and heard Baba Booey talking about it. It took me a few minutes to realize what they were even saying. And I had never heard them be so serious before. That really hit me.