Page 48 - issue
P. 48
AMTourensidnagy Towers. So, when I heard the initial
reports, I thought that one of the
SEPTEIMN BER planes had finally had some bad luck
and misjudged its course.
Aby Avron Elbaum recitation of selichos at shul that morn-
s I walked out of my apartment ing would slightly delay my arrival at As our bus approached Manhattan,
in Queens, I was struck by the the office. we could see thick black smoke rising
beauty of the cloudless and from the top of 1 World Trade Center.
sunny Tuesday morning. The bus commute started off as After we crossed into Manhattan, the
Normally, I took the bus or planned. Commuters were tuned in to passengers reported that a plane had
subway to work. Both would their Walkmans, reading the newspa- struck the second World Trade Center
drop me off right in front of the per, or already hard at work on their tower. It was now clear that these
vast bustling World Trade laptops. All was quiet on the bus until planes did not simply misjudge their
Center Plaza around 8:45 a.m. I would around 8:45. As the bus approached course. People kept chiming in with
then walk across the Plaza to my office Manhattan, a few passengers could be new updates from their radios: “It was a
in the World Financial Center, directly heard talking in disturbing voices charter plane…..No, it was two passen-
across the street from the World Trade about a plane crashing into the World ger planes…..There was a hijacking.”
Center Towers, and arrive at my desk Trade Center! Truthfully, I was not that
slightly before 9:00 a.m. That particular surprised. My office building was locat- About a mile away from the World
Tuesday morning, I decided to hop on ed on the Hudson River, across the Trade Center, our bus came to a stand-
an express bus to the World Trade street from the Trade Center. It had a still. We hit gridlock traffic near the
Center. The clear skies made the beautiful outdoor plaza, and I would South Street Seaport, on the east side
express bus an attractive commuting frequently see planes and helicopters of Lower Manhattan. The bus driver
option, since there was no rain in the flying overhead. I was often in awe of announced that he would pull over and
forecast. I had scheduled my first meet- the fact that none of these aircraft ever let the passengers exit the bus. Many
ing for 9:30, rather than 9:00 since the accidentally crashed into the surround- passengers quickly exited the bus and
ing buildings, which included the Twin rushed to finish their morning com-
mute to their respective offices in
Lower Manhattan. Walking to our
respective offices seemed like the easi-
est and quickest way to work. When I
stepped off the bus, I could see thick
and heavy black smoke pouring out of
both World Trade Center towers. A
fleeting thought came through my
mind: “Wait, how am I going to cross
through the Trade Center Plaza for my
9:30 meeting if these two colossal
buildings are literally burning down?”
Feeling almost paralyzed and not
knowing what to do or where to go, I
watched the smoke pour out of both
towers. Walking to the office in the
midst of this scene did not appear to be
a viable option.
Suddenly, the bus driver yelled out
that he was going to turn around and
head back to Queens. He offered to
take the few of us who were still next to
the bus back with him. So, we boarded
the bus quickly and began the trip
back to Queens.
New reports were emerging that
these plane crashes were indeed terror-
ist attacks. We then heard that the
bridges and tunnels connecting
Manhattan to New Jersey and the sur-
rounding boroughs were shutting down
44 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
reports, I thought that one of the
SEPTEIMN BER planes had finally had some bad luck
and misjudged its course.
Aby Avron Elbaum recitation of selichos at shul that morn-
s I walked out of my apartment ing would slightly delay my arrival at As our bus approached Manhattan,
in Queens, I was struck by the the office. we could see thick black smoke rising
beauty of the cloudless and from the top of 1 World Trade Center.
sunny Tuesday morning. The bus commute started off as After we crossed into Manhattan, the
Normally, I took the bus or planned. Commuters were tuned in to passengers reported that a plane had
subway to work. Both would their Walkmans, reading the newspa- struck the second World Trade Center
drop me off right in front of the per, or already hard at work on their tower. It was now clear that these
vast bustling World Trade laptops. All was quiet on the bus until planes did not simply misjudge their
Center Plaza around 8:45 a.m. I would around 8:45. As the bus approached course. People kept chiming in with
then walk across the Plaza to my office Manhattan, a few passengers could be new updates from their radios: “It was a
in the World Financial Center, directly heard talking in disturbing voices charter plane…..No, it was two passen-
across the street from the World Trade about a plane crashing into the World ger planes…..There was a hijacking.”
Center Towers, and arrive at my desk Trade Center! Truthfully, I was not that
slightly before 9:00 a.m. That particular surprised. My office building was locat- About a mile away from the World
Tuesday morning, I decided to hop on ed on the Hudson River, across the Trade Center, our bus came to a stand-
an express bus to the World Trade street from the Trade Center. It had a still. We hit gridlock traffic near the
Center. The clear skies made the beautiful outdoor plaza, and I would South Street Seaport, on the east side
express bus an attractive commuting frequently see planes and helicopters of Lower Manhattan. The bus driver
option, since there was no rain in the flying overhead. I was often in awe of announced that he would pull over and
forecast. I had scheduled my first meet- the fact that none of these aircraft ever let the passengers exit the bus. Many
ing for 9:30, rather than 9:00 since the accidentally crashed into the surround- passengers quickly exited the bus and
ing buildings, which included the Twin rushed to finish their morning com-
mute to their respective offices in
Lower Manhattan. Walking to our
respective offices seemed like the easi-
est and quickest way to work. When I
stepped off the bus, I could see thick
and heavy black smoke pouring out of
both World Trade Center towers. A
fleeting thought came through my
mind: “Wait, how am I going to cross
through the Trade Center Plaza for my
9:30 meeting if these two colossal
buildings are literally burning down?”
Feeling almost paralyzed and not
knowing what to do or where to go, I
watched the smoke pour out of both
towers. Walking to the office in the
midst of this scene did not appear to be
a viable option.
Suddenly, the bus driver yelled out
that he was going to turn around and
head back to Queens. He offered to
take the few of us who were still next to
the bus back with him. So, we boarded
the bus quickly and began the trip
back to Queens.
New reports were emerging that
these plane crashes were indeed terror-
ist attacks. We then heard that the
bridges and tunnels connecting
Manhattan to New Jersey and the sur-
rounding boroughs were shutting down
44 u www.wherewhatwhen.com u
