Where were you when 9/11 happened?

Peppapig

I can remember so vividly where I was when I saw it on the telly. I came home from 4th class for lunch, ( I lived near school) and stayed home to watch it.

BrokenArrows

came back after lunch into class. was listening to the radio as you do in the middle of class when the news break came in. i was the first in the class to hear it. noone would believe me so i ended up passing the headphones around the class.

Kalashnikov_Kid

On the 97th floor, taking a crap

BrokenArrows

must have been some crap to take down the two towers.

brummytom

Posted this on a thread about early memories, so I'll just C+P;



We were out at the swimming baths with my class (would have been Year 4 I think), Mrs McDonough came in, she'd be listening to the radio out in the reception bit. She whispered in our teacher's ear, we were told to come to the shallow end and say a Hail Mary because there'd been a "plane accident" in America. Very weird thing to do in a swimming baths.

I can remember going home, switching on the TV and every station had just rolling news on, every station replaying the same clips of the second plane hitting, then the towers crashing. I remember the family just sitting there in silence, they were acting like it was the end of the world.

liah

In my room listening to the radio while reading a book.

It was sunny.

First thought was "well, that sucks." Then I just continued reading.

/shrug.

rainbow kirby

At a memorial service my school was having for a student who had been killed in a car crash during the summer of 2001. I was 17 and in 6th year at the time. I was getting a lift home with friends that day, and the first thing I remember is the absolute stunned silence of everyone in the car while listening to the news on the radio.

Novella

I was in school! Don't really remember being told about it or anything though, damn bad memory!

laugh

Standing in a beting shop on my day off chating to my friend who worked there.

All the big tv's were switched over to the coverage.

Oh wow that can't be another plane, *crash*

Whiskey Devil

At school. 6th Year.

4zn76tysfajdxp

Kalashnikov_Kid wrote: »

On the 97th floor, taking a crap

Down your leg?

LightningBolt

En route to Killarney with my parents to meet up with my grandparents. Heard a report on the radio in the car, we stopped off at a shopping centre in Limerick to grab something.

They'd a T.V screen outside Dunnes Stores and the first crash was being covered live when we witnessed the second plane crash. Made our way down to Killarney to stay in a hotel where it was fully booked with Americans. Not the nicest place to be that day. Everyone of them was roaring crying, was surreal.

starbelgrade

BrokenArrows wrote: »

must have been some crap to take down the two towers.

LOL!!!

I was in work - we ran across to the pub & saw the 2nd tower go down. At the time it all smelled a wee bit iffy... I'm not a conspiractytheorist, but there was a definite air about this at the very moments that this was happening that all was not quite right in the State of Denmark.

Xavi6

In school during transition year. Went home for lunch and got there just in time to see the second plane hit.

Still weirds me out thinking about it cause I was in the towers two years before.

The Big Red Button

I was arsin about at home, we were two weeks late back to school that year because they were building on an extension or something. Sky News just happened to be on when the news broke, I remember just after it happened the newsreader saying that there were "three confirmed fatalities"!!!

minidazzler

Came home from school for lunch.

Chorus had just been installed and mammy had the news on. Saw the plane crash.

Adiboo

I was in 5th class. My mom picked me up from school and we heard Gerry Ryan talking about it, thought it was a joke at the time. We went into the ESB building to pay a bill, or buy something, I can't remember, but we stayed there watching the footage on the 10 or so tvs they had for about an hour. There was a big enough group of us wathing it.

Kalashnikov_Kid

starbelgrade wrote: »

LOL!!!

I was in work - we ran across to the pub & saw the 2nd tower go down. At the time it all smelled a wee bit iffy... I'm not a conspiractytheorist, but there was a definite air about this at the very moments that this was happening that all was not quite right in the State of Denmark.

That was me too

Peppapig

Jaysus we were all coming home from lunch!

AlmightyCushion

Lying on the couch (we had the day of school), half asleep listening to my mother screaming "It's a hoax! It has to be a hoax!!!"

Luckily enough my uncle who lives in new york and worked in or around the towers at the time was late for work that day, and then decided to stop in for a bit of breakfast because he figured he was already late what's another 20 minutes.

lostexpectation

brummytom wrote: »

we were told to come to the shallow end and say a Hail Mary because there'd been a "plane accident" in America. Very weird thing to do in a swimming baths.

i nearly choked with laughter reading that

grenache

Up a roof painting 2 rather large chimneys. Wasn't even aware it had happened until 7pm that evening. Probably the last person in the country to hear of it.

metaoblivia

I was in uni and was spending the semester abroad in London. It was around 2pm and I had just come out of class. A friend and I were going up the stairs to our flat when someone came running down and said a plane had crashed in the the WTC. We ran into someone else's flat and a lot of students in the program were there, watching the news. Very soon after we arrived the second plane flew in.
Some of the students had relatives living and working in NYC and they were on cell phones trying to find out where they were.

Abi

I was at work, and heard by word of mouth. The magnitude of the horror that was 9/11 didn't register with me until I got home, because I wasn't near a TV or radio throughout the day.

I'm obsessed with watching the 9/11 footage, but it doesn't get any less horrifying.

lostexpectation

arranging with the us government to get a flight out of the usa when everyone else was grounded,
i am a bin laden relative...

brummytom

Abigayle wrote: »

I'm obsessed with watching the 9/11 footage, and it doesn't get any less horrifying.

Snap.. It feels wrong to be watching it in a way. I've watched all the programmes Channel/More4 are running this week as part of their series.

The one today was extraordinary. I can't imagine what the people trapped inside must have been feeling

IvySlayer

In school. I remember coming home to see sky news reporting in and seeing that second crash....

I spent all night watching the coverage.

minidazzler

AlmightyCushion wrote: »

Lying on the couch (we had the day of school), half asleep listening to my mother screaming "It's a hoax! It has to be a hoax!!!"

Luckily enough my uncle who lives in new york and worked in or around the towers at the time was late for work that day, and then decided to stop in for a bit of breakfast because he figured he was already late what's another 20 minutes.

Your uncle is a jew, they all knew it was gonna happen so they stayed away!!!


Joking BTW. I love conspiracy nuts:D

4zn76tysfajdxp

I was in school. When my Dad picked me up, he told me what had happened but I had thought it was a mere accident. Then I arrived home and turned on the TV.

Peppapig

brummytom wrote: »

Snap.. It feels wrong to be watching it in a way. I've watched all the programmes Channel/More4 are running this week as part of their series.

The one today was extraordinary. I can't imagine what the people trapped inside must have been feeling

Yeah Thats what I was watching and made me start this thread. It's just surreal how it happened. The whole city brought to a standstill! 1,000's of civilians killed

Ruu_Old

Internet cafe in London.

Iang87

i was at school, then home watching it that evening doing my maths homework cos jesus if Ireland exploded you'd find a way to do your maths homework for this one cos she'd find you

metaoblivia

Bridger Juicy Oceanography wrote: »

I was in school. When my Dad picked me up, he told me what had happened but I had thought it was a mere accident. Then I arrived home and turned on the TV.

That's what I thought too! One of my most vivid memories was when that guy coming down the stairs first told us, I imagined this little two person plane flying into the WTC.
That image was quickly shattered a few minutes later.

The_Kew_Tour

Was away in middle east at time.

My aunt was close by to the Pentagon when it happened. She has her theory on what she saw but thats another topic.

I know one my best mates worked on floor 10 or somwwhere like that on south tower. It was his second last day and he was out the night before was meant be in work for 9.am but had hangover and by time he got in the second plane had hit. He told me the worst he saw was people jump not pretty site im sure you can imagine. Was a day when the western world woke up thats for sure.

liah

Abigayle wrote: »

I was at work, and heard by word of mouth. The magnitude of the horror that was 9/11 didn't register with me until I got home, because I wasn't near a TV or radio throughout the day.

I'm obsessed with watching the 9/11 footage, but it doesn't get any less horrifying.

I always find that point of view interesting.

Did you feel the same way about the London Bombings? Or the Tootsie and Hutu (forgive my spelling on this one) genocide? Or a million other awful happenings? What about natural disasters like Katrina or the tsunami?

Why on earth does 9/11 resonate with so many people? I may have looked at it with some level of indifference-- "well, that sucks"-- but it's the same indifference I would give to any other disaster of the kind. I mean, that isn't to say I don't care, but it's not something that's going to kind of.. "brand" my memory. I know it happened, I recognized it as unfortunate and a tragedy, but I don't dwell on it. Same way I feel bad for the kids starving in Africa but it's not like I'm doing anything about it. Cold? Yeah. But at least I'm honest.

Sometimes it seems people just use it as an excuse to look compassionate, or that they feel they'll be ostracized for not getting all hyperemotional about it. Keeping up appearances, so to say. Not that I'm saying you are, Abi, or anyone here, really.. just an observation in general.

Still, back to my question: why does 9/11's tragedy get priority over equal and sometimes worse disasters? Is it just because it happened to be caught on film and basically immediately aired? Or because American media dictates what we find upsetting and what we don't? Or what?

It's so strange to me. Fair-weather compassion.

("disclaimer: this obviously isn't meant for those who know people who died in the event. Just those who mourn 9/11 while completely ignoring the millions of other tragedies going on even right now.)

brummytom

Peppapig wrote: »

Yeah Thats what I was watching and made me start this thread. It's just surreal how it happened. The whole city brought to a standstill! 1,000's of civilians killed

Yep, I find it fascinating tbh.

The scene of those thousands of people running when they fall, disappearing into the cloud of ash/debris is horrible. It just looks like a war zone

Professey Chin

In school more concerned with my JC results the next day then anything

TheCardHolder

I was in like 4th class.

Iang87

in my opinion 9/11 is so shocking to people because it was bigger than the london bombings for one.

also it was america the example of freedom to a lot of the western world, America was supposed to be untouchable and then this.

brummytom

liah wrote: »

I always find that point of view interesting.

Did you feel the same way about the London Bombings? Or the Tootsie and Hutu (forgive my spelling on this one) genocide? Or a million other awful happenings? What about natural disasters like Katrina or the tsunami?

Why on earth does 9/11 resonate with so many people? I may have looked at it with some level of indifference-- "well, that sucks"-- but it's the same indifference I would give to any other disaster of the kind. I mean, that isn't to say I care, but it's not something that's going to kind of.. "brand" my memory. I know it happened, I recognized it as unfortunate and a tragedy, but I don't dwell on it. Same way I feel bad for the kids starving in Africa but it's not like I'm doing anything about it. Cold? Yeah. But at least I'm honest.

Sometimes it seems people just use it as an excuse to look compassionate, or that they feel they'll be ostracized for not getting all hyperemotional about it. Keeping up appearances, so to say. Not that I'm saying you are, Abi, or anyone here, really.. just an observation in general.

Still, back to my question: why does 9/11's tragedy get priority over equal and sometimes worse disasters? Is it just because it happened to be caught on film and basically immediately aired? Or because American media dictates what we find upsetting and what we don't? Or what?

It's so strange to me. Fair-weather compassion.

("disclaimer: this obviously isn't meant for those who know people who died in the event. Just those who mourn 9/11 while completely ignoring the millions of other tragedies going on even right now.)

I think, more than anything, it's the realism of it.
Millions of people around the world saw the second plane hit and both the towers collapse. People actually watched 3,000 people die in front of them.

It was incomprehensible at the time, it happened so fast and out of nowhere. Natural disasters are devastating, but unfortunately quite common. 42 people were killed in the london bombings. The sheer scale of the 9/11 attacks is also, I think, what shocks most people.

4zn76tysfajdxp

metaoblivia wrote: »

I imagined this little two person plane flying into the WTC.

He told me (in Irish) that "a plane flew into a building in America." This is pretty much what I had imagined happened. Hearing about the Pentagon and all of the speculation that happened afterwards was really terrifying.

Peppapig

liah wrote: »

I always find that point of view interesting.

Did you feel the same way about the London Bombings? Or the Tootsie and Hutu (forgive my spelling on this one) genocide? Or a million other awful happenings? What about natural disasters like Katrina or the tsunami?

Why on earth does 9/11 resonate with so many people? I may have looked at it with some level of indifference-- "well, that sucks"-- but it's the same indifference I would give to any other disaster of the kind. I mean, that isn't to say I don't care, but it's not something that's going to kind of.. "brand" my memory. I know it happened, I recognized it as unfortunate and a tragedy, but I don't dwell on it. Same way I feel bad for the kids starving in Africa but it's not like I'm doing anything about it. Cold? Yeah. But at least I'm honest.

Sometimes it seems people just use it as an excuse to look compassionate, or that they feel they'll be ostracized for not getting all hyperemotional about it. Keeping up appearances, so to say. Not that I'm saying you are, Abi, or anyone here, really.. just an observation in general.

Still, back to my question: why does 9/11's tragedy get priority over equal and sometimes worse disasters? Is it just because it happened to be caught on film and basically immediately aired? Or because American media dictates what we find upsetting and what we don't? Or what?

It's so strange to me. Fair-weather compassion.

("disclaimer: this obviously isn't meant for those who know people who died in the event. Just those who mourn 9/11 while completely ignoring the millions of other tragedies going on even right now.)

That's really interesting. I understand where your coming from, I'm not sure why it gets priority though. Maybe it was the fact that New York was never going to be victim of such a terrorist attack, but it was. The apocalyptic scenes will stay with me forever though!

Abi

brummytom wrote: »

Snap.. It feels wrong to be watching it in a way. I've watched all the programmes Channel/More4 are running this week as part of their series.

Theres absolutely nothing wrong with watching it though. Theres a mixture of things that makes us want to see it, even if it isn't pleasant. It's a combination of horror, curiosity, sympathy etc. I've quite a collection of documentaries and books that would be considered morbid or unpleasant by most. But it is curiosity and the desire to understand what happened, be it 9/11, an F5 hurricane tearing the fcuk out of somewhere, or a documentary about a serial killer. Theres nothing abnormal about wanting to know.

metaoblivia

liah wrote: »

I always find that point of view interesting.

Did you feel the same way about the London Bombings? Or the Tootsie and Hutu (forgive my spelling on this one) genocide? Or a million other awful happenings? What about natural disasters like Katrina or the tsunami?

Why on earth does 9/11 resonate with so many people? I may have looked at it with some level of indifference-- "well, that sucks"-- but it's the same indifference I would give to any other disaster of the kind. I mean, that isn't to say I don't care, but it's not something that's going to kind of.. "brand" my memory. I know it happened, I recognized it as unfortunate and a tragedy, but I don't dwell on it. Same way I feel bad for the kids starving in Africa but it's not like I'm doing anything about it. Cold? Yeah. But at least I'm honest.

Sometimes it seems people just use it as an excuse to look compassionate, or that they feel they'll be ostracized for not getting all hyperemotional about it. Keeping up appearances, so to say. Not that I'm saying you are, Abi, or anyone here, really.. just an observation in general.

Still, back to my question: why does 9/11's tragedy get priority over equal and sometimes worse disasters? Is it just because it happened to be caught on film and basically immediately aired? Or because American media dictates what we find upsetting and what we don't? Or what?

It's so strange to me. Fair-weather compassion.

("disclaimer: this obviously isn't meant for those who know people who died in the event. Just those who mourn 9/11 while completely ignoring the millions of other tragedies going on even right now.)

Honestly, I'm not sure it's as much about compassion, as it is about it was hugely dramatic with a high death toll and we (the television viewers) had an excellent view of most of it. The fire, people jumping from windows, the buildings crashing down, the billowing smoke, the crowds of people running - it was like an unscripted disaster movie on a grand scale.

I don't feel any extra compassion for the people who died in 9/11, but I always look forward to this time of the year when they re-play the footage. It's just really interesting.

DigiGal

I was in Primary school, 4th or 5th class and I saw it on the ESB tellies outside Crumlin Shopping Center while my mam was paying the gas bill.....
Don't think I fully understood what was happening

starbelgrade

Peppapig wrote: »

Jaysus we were all coming home from lunch!

Funny that, seeing as it happened around lunchtime (Irish time).. is it just a coincidence or just another mad-cap conspiracy theory?

starbelgrade

Iang87 wrote: »

also it was america the example of freedom to a lot of the western world, America was supposed to be untouchable and then this.

I'd hardly call America a "free" country. For all the sh*t they've got up to, if it wasn't a set-up - and it's highly likely that it was, considering what followed & taking into account their history of doing other dodgy acts, then they were asking for it, as a country (not the individuals directly affected).

truecrippler

Was fapping to some Internet Mile High porno. I think I fapped too much.

monkeyfudge

liah wrote: »

In my room listening to the radio while reading a book.

It was sunny.

First thought was "well, that sucks." Then I just continued reading.

/shrug.

George W Bush has a very similar story.

Brien

I was in the pub, just after having collected a tux for my debs, sitting around with a group of friends. the women straight away called it; saying america would wage war on someone for it. many pronounced world war three(!)

the day of rememberance (all businesses closed) was on the day of our debs

Exclamation Marc

I was in school, in 5th year. My mum brought down some shorts as I forgot them and told me about it and how horrific it was. Don't think I took her seriously until I got home.

Was in town on the day of remembrance when all was closed, and it was easily the eeriest day of my life.