Where were you on September 11, 2001?

[140 Southshore]

I am surprised by the lack of such a thread relating to this day on this site, so I'm filling this void. You know that today marks 15 years since that unforgettable day that changed the course of history forever and erased the familiar World Trade Center towers from the skyline of New York. As this is a major anniversary of a major tragedy, I thought it was fitting to begin this topic.

On that day I went to my first short-lived job via carpool as there were no SMART buses that went there as it was in an opt-out community (still is today). As we were on I-75, I heard radio reports of the first plane crash into the WTC. Once I arrived everyone was glued to a TV and watched the attacks unfold including the second WTC plane crash live. Soon afterwards we were called off and sent home.

[captaintrolley]

I was at home with my teenage son.  Not sure why I wasn't at work or he wasn't at school. Probably my day off or I was on vacation from work that week. Anyhow, I was sleeping in and my son was in his room (probably playing Nintendo). Mom phoned in a panic, she was hysterical and on about WWIII starting. Yeah, much too early for this shit, but went and turned on the the TV anyhow. Wow.

[vivablue5215]

I was in grade 5 and was in the middle of doing some classwork. My teacher was on the phone for a long time, and I felt suspicious cause he's never on the phone for more than 2 minutes.

After recess, my teacher told us to gather by the carpet, and that's when he mentioned the World Trade Center was under attack. I didn't think much of it since I wasn't informed about current events back then, but he guaranteed us that the world will change completely before we know it.

Since it was a Tuesday (and my parents are off), they picked me up and we went home for lunch (I lived somewhat near my school, but not within walking distance). The first thing they said after picking me up was whether my teacher told us about NYC. I didn't know the WTC was in NYC back then, so I said no. They said I'm required to turn on the TV when I get home, no ands ifs or buts. Turned on the TV, and holy shit...that vivid image stuck with me for a few months, thinking if something would happen to where I used to live (my condo was 37 stories and situated on top of a valley). My parents said the same thing as my teacher: The world as we know it has now completely changed.

When I came home that day, I did something I've never done as a child. I actually watched the news. The entire night. It was definitely something that changed my life in terms of the fact I now keep myself informed about current events to the best of my ability.

[2822]

I was in Grade 11 and the Principal told everyone over the PA system. 

[JCL]

Grade 9, Core French class. Someone from the office made the announcement on the PA. 

[Girardin71]

 i was in Gr 10 science class watching the attacks on TV. 

[Gregory]

I woke up at the exact moment the North Twin Tower was hit (8:46am). I was in school at the time, both my sister and I had a spare for the first period that day. When we learned of what happened, my father told us that we could both stay home from school.

 

[TheAverageJoe]

In class during my first week of College at Seneca 

[Kelvin3157]

I wasn't born yet

[ThomasW97]

I was in first week of Greek 4, saw the tragedy on the school activity room tv

[Transitfan39]

I was in I think 2nd grade of school and I was in phys. Ed and I remember walking to my classroom after gym and saw my teacher watching the proceedings on the class computer and then the next thing I remember was going home and watching the mourning part with bunch of candles, it was only after I watch news stories about the 5th anniversary of 9/11 that I learned about the importance of 9/11...

[ThomasW97]

May the victims of this tragedy R.I.P

[38 Highland Creek]

Oh, I was on the GO Train to work in downtown Toronto.  Suddenly lots of GO Trains occupied Union Station wondering if people had to go home early or the trains got delayed on arrival.

[mcooknell]

I remember this day clearly.

I was getting ready to leave for school - I was in the Heavy Duty/Commercial Transport ELTT course at Camosun College - and had just turned on BCTV Morning News.  I remember them saying that there was a "possible terrorist attack" because a plane hit one of the towers.  I remember thinking to myself, "Why do they think it's a terrorist attack?  Maybe it's a freak accident."  

Then they cut to the live feed from New York moments before the second plane hit the second tower.....  

At school that day, obviously, that's the only thing that people were concerned about.  We discussed it in class, all the TVs on campus were tuned into news stations.  

Everyone had their opinions on why it happened.  Some people felt that the US foreign policies brought it on.  Others felt that the US was untouchable.  Either way, the events that day sparked discussions and debates.  Obviously, none of us knew that day, how much the events of that day would change our everyday lives.   

 

 

[gmnewlook]

I was 29 and working at McDonald's at terminus Longueuil as a swing manager and one of the other managers came into work and told us two planes hit the Twin Towers in NYC. I thought he was joking until he told me to go in the break room and look at the TV. We put in on LCN and there they were. In flames. With work and all, I actually saw the North tower collapse. I was in shock. I was living with my ex at the time, my oldest daughter wasn't born yet and as we were watching the news that evening on TVA (I would have preferred CTV, but I had to go along...) my ex told her daughter, who was four at the time, it has to make you sad seeing this and she just started crying, and I remember saying to myself, that's smart... Not!

I remember the next day buying all the different newspapers I could get my hands on at the terminus' newsstand. I also remember watching the skies for the next few days and found it eerie not seeing any planes flying over. Ever since then, whenever I see a plane, I always try to follow its trajectory as long as I can. 

I only saw the Towers once in my life, in 1995 from the Garden State Parkway in NJ with one of my best buddies as we were driving to Wildwood. My wife passed in front of them around 1996-97 when she was part of the Université du Québec À Montréal choir when they were performing at Carnegie Hall and she got to see part of the Towers on an overcast city tour on a day they were not performing.

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

I was driving my Cardinal Coach Lines 1978 Chevrolet Blue Bird School Bus #365 heading towards the school with my Junior High School Students on board when it came over the stereo on my bus on the news.

[Tom1122]

On September 11th, I was in my final year of high school. I actually had a free period first period so I was home when both towers of the World Trade Center were struck. When I saw the first tower had been hit, I thought it was an accident because I had read in the 80s, a Boeing 707 was flying in from Argentina and was lost in the fog and flying towards the WTC and the pilots didn't speak English very well. Fortunately, they understood three words, "Turn right immediately".

I didn't see the second plane hit when it happened as I was out of the TV room, but saw second plane had hit and saw the replays of Flight 175 crashing and heard that it was hijacked and a third plane was coming.

When I was at school, I started hearing things that the Pentagon had been hit as well as Camp David. At one point, I was under the impression that 6 planes were involved. People had said that the World Trade Center had collapsed. I think there was a radio outside the cafeteria tuned to the news.

It wasn't until I got home from school (usual time) that I found out what really happened that the Pentagon had been hit, four planes were involved, and the twin towers had indeed collapsed.

I even had a driving lesson that day which still went on. My instructor said it was World War 3.

 

I also remember when American Airlines flight 587 crashed in New York two months later as well. Prior to that crash, the U.S. had just started their invasion of Afghanistan and I heard that the Taliban was threatening more attacks. Like many people, I thought the crash of flight 587 was a terrorist attack. Initial reports said the plane that had crashed was an American AIrlines 767. On my way to school, my dad and I were listening to further reports on the crash and they said the plane wasn't a 767 and my dad said something along the lines of "thank goodness". The report then said it was an Airbus A300. I thought, "that's just as bad."

 

During a Remembrance Day ceremony at school, I found one of my friends and told him another plane had crashed in New York.

[Downsview 108]

I was supposed to start a job canvassing for Consumers Gas that day at 9AM. As I was getting ready I saw it on TV and thought it was a movie. I then heard them taling about how the buildings were on fire and that the FIRES WERE ALMOST PUT OUT. Later on I saw that it was a plane that hit the first building. I saw the second building get hit by the plane as it happened. Then I saw the towers fall (magically into their own footprint). And miraculously later on around 5pm, building 7 fell. It was also amazing to me how immediately they fingered Osama Bin Laden without any type of investigation. That leads me to firmly believe there was prior knowledge of this and a narrative fully prepared.

Yes I believe 9-11 was an inside job.

It was also interesting that they hauled the debris away extremely quickly without having a full 3rd party investigation. Interesting indeed.

I also remember the PC hypocrisy that day when they were rounding up or at least stopping everyone at pearson that looked Arabic. No one cried "bigot!" that day that's for sure.

[LarmaDaPanoka]

I was non-existant. 

[BCT-3122-D800-10240]

'

[Kelvin3157]

On 2/12/2017 at 11:24 PM, LarmaDaPanoka said:

I was non-existant. 

That would explain your immaturity.

[Bus_Medic]

Off that day..gathered with my friends at a bar called daybreak. (Now gone) we were all watching the televisions hung from overhead.

[Guest]

I was a home with my mom. She usually watched "Guiding Light" in the morning and I'll of a sudden it's cancelled due to the attack.

[TheAverageJoe]

5 hours ago, ONQCBusFan said:

I was a home with my mom. She usually watched "Guiding Light" in the morning and I'll of a sudden it's cancelled due to the attack.

Your that old? wow shocked

[Guest]

4 minutes ago, TheAverageJoe said:

Your that old? wow shocked

I'm age 27, which mean I was 11 at that time.