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Original poster

Where were you for 9/11

359 replies

Chickenkeev · 12/08/2023 09:33

I was in France, i hadn't a clue what was happening. Didn't fully have the language, it was like a film. Watching a doc now, bringing it all back.

OP posts:
hellywelly3 · 12/08/2023 10:56

Living and working in London. My work was part of a hotel with lots of American tourists. We just heard a lot of crying and screaming. Then we put the radio on and found out what was going on. Very strange with no planes in the sky.

whumpthereitis · 12/08/2023 10:58

Chickenkeev · 12/08/2023 10:55

You can kind of understand that though, it was unprecedented so people would have been terrified. It was a bit like the end of the world. You would want your kids close.

Show quote history

Oh for sure, no judgement from me at all.

caringcarer · 12/08/2023 10:59

I was teaching in a school in Solihull. The English teacher came rushing in and asked me to put the TV on as my classroom had a TV. I was teaching a Sixth Form class at the time and the lesson was just about to end for break time. We watched it on TV during break time and saw the second tower blown up on live TV. A very sad day.

Otterock · 12/08/2023 10:59

At school. Was only my 3rd day at a new school. Had no idea until my mum collected me as usual and immediately asked me if I’d heard what happened. I said no and she just pointed at the car radio. We listened all the way back but I had no idea what the twin towers were. Then we put the tv on and I realised what was actually happening.

OneWildNightWithJBJ · 12/08/2023 10:59

Me and DH were on holiday in Vancouver. Had breakfast in the hotel and the atmosphere just felt a bit odd. Saw who we assumed was the hotel manager being interviewed (later saw him on TV saying they had vacancies if anyone’s flight had been diverted there). After breakfast, DH went back up to the room while I waited in the reception. People started gathering around the bar area looking at the TV. I went over and that’s when I realised what had happened.

I remember queuing up to use the pay phones as I really wanted to speak to my parents.

fireplacetiles · 12/08/2023 11:01

I was at my MIL's house picking up my baby daughter when it came on the TV, a man came round to read the meter and ended up staying for hours transfixed in her living room. Never forget that day.

itsgettingweird · 12/08/2023 11:02

Tiredmum100 · 12/08/2023 10:33

I was in Tenerife. I'd gone with one friend to get a henna tattoo and left everyone else at the pool. We'd stopped for a drink at a bar, and I remember her walking out, saying a plane had gone into the twin tower. We went back to the hotel. People were on the balconies watching the news and shouting out to the rest of the complex what was happening. We flew home the next day or the day after, and our flight was the only one taking off on time. There were just people everywhere, loads of delays, we were not allowed to take any hand luggage onto the plane.

I was working living and working in Tenerife at the time (see my post above) working in the travel industry.

I can confirm the airport was chaos (it was never that organised) with regards delays etc and hand luggage not being allowed.

I did 36 hours on the trot there and slept in the corridor behind our office in arrivals in shifts with colleagues for the odd hour. (If you can remember all the offices opposite the baggage claim as you come through the airport?)

Pinkandgreentrousers · 12/08/2023 11:02

Watching TV, breastfeeding my 5 week old baby, watched the 1st one hit and then couldn't watch anymore so went for a walk. Whilst out someone told me the other one had been hit. I wondered what world I had bought my baby into.

BlackJumpsuit · 12/08/2023 11:02

At my daughter's school listening to Year 2s read. I was aware that I was getting a lot of texts but wasn't able to look until school finished. There was a lot of confused talk outside school.

Dashed home to find my ExDH who is American watching tv. I got there shortly before the second tower fell.
Utter disbelief and horror. Trying to explain to our very young children what was happening but actually really knew for quite a while.

My ex had a cousin who was a NY firefighter who died that day.

golddustwomen · 12/08/2023 11:02

I was 9 so was at school. We had no idea what had happened but we knew something was going on as the teachers were acting weird, the after school club ladies were also not themselves, lots of whispers, teary eyes and not really engaging with us. I got picked up early (I was usually one of the last to leave) my mom had been sent home from her office in town. She turned the tv on as soon as we got home and just sat there crying.

Original poster
Chickenkeev · 12/08/2023 11:03

whumpthereitis · 12/08/2023 10:58

Oh for sure, no judgement from me at all.

Show quote history

Your post made me think, when it happened i was a student, no kids. I have a daughter now and if something like that happened now, i wouldn't let her out of the house. Which of course would be wrong. But it's a stark reminder about how much parenthood changes you.

OP posts:
pastypirate · 12/08/2023 11:05

Back from working in Manhattan by a couple of weeks. I was in my house in Leicester. My friend a news reporter texted saying turn on the tv.
Later another friend who worked at the stock exchange told me they were evacuated.
I took the subway that goes under the towers every day to work.

CurtainsForBea · 12/08/2023 11:06

I was on a work trip in a remote part of Russia. I had been out for dinner with colleagues and got home and turned on BBC world. Heard that a plane had gone into the WTC and thought 'Well, that's weird' then turned off the tv, brushed my teeth and went to bed.

When I woke up the world had changed.

VariantHela · 12/08/2023 11:06

Following on from the actual day, we were due to go on a family holiday to the States at the end of September. We still went...the plane was almost empty.

I remember shop owners thanking us visiting as nearly all tourism had tanked.

I dont remember how the airport security was myself, but my parents said it was completely different and we had our lifetime tourist visas cancelled (but everyone did, understandably)

niclw · 12/08/2023 11:07

I was on a club 18-30 holiday in Tenerife. I recall someone running out of the pool bar while we were sunbathing and shouting that America was under attack. We all went into the bar but had no idea what was being said on the tv in Spanish. I phoned my dad so he could explain. I had been at university in the US that year as part of an exchange programme and had only been back a few weeks before going on holiday. Some of the people we had met were due to fly home that night. I think they ended up getting home a day late. Many were very nervous on our flight home a week later.

PersonIrresponsible · 12/08/2023 11:07

Siberia.

daffodilandtulip · 12/08/2023 11:08

In my student house. The landlord was fitting a new carpet and I had the tv on as all the channels started reporting it. He came into my room and sat and watched.

Whatsthepoint1234 · 12/08/2023 11:09

I was at my Aunts house as I was sick at home from school.

shivbo2014 · 12/08/2023 11:09

In Greece, for my 18th birthday with my boyfriend at the time. The flight there was the 1st time I'd been on a plane, and we were due to fly home 2 days later. I was so nervous coming back!

Judystilldreamsofhorses · 12/08/2023 11:10

Working in the PR/comms team for an international company who also had a base in NY. Our offices were nowhere near the site but I had a lot of calls from media looking for a local angle on the story.

When the plane actually hit I was on my lunch break, buying a jacket in Topshop. My phone beeped as I was at the till and it was my colleague saying there was “an incident” and to get back asap. I had absolutely no idea what she meant but paid and rushed back to the office.

DownNative · 12/08/2023 11:10

Sleeping off my jetlag at home in Northern Ireland after being in New York for a Michael Jackson concert at MSG.

I attended the 7th Sept 2001 show and was planning to attend the 10th Sept show, but decided against it in the end. Got home hours before 9/11.

Had I stayed for the 10th September concert, I'd have been in New York on the day of the attack.

Several celebrities were in NYC either attending the MJ show or performing at it in tribute to his career.

I've been near or nearly the victim of a lot of terrorist attacks. God!

Medusaismyhero · 12/08/2023 11:11

I was at home with my toddler DD. She had the Disney channel on and a message flashed up on the screen. I can't remember the exact wording but it suggested the grown ups might want to check a news station...

Original poster
Chickenkeev · 12/08/2023 11:11

If you don't mind me asking, British people, did you feel under siege with the IRA? Like was it a thing for you that something might happen at any time? I'm in Ireland and I was always watching and seeing but i never felt under threat.

OP posts:
LadyGaGasPokerFace · 12/08/2023 11:11

I was cabin crew on a night stop in Cyprus. On the beach one of the crew got a text saying a plane had crashed into the twin towers. We all retreated to our rooms to put the tv on and was met with horror like it was some awful movie.

Awwlookatmybabyspider · 12/08/2023 11:11

Watching Crossroads of all bloody things.