Very cool! Were people at this mall expecting you to drop in? If not, I’m betting the reaction was interesting.
I visited NYC several times during the Giuliani years and even the Bloomberg years. My sister lived and worked there. She liked it when I visited because it gave her a good reason to do the touristy stuff like going to shows (I’m a theater geek), and museums. She hadn’t gone to the Status of Liberty and Ellis Island until one of my visits and we both really enjoyed it.
I’m glad I did all of that back then because I have no desire to go there now. :(
Good memories!
So thankful we were able to all of the fun and iconic NYC activities, with our kids and just the two of us, before the libs completely destroyed any vestiges of fun, safety, etc.
The jump was planned. We were a professional freefall parachute demonstration team sent on a mission. Thanks Pentagon and thanks U S Taxpayers. Some of my teammates at one time or another, have also jumped into Yankee Stadium, and to think of it- the Statue of Liberty.
NYC seems like this place that is a fantasy land to those of us living a normal life elsewhere, or more accurately TODAY, it’s a dystopian nightmare!
I totally get where you are coming from, and where you are today (in your head and in NYC). Also, the downrange in Iraq thing... counts for plenty in my book, elevating your opinion from others, just a tad. Know what I mean Vern? INCOMING!
Wanna hear an interesting reaction to paratroops?
32 jumpers on a warm Sunday afternoon coming down in Alexandria, VA, many miles from their drop zone each with a PAE bag (Personal Arms and Equipment) filled with an artillery box, I think, with sand bags in it weighing 110lbs. attached to a rope that I think was 18’ long (after it’s released from the harness in front of you under the reserve chute) looking for a safe place to land. We were ALL stunned!
By the time I realize what’s going on ( we’re not all as sharp as we think we are) I’m coming down in the backyard of a house surrounded by a chain link fence with a cookout party going on with I don’t know how many people there, tables and chairs all over the place, and they’re just staring up at me with their jaws dropped.
“Get those tables and chairs out of the way!”
They’re still just staring at me, dumbfounded! (I can laugh at it now.)
Well, I’m not riding this bag in! I pull the quick release on the rope attached to my harness, start yelling for them to get out of the way, that I’m dropping my bag, I pull the safety pin out of the bag release, punch the release, and the 110lb. bag drops away from about 100-150 ft. It hits the edge of a redwood table full of food, shattering it, throwing food and dishes all over the place, as well as the table! NOW, they ALL move in a panic hurrying to escape from any further bombardment, but leaving the rest of the tables and chairs in place! I land. I don’t hit anything. I’m not hurt. I am grateful, and still stunned.
A few guys and civilians got hurt. One guy broke his hip, and damn near drowned, landed one foot on the edge of an in ground pool and the other in the water.
One guy somehow rode his bag in and landed in the back of a
convertible with its top down that was stopped at a red light, severely injuring the two teens he landed on. The driver apparently had the presence of mind to NOT move the vehicle. Lots of guys landed on hard suburban streets. Out of 32 guys we had about 8 or 10 injured, legs, arms, shoulders, and most of the rest bruised up pretty good. I got off lucky, was just terrified a bit.
We were miles off the drop zone! I don’t know of anyone who ever found out how come.
Ah, the good old days.