Worked for a bank in Midtown. Was getting ready for a meeting. Our meeting room windows had a clear view of the Towers. A member of my staff was talking to his sister who worked for Cantor Fitzgerald. All of a sudden his phone went dead and there was smoke coming from one of the towers.
Two things I remember. We left our building to go further uptown to prepare for business continuity actions. Looking at all the people walking aimlessly through the streets looked like the walking dead on valium.
The other thing I noticed was when I went to Citicorp Center to volunteer to give blood, after about an hour we were told to leave. Later found out it was because there were no survivors to give blood to.
The good: People were helping each other. Saw many crying and people going up to them to calm them down.
The bad: I had to take the ferry across the river and then a train inland to meet my wife. The authorities were asking people who were exposed to dust come on board the ferry first and go to the front. People who weren’t exposed were trying to get over on the system.
The funny: I know nothing was funny that day, but seeing the same people get taken into a building and being scrubbed and hosed down was poetic justice.
I get the irony for those guys who ignored instructions.