9/11

[Thundermonkey]

I'd recently returned from a holiday in New York. Was working in the pub that afternoon when one of the girls put the TV on. At first I thought it was the trailer for a new disaster film. Within minutes the whole pub was standing round the telly in shocked silence. Have been back to NY a couple of times since. I still find it difficult to get my around the sheer scale of the whole thing.

I had been to NY that year on my honeymoon and fell in love with the place. It was distressing seeing 17 year old kids in my office running about getting very excited at what was unfolding. The realisation that it wasn't a small plane was nothing compared to the news coming through that a second plane had hit.

Our internet connection melted that day and eventually the only way we could keep track was via a TV upstairs. I decided not to watch any as the photos I had viewed online were depressing enough. When the first tower fell you'd have thought the ice cream man was outside. When the second tower crumbled the place turned deathly quiet. I think by that time most people had finally got their heads round the extent of what had taken place. I think you really had to have visited the WTC to fully appreciate the carnage that day.

The first time I saw the towers collapse was on the bus I caught to get to my car. We stopped outside a shop window that had the news on and I watched picturesof people throwing themselves to their deaths through 2 panes of grubby glass. I don't think my wife and I said more than 5 words to each other that night as we sat and watched the news.

The videos still scare the shit out of me to this day.

[Demented Zebra]

I had been to NY that year on my honeymoon and fell in love with the place. It was distressing seeing 17 year old kids in my office running about getting very excited at what was unfolding. The realisation that it wasn't a small plane was nothing compared to the news coming through that a second plane had hit.

Our internet connection melted that day and eventually the only way we could keep track was via a TV upstairs. I decided not to watch any as the photos I had viewed online were depressing enough. When the first tower fell you'd have thought the ice cream man was outside. When the second tower crumbled the place turned deathly quiet. I think by that time most people had finally got their heads round the extent of what had taken place. I think you really had to have visited the WTC to fully appreciate the carnage that day.

The first time I saw the towers collapse was on the bus I caught to get to my car. We stopped outside a shop window that had the news on and I watched picturesof people throwing themselves to their deaths through 2 panes of grubby glass. I don't think my wife and I said more than 5 words to each other that night as we sat and watched the news.

The videos still scare the shit out of me to this day.

That’s a very good account of a person’s day in 9/11.

The day a third world war broke out, not like any other war. This is guerrilla warfare, terrorism. Something no country has ever managed to defeat.

Thankfully modern communications networks can now help to detect what is going on which will help, but defeat it not

[Ebanda's Handyman Services]

Just watched 9/11 a tale of two towers on uktv documentary, fuckin still scary watching it all over again.

The 2nd part of that programme is on tonight at the same time.

The 9/11 faker that is on tonight should be outrage inducing.

[SaintSam]

I was in school but heard nothing of it until I got home.

[Ayrgirl]

I was at work in the labour ward at Rankin Maternity Unit in Greenock. I remember the tv was on the background and everyone just stopped and stared. There were obviously other things happening around about us but we were all compelled to leave the tv on and you couldn't help but feel your eyes being drawn to the screen.

Kinda scary bringing life into the world with what was happening before your eyes.

[H_B]

I have no idea where I was. Presumably at work. Not sure if I saw it on TV at the time or later that day.

[Savage Henry]

I was, not entirely surprisingly, down the pub.

[Nick_BCFC]

Spent a lot of the day trying to get hold of my sister who was over there.

She had been at the site the day before but fortunately had left that evening to go to another city.

I remember it taking ages trying to get through because there were so many people making calls.

[Guest Spank the monkey]

I was in school and my physics teacher brought in a tv to show us.Couldn't believe it really.Remeber lots of people standing in front of Dixons watching it as well.

It was horrific.The messages that people on the plane left on loved ones answer machines - to hear that was particularly distressing aswell as seeing the people jump hand in hand from the towers.I wish that all terrorism would end however i don't think it ever will.Its too much of a vicious circle.

[Clachan Blue]

I was working in Linlithgow at the time and as the afternoon unfolded, more and more people were asking if I had heard anything. All I knew was that a plane had hit the World Trade Centre in New York. Got home and switched on SKY News and watched it for hours. Just couldn't believe what I was seeing.

My elderly Auntie lives in Manhattan, a few blocks from the Empire State Building so my Gran phoned her to make sure she was ok. She said that the dust and smoke came up her street when the towers fell.

[Randall Graves]

I was in my flat in London, having just moved there 3 days before. I was in the kitchen and my girlfriend came in to tell me, with a bemused grin on her face, that a plane had just crashed into one of the twin towers. I watched pretty much the whole thing unfold on tv. I remember really shitting myself when I heard a plane fly over the flat, thinking they may have targetted London as well.

I know what you mean, I was working at JHQ Rheindahlen, the Headquarters for the British Forces in Germany. My mate came into the office to tell me that a plane had flown into the WTC, then came back after the second one hit. After the third one hit the Pentagon we went into the Commcen to watch it unfold on Sky.

I never took a lot of notice before that day but Rheindahlen is below the flight path into Dusseldorf. Everytime a plane flew over I was expecting to hear a big bang.

[Larsson.]

I remember i was in my bedroom building a tower out of matches and then setting it on fire when news came on the radio of the 9/11 disaster... spooked me right out.

[Gaz]

I remember i was in my bedroom building a tower out of matches and then setting it on fire when news came on the radio of the 9/11 disaster... spooked me right out.

If only you'd been building a model of yourself.

[stephen1877]

I was in universal studios, Everyone got kicked out incase it got attacked. The c***s

[H_B]

I was on a plance going from Edinburgh to London the next week and it was hilarious how many stupid fannys seemed to expect death at any time. Unbelieveable.

[qos_75]

It is indeed a sad day and one that should be remembered by all.

There was another chilling and brutal event that shares the same infamous date, the first 9/11 in 1973. A military coup which saw General Augosto Pinochet defeat a democratically elected president in Chile. As a result, Chile saw almost two decades of a fascist dictatorship, more than 3000 deaths and many more 'disappeared', a phenomenon widespread in Latin America.

Both these events were a challenge on freedom & democracy and had tragic consequences for many thousands of people. We should certainly remember those that have and continue to suffer the consequences of these two evil events.

[Maleybhoy]

i remember coming home from school, never had a scoobie what was going on. sitting watchin TV,( probarbly Fresh Prince or My Wife and Kids, as you do when your in 3rd year)... i got a fonecall from my mum at her work and she told me to turn on sky news... couldnt believe my eyes.

[Guest saintslad]

I was in 2nd year at my local academy in fact i was in geography when it happened.

I remember getting home and the news was on it was shocking to see.

[Pink Freud]

I was on a international conference training call, including the US. We had absolutely no idea of what was going on. We took a "bio" break as the Americans call it, and I went out into the kitchen to get a coffee - the HR director then came in and told me what had happened. Suffice to say, the call didn't restart.

I had, and still have, incredibly mixed feelings about the attack. It was hideous and terrifying. It did, however, point out to Americans the sheer horror of terrorism. I'm sure it finally sealed the coffin lid on the Northern Irish troubles. It wasn't the declaration of WW3 that many stated - that had been going on for years.

I don't want to give the impression that I'm glad it happened, but there was an inevitability about it it in hindsight.

Like a couple of posters have already mentioned, it also pointed out to the US the results of terrorism. I took no satisfaction from it, but it effectively killed the support for the IRA that naive and foolish Americans had been providing.

[H_B]

Like a couple of posters have already mentioned, it also pointed out to the US the results of terrorism. I took no satisfaction from it, but it effectively killed the support for the IRA that naive and foolish Americans had been providing.

An excellent point.