New Yorkers Under Attack

[Eli Friedman]

Hi Hawk Friends,
        Thanks to everybody who expressed concern for those here in New York.
I am fine, as is everybody I know about . I did have quite the experience
yesterday, though.
I got up out of the subway, and onto the streets of lower Manhatten at my
usual time, about 8:35 AM, and went for a little walk before heading up to
the video studio where I work, which is just above Canal Street, about a mile
or less north of the World Trade Towers. As I was doing what I do best,
smoking my breakfast, on the quiet, deserted streets of Soho, (it's a
neighborhood that comes alive at night with clubs and bars, but is quite
quiet in the early morning hours,) I saw a large commercial jet zooming at
what seemed an insanely low altitude above the streets, coming right over
West Broadway. I thought it seemed very low, and in the time it took me to
say to myself "I'm sure the pilot knows what he's doing" I got to turn my
head to follow its flight right into the side of the South Tower. It left a
ten story gaping hole in the famous building. The few people in the area
stood amazed, jaws hanging. It looked like an effects shot from an unmade
James Bond film. It was surreal.
        As cold as this may seem to some, I thought right away about the fact
that I was 2 blocks from the studio that I work at, where there are several
broadcast quality cameras, and our tenth floor location, with its 360 degree
wrap around glass windows, and spectacular view of the skyline. I dashed up
there, and got our crew going to set up cameras and start videotaping. Within
minutes of setting up we were taping the awful image of a second plane
striking the second tower, and an hour later we witnessed the towers come
crumbling,unbelieveably, impossibely down. Since our studio works frequently
with ABC TV news, they thought of our location right away, and for many hours
yesterday, we were providing tape and news feed to various TV and radio
media. And in case this is all coming off too detached,(believe me I'm not),
I just want to mention that each new developement as it happened was met with
the most horrible, terrified shrieking of our receptionist and interns who
were basically stationed at the windows, and who watched on in  disbelief and
fear as the second plane roared into our field of vision headed in the
direction of our building and collided into the side of the tower.
    It was quite the trip getting out of Manhatten last night to get back
home to Long Island. Today lower Manhatten is completely shut down, and our
studio can't open today. They expect things will open up tomorrow. I'm glad
to be home today.I still can't believe the scale and scope of what I
witnessed, and I feel lucky that I was  where I was and not 1/2 a mile south
where my friend got out of his subway station a few blocks from the trade
center and looked up to see dozens leaping from 80 floors up. It was more
than I could bear to see it all from 20 blocks away. I feel a little like an
unpunished Lot's wife, too, but I must say, when it happens right in front of
you devastation is riveting. It never
occured to me to turn away. I'm not sure what it means, but it isn't making
me that happy. Think I'll go listen to some Hawkwind, and try to lose the
blues. Thanks to evrybody...sory to be so off topic..but I was getting a few
of e-mails from list members
 and thought I could send out a group response here.
Peace, right? Eli Friedman