What it was like to jump from the World Trade Center on 09-11-01

VARIOUS ^ | 10-01-01 | Editorial Staff

[leadpencil1]

Whats the matter SunnyUsa, why are these so hard to look at? I think we should be showing these every night on TV so we remember. Great post!

[fredtaps]

Thank you for the post. To all who object to this thread, you need to think about the NY's who witnessed this mass murder, who survived, who went to funerals and memorials, who will raise children alone, who can't live in their homes for the rotting stench, who can't make the nightmares end. Mass murder is morbid. My friend Ron watched people falling, jumping, smashing into the ground. There was a tent set up over a stage in the center of WTC where summer concerts had taken place for weeks. He watched people leap and figured that they were trying to land on the tent. But they bounced off, and someone then broke thru the tent. New Yorkers are tough. But we are forever scarred. I'm so glad I went to the observatory deck as a kid. I'm so glad I got to go to 1 WTC for business last Dec. It still hurts to see the towers in every 3rd movie on TV and see photos of our beautiful skyline. The video footage from that gore site is compelling - gory - yet I let the loop replay several times. One minute I'm planting spring bulbs for the promise of a new beginning following winter, the next I'm witnessing the playback of death. One minute everything was normal. Now facing "morbidity" is the norm. I take being a born and bred New Yorker for granted. I see from this thread that we are indeed different and Americans who don't know our city and life initimately might not ever know us beyond what they see on Friends, Seinfeld, and Sex and the City and NYPD Blue. That's understandable. For me, watching the video footage of the people leaping reinforces the NY attitude of "pride, arrogance, no-fear, guts and big ba**s" that defines life in the big city. Those people had enormous courage to leap to their own finality, flying thru the air, was the last act that spoke a big "f-u" to those who attacked our towers. "I kiss my fear, I kiss it on the lips..." (Rollins Band). From the city that bred the Ramones, the leapers will forever be--the ultimate portrayal of punk.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Thank you for your kind words. I agree with you about keeping the vivid images in the forefront. Hell, I wish the networks would run the video clips of the second tower being hit and the towers collapsing on a regular basis, during breaks of the most popular shows, so that people never forget what we're fighting for here. I just fear that over time, the mainstream media will make people forget just how horrific and jarring that was, and concentrate more on the poor little Afghans.

[NYC GOP Chick]

I know full well that if I was in their place it would have taken a miracle to suvive, and that miracles like that do not happen often, but I would not deny the chance for such a miracle by jumping, especialy if the fire wasn't even on my floor yet. My life will not end with my cooperation (unless it is to save the life of another), and if you are offended that I state I would make a different choice, too bad for you.

With all due respect, unless you've been in a very similar situation, you have no idea whatsoever as to what you'd actually do.

Those poor people weren't just waiting for the fire to reach their floor -- the floor was literally burning their feet and the toxic smoke (jet fuel) was filling their offices. Death was going to happen, but I guess some at least wanted a say in how they went out of this world. They had to know that there were no miracles coming to save them. The fire was ferocious, worse than any I've ever seen, and there was no way to hope for a miracle. It was massive. TV and photos can't begin to capture the immensity and intensity of it. I can't imagine how any firefighters could have gotten past the floors of impact and to those stranded above.

[NYC GOP Chick]

08:50:22 FC STS WTC BLEW UP

08:50:29 FC STS SME AS ABV

Oh my God. I was one of those FCs.

[NYer]

Thank you for posting these photos. It is inconceivable that one moment these folks were riding the elevator up to work or the observation deck and the next minute they were confronted with two methods of death! Look at the woman in the photo, holding her baby out the window, for some air. I remember one photo of a jumper, shirtless, whose arm was blackened from fire. His choice was obvious. We need to remember these details. We must never forget!

[Grig]

there were no miracles coming to save them...there was no way to hope for a miracle

Just how do you know that? God can work miracles anytime there is a righteous purpose for it.

[NYC GOP Chick]

Were you there? Did you know right from the start how deadly that fire was, how godawful it was? It was all-consuming.

I'm sure you're happy to know that many, many people did as you claim you would have done, and now their bodies will never be found, as they've been incinerated to ashes.

[Grig]

What is your problem? I'm not happy about any of it, I'm just saying that I can't see myself ever doing what some of them did in jumping. That is no reason to get all worked up.

As you pointed out, there were many WHO WERE THERE who did not jump. Are you upset with them too?

[NYC GOP Chick]

It doesn't matter much whether they jumped or not, as they were doomed either way. But unless you've been in a very similar situation, you have no way of knowing what you might or might not actually do. How close were you to the towers when they were on fire? Do you have *any* idea how bad it was?

[Timesink]

And yet, he did not show any of the morbid pictures? Hmm.....

There ARE no morbid pictures. They seem to have been wiped off the face of the earth, if they ever existed at all. I've certainly never seen one.

[Timesink]

You’re lucky you didn’t eat there. It was the world’s most expensive cafeteria.

Seconded. It SUCKED. It basically existed so that the WTC coupld make money off the bridge-and-tunnel crowd who needed a "cool place" to host their weddings and prom parties, and so that NYC businesspeople could take clients there from out of town and impress them. You sure never went for the food.

[homeschool mama]

Emotions can certainly run high in discussions such as these. I understand much better where you're coming from, Grig. Thank you for taking time to explain.

[Timesink]

That may be true, but I would have to actually be burning to get to that point.

Judging from some of the pictures and video I saw, for many (if not all) of those people, the fire and heat was already right up against them. (Remember, that 1000-degree-plus heat was being pulled towards those open windows, flames or not.) Besides, you don't break open a window and climb outside a ledgeless facade 900 feet into the air unless you are already facing imminent death. Those poor people were already into full panic mode.

[homeschool mama]

How very kind of you to alert viewers when you were a reporter. I congratulate you. In Sacramento, channel 10 doesn't show graphic footage on the 5pm news and if there *is* something questionnable they warn the public beforehand. Much appreciated.

[Alas]

Bump, soberly and with much thought.

Mark

[Publius6961]

But you are.I see no purpose in this post other than morbidity.

Lighten up.
I for one would have loved to have the opportunity to see these sights first hand.
Now I never will, and I am grateful that someone is willing to share.

[Grig]

But unless you've been in a very similar situation, you have no way of knowing what you might or might not actually do.

I know that if I was making a decision in a rational state of mind that I would not. I do not think pain and emotion should be a factor in making the decision. Now it's true that under such extreem circumstance I could become irrational, but being irrational is not something I understand or relate too very well, and it is not a certainty that I would become irrational either.

To make a choice to jump while in a rational state of mind requires you to assume that either there is no God to save you (something I know is false), or that God has no intention of saving you. It may be true that it's your time to die, but it might not be and you never know if you don't try, so for me, to give up and choose to jump without being irrational, is a rejection of my faith that I could not do.

[Age of Reason]

There is nothing cowardly about being afraid of being burned, that is a natural and normal reaction and it is nothing to be ashamed of, but it is still a fear.

How long can you hold your hand over a candle?