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Aude Sapere Academy
Sep. 9, 2006
Random Thoughts
I cried last night. I gave in and watched United 93. Oh boy. I have been avoiding that movie for a lonnnnnng time. I couldn't even bear to watch the previews on tv. I am still extremely upset by the events of September 11, 2001 - I am dreading this coming monday, it's been five years since I lost dear friends and flying partners.
If you don't know my story, it's nothing spectacular compared to many. But it helps me to share it. I flew into NYC on Sept. 9, 2001 and went to my hotel. I always loved getting layovers in NYC because there is so much to do there! (Oh, if you don't remember, I was a United Airlines flight attendant until 3 years ago.) Anyway, after a good nights sleep I woke up on Monday, Sept. 10th and went out for the day to Times Square, and hit all the shops inbetween. I stopped at Rockefeller Plaza, the Empire State building, and had "real" pizza for lunch. I went back for a short nap and to get ready for work, I was flying a redeye to Denver that night. On the ride to the airport I called K from the tunnel - and looked over the city and was telling K how he had to come here with me next time. I got to LaGuardia, and went to the crew domicile to check my computer messages, schedule, etc....got the flight paperwork and went to my gate to meet the other f/a's and get on board the plane when it arrived. About 5 minutes later, the gate agent let us know that our flight had been cancelled due to a mechanical in Chicage (where the plane was coming from). Back to the domicile I go! The crew desk called to let me know that I would be staying another night in NYC and flying out of JFK or EWR (Newark) in the morning. No biggie! On my way out, the crew desk called again and asked if I'd be willing to take a flight to Miami that night, as the crew that was going to work it was majorly delayed with the broken airplane in Chicago. As much as I wanted to stay in NYC that night, I said "sure", turned around and found my new gate assignment and aircraft.
It was about midnight on Sept 10/11 when we got all the passengers on board. I was working the "A" position, or Purser, meaning I was the lead flight attendant who sat up front and worked First Class and ran all the audio/video equipment. I was also responsible for all announcements and services during that flight. There was a pretty nasty lightning storm right over the airport, people were getting restless just sitting on the plane wondering when it was going to be safe to take off. We had about 4 people get freaked out and get off the plane, and FINALLY we were able to get buttoned down and take off. The flight was pretty uneventful until the last 40 minutes or so. It was about 2 am and we were almost to Miami when I went into the back of the plane to check on my fellow crewmembers. On my way back up the aisle, I tripped....tripped over someone who was laying in the aisle. Um HELLO, why would someone think it would be a good idea to LAY in the aisle? Anyway, I fell and hit my elbow on the arm rest of a seat, and it instantly bruised up and was extremely swollen. We got out the first aid kit, applied ice and a sling because I couldn't move it....and I went up into the flight deck where the pilots called EMS to meet the flight and one of them gave me their tie to tie up my arm different.
We arrive in Miami safely, and as the passengers were deplaning, EMS was checking my arm out recommending that they take me in an ambulance to the nearest hospital (Um, no!) - so instead of going to the hotel with the rest of the crew, I headed by taxi to a downtown Miami hospital. The emergency room was crowded, but I got in and got exrays, the doctor set my arm, put a temporary cast on and recommended that I see an orthopedic surgeon ASAP. I got out of the hospital around 6am, got a taxi right back to the airport and reported to the crew desk. They got me flights home through Denver, and I'd be home by 2pm that afternoon. Of course, being me, 2pm wasn't soon enough, so I had them reroute me through Chicago and I hopped on the next departure to Chicago. At the time, I noticed a few things, but didn't think much of them with the circumstances being what they were. I was on a 767, in business class, seated next to a man of Arab descent. I didn't anything of it until he kept bumping me with his twitching leg. He was constantly looking around the cabin, and a few times I caught him making eye contact with others of the same descent, and just the TWITCHING! It was driving me batty. I thought that maybe he was afraid of flying or had too much coffee....but then again, it didn't strike me as odd at the time and I went to sleep. I woke up in Chicago, when the gentleman seated next to me offered to get my suitcase out of the overhead bin when he glanced at my arm.
I smiled and deplaned, went straight to the next gate, and checked in for my flight to Portland. Moments later, the agent announced a 1 hour ground stop delay, people started moaning and groaning. I set off for a magazine and ran into some friends that I went to training with who were based out of Boston. They told me that one of our flights was missing....and that some American ones were too. We were freaked. My sister then called, frantic to get through, wondering where I was and told me that planes had crashed into the WTC. OMG. I was DEVASTATED. When they figured out it was hijacking, I didn't know what to think. We train for it, but the likelihood of it ever happening was soooo slim, or so we thought. At my departure gate, people were starting to say how awful UAL was and that the delay was unacceptable - they had no idea that there were 4 hijacked flights out there, and could have been more if the FAA didn't shut down air traffic. After the flight cancelled I went to the crew domicile.
They were out of hotel rooms in Chicago, I was stuck. The TV's were on, hundreds of pilots and flight attendants were hugging, crying and shaking their heads in disbelief. We do this everyday. We put our lives on the line everyday. Just to work, as a job - and to die a horrible death like that is so, so....cruel!
I just couldn't calm down, I was so scared. I constantly kept trying to get through to K or my mom, cause they knew I was in NY and didn't know that I left last minute for Miami. I finally got through to K and he was on the phone with Amtrak getting me the last seat on a train to Portland the next day. I didn't want that. I wanted him to drive to Chicago and pick me up. I wanted to rent a car and drive home NOW. Another flight attendant overheard my situation with my arm etc, and offered to let me stay with him at his apt and take me to the train station in the morning. I was so grateful. I went to his house and pretty much collapsed from grief and lack of sleep. I had nightmares all night about the Sears Tower and my flying partners and what it was like flying into a building and exploding....I am still shaken by the horror.
I got on the 4 day train ride the next day, and during my trip tried to stay in touch w/ my family by cell phone. It went dead in S. Dakota, right at the time there was a train crash in Utah. My mom was convinced I was aboard the train that crashed and got a message to me through Amtrak. I arrived home to my son and husband 2 days later, and I was so glad to be there. I didn't stop shaking until a few weeks later and I still have nightmares to this day.
I got pregnant with my dd shortly after, and quit after my maternity leave was over at the end of 2003. I miss flying, I miss my flying partners, I am so deeply saddened that people who were just in the wrong place at the wrong time had to suffer and die. I can't imagine the evil - - - I will never get over Sept. 11, and I hope that maybe these next five years will ease the pain.
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Sep. 12, 2006 - Wow!
Blessings,
Kendra