07-07 a sequel to 09/11 ???
THURSDAY, JULY 07, 2005
07-07
Here is my first hand account of the day … it is not exactly a ‘been there seen that’ … but here it goes …
*****************
It is 9.09 when I board the surface ground train at East croydon to get to work.
Like most days I am not looking forward to another day at work, and to top it I am running late
My train arrives at Victoria station at 9.27 a.m.
Like scores of office going commuters I rush out of the ticket barriers so that I reach office by a decent time.
The station looks a little over crowded … I assume there must be some carnival going on. Or maybe the London 2012 Olympic bid euphoria at Victoria station.
I am irritated as I make my way through the swarm of people sluggishly walking around in the station. It can get very irritating when you are rushing to work. As I move out of the station expecting that the crowds would make way I see that the crowd outside the station is much denser than the one inside the station.
I notice the unusual presence of police and vague announcements from the microphone from the Victoria underground station.
I am too preoccupied with my course of the day that I miss to notice anything unusual today.
I pave my way out of the crowd and head towards office. The London Sightseeing tour office is a couple of buildings away from Victoria station. I notice that they turning away the tourists. There are announcements saying … ‘we strongly recommend you not to travel…’ or something of that sort …
Nothing strikes me as different except that the crowd outside Victoria station feels a little unusual. But by then I have walked out of the crowds and am headed towards the office.
I am in office, feeling guilty about being late when I notice that there is hardly anyone. There is a momentary relief and I wonder if I am actually early to office.
Then a colleague comes in and says there been a bomb blast and he was stranded for 20 minutes in the tube.
I log on to BBC and discover the bomb blasts all over the underground at Aldgate, Kings cross and Edgware road.
It could have well been Victoria someone says. (It is only later through the day we hear that there was one bomb planted at Victoria that did not take off).
The course of the day takes an unusual turn.
Meetings get cancelled.
Everybody is discussing the blasts.
We get into taking headcounts, calling up other offices to check if all our people are safe and could be traced.
By around 11.00 am the mobile networks are jammed and so e-mails are the only alternative. One could not ascertain if people are stuck in the underground or if the mobile signals are weak. E-mails rule the day.
Within a couple of hours, news from all over ascertains that everyone whom everyone knew were safe but many were stranded on the roads. By then the underground stations have been evacuated.
Our office is located at the queen’s backyard - behind the Buckingham palace. Scotland Yard takes no chances and cordons off all vehicles in and around the Palace.
What strikes me very different and amazing is the disaster management skills of the people in general . There is panic, but no aggressive or overt emotional outpour.
The police in particular is polite and the public is by and large obedient.
Atleast by the looks of it, it looks like the police know exactly what needs to be done as though they were expecting it today.
Within half an hour of the blasts Police all over are urging people to stay where they are and not move out of home or offices. Certainly nowhere near public places.
The internet flashes the news that underground network has completely shut down.
A pamphlet indicating alternate routes to get outside of Central London is being freely distributed.
The radio urges everyone to get out early from offices, urges Taxis and other cars to utilize to the maximum capacity and offer lifts to others to get out of Central London.
Car pools are arranged in offices to drop people off outside of Central London.
Considering the fact that no one really drives into central London, we had three colleagues who had driven down in their cars for a meeting today. They did their good deed of the day by dropping off others outside of Central London in about two –three trips.
Food is arranged as a standby just in case we are stranded. Nearby Hotel accommodations are booked to ensure in case of emergency when there really is no perceived need.
Outside, hundreds of office goers swarm through Hyde Park for a long walk across to wherever they are heading for. One would never guess that so many people come to work in central London. Luckily it is a sunny day (barring slight drizzle in the morning) and the weather is co-operating.
A colleague drops me on his way home. I come home to watch the Television.
37 lives lost and about 700 injured says BBC. A stony faced Tony Blair says something about the resilience of the British. Mayor Ken Livingstone is delivering a very courageous interview. (Not sure if he has exchanged notes with Rudolf Giuliani - Will he be the Times person of the year 2005…)
******************************************************
That was the first hand account of what in history might be the sequel of the 9/11 drama.
I am blogging away late into the night knowing well that tomorrow offices will be literally empty as the London underground is not expected to resume until Monday.
Should I go to office or should I not … tough decision … I guess I will sleep over it …
My heart goes out to all those who came back to work on the morning of 13th of March 1993 after the Mumbai blasts. I do not think they had to think so hard …
0707
Here is my first hand account of the day … it is not exactly ‘been there seen that’ … but here it goes …
It is 9.09 when I board the surface ground train at East croydon to get to work.
Like most days I am not looking forward to another day at work,
And to top it I am running late …
My train arrives at Victoria station at 9.27 a.m.
Like scores of office going commuters I rush out of the ticket barriers so that I reach office by a decent time.
The station looks a unusaully over crowded … I assume there must be some carnival going on. Or maybe the London 2012 Olympic bid euphoria at Victoria station.
I am irritated as I make my way through the swarm of people sluggishly walking around in the station. It can get very irritating when you are rushing to work. As I move out of the station expecting that the crowds would make way I see that the crowd outside the station is much denser than the one inside the station.
I notice the unusual presence of police and vague announcements from the microphone ofemerging from the Victoria underground station.
I am too preoccupied with my course of the day that I miss to notice anything unusual today.
I pave my way out of the crowd and head towards office. The London Sightseeing tour office is a couple of buildings away from Victoria station. I notice that they turning away the tourists. There are announcements saying … ‘we strongly recommend you not to travel…’ or something of that sort …
Nothing strikes me as different except that the crowd outside Victoria station feels a little unusual. But by then I have walked out of the crowds and am headed towards the office.
I am in office, feeling guilty about being late when I notice that there is hardly anyone. There is a momentary relief and I wonder if I am actually early to office.
Then a colleague comes in and says there been a bomb blast and he was stranded for 20 minutes in the tube.
I log on to BBC and discover the bomb blasts all over the underground at Aldgate, kings cross and Edgware road.
'It could have well been Victoria', someone says. (It is only later through the day we hear that there was one bomb planted at Victoria that did not take off).
The course of the day takes an unusual turn.
Meetings get cancelled.
Everybody is discussing the blasts.
We get into taking headcounts, calling up other offices to check if all our people are safe and could be traced.
By around 11.00 am the mobile networks are jammed and so e-mails are the only alternative. One could not ascertain if people are stuck in the underground or if the mobile signals are weak. E-mails rule the day.
Within a couple of hours, news from all over ascertains that everyone whom everyone knew were safe but many were stranded on the roads. By then the underground stations have been evacuated.
Our office is located at the queen’s backyard - behind the Buckingham palace.
Scotland Yard takes no chances and cordons off all vehicles in and around the Palace.
What strikes me very different and amazing is the disaster management skills of the people in general .
There is panic, but no aggressive or overt emotional outpour.
The police in particular is polite and the public is by and large obedient.
Atleast by the looks of it, it looks like the police know exactly what needs to be done as though they were expecting it today.
Within half an hour of the blasts Police all over are urging people to stay where they are and not move out of home or offices. Certainly nowhere near public places.
The internet flashes the news that underground network has completely shut down.
A pamphlet indicating alternate routes to get outside of Central London is being freely distributed.
The radio urges everyone to get out early from offices, urges Taxis and other cars to utilize to the maximum capacity and offer lifts to others to get out of Central London.
Car pools are arranged in offices to drop people off outside of Central London.
Considering the fact that no one really drives into central London, we had three colleagues who had driven down in their cars for a meeting today. They did their good deed of the day by dropping off others outside of Central London in about two –three trips.
Food is arranged as a standby just in case we are stranded. Nearby Hotel accommodations are booked to ensure in case of emergency when there really is no perceived need.
Outside, hundreds of office goers swarm through Hyde Park for a long walk across to wherever they are heading for. One would never guess that so many people come to work in central London. Luckily it is a sunny day (barring slight drizzle in the morning) and the weather is co-operating.
A colleague drops me on his way home. I come home to watch the Television.
37 lives lost and about 700 injured says BBC. A stony faced Tony Blair says something about the resilience of the British. Mayor Ken Livingstone is delivering a very courageous interview. (Not sure if he has exchanged notes with Rudolf Giuliani - I have a feeling he and/ or Blair will be the Times person of the year 2005…)
******************************************************
That was the first hand account of what in history might be the sequel of the 9/11 drama.
I am blogging away late into the night knowing well that tomorrow offices will be literally empty as the London underground is not expected to resume until Monday.
Should I go to office or should I not … tough decision … I guess I will sleep over it …
My heart goes out to all those who came back to work on the morning of 13th of March 1993 after the Mumbai blasts. I do not think they had to think so hard …
PREVIOUS POSTS
ARCHIVES
No comments:
Post a Comment