Where Were You When?

Bernie
August 15 2003, 10:56AM

I was at my office on 7th Avenue and 25th Street, working on my computer. The air conditioning made a weezing sound then a loud "ka-thunk" and all the power went out. We thought it was just our building and maybe just our floor, but then fron 12 stories up we could hear horns honking on the street, and saw problems with cars going through intersections, so we knew it wasn't just us. Calls to other parts of the city gave us more idea of how widespread it was.

We got the ok to go home, and after finding out the subways weren't running and realizing the busses were jam packed and inching through traffic, I made the decision to walk the 125 blocks home to 150th Street. Mind you, this wasn't my first such experience at this, the other time being 9/11.

The mood was far more relaxed however as most folks realized it wasn't a terrorist attack just a power failure. The spirit of cooperation and comraderie was everywhere.

Since I was planning to go to the gym that day anyway, I decided to make my walk a challenge. I was able to beat my 9/11 walking time by about 20-25 minutes, doing the 6 1/2 miles in 3 hours 5 minutes. If we get any more of these disasters, I may go for the world record.

People in my neighborhood, who need little reason to hang out in the streets even on a good day, were in full carnival mode and stayed that way for most of the evening. I took a much needed shower by candlelight, then to keep food from spoiling, was *compelled* to eat a whole pint of Edy's Whole Fruit Sorbet (Boysenberry). Ah, the things you have to do in a crisis.

Power came back on at 10 minutes to 7:00 this morning. The Mayor has asked all non-essential employees to stay home. I will gladly own up to being non-essential today.

Da D.L. Crib
August 15 2003, 1:05PM

Hard at work and then I heard the window A.C. unit making a strange noise and then it slowed down and then he P.C.'s and the lights went out. I thought "oh it's a borwnout/blackout" but the monitors didn't go out which we all thought was strange. We didn't lose total power till about 4:40.

Then out office threw us out. Once it was established that it wasn't a terrorist attack we wanted to collect our thoughts and figure out how to get home but we had no time cuz they were kicking us out.

I ended up walking to Queens over the 59th St bridge down Queens Blvd for almost 2 miles. before being rescued by a ride. I then found out that i could have taken the ferry to Jersey City or NJT bus. PATH got back at 11PM. I since learned that PATH has their own power back up sub station. So if this happens again I will know what to do.

I also found out that Newark was only down 2 hours and that the power came back at 6PM. Go figure!

I got home at 9AM with no problem.I caught an express bus at Union Turnpike and Queens Blv (for free) and he droped me off at the PATH station.

I also have no DSL and had to use dial up to get on line. I won't complain cuz it could have been like Detroit or Cleveland who I heard is gonna be down for a few days.

JoJo
August 15 2003, 1:52PM

I was at a mall in Middletown,NY when it happened I was able to get from the mall to the depot but my bus home didnt come until 9:00 thank God I was with people

Guest
August 15 2003, 2:03PM

Just at the brink of buying the last to die for Prada shirt left for summer when suddenly all customers (meaning me as well) was told and asked to leave. Quel Suprise! So needless to say the AmEx card was spared the burn and so was my wallet, I really think yesterdays' excapades was a sign...

jazzbro1
August 15 2003, 2:03PM

"THIS IS MADNESS!"-- The Last Poets

Yesterday, August 14, 2003, NYC , the surrounding East Coast and parts North & East experienced an all-out, major, somebody-please-call-911 BLACK OUT!

You want one story in 8 million stories from a baking Naked City? Well , I've got one for yo asses:

Picture this: It's 91 degrees & the humidity is kicking like Van Damme! It's just another of those raggedly heat-drenched dog days of summer. It's 4:15, and you're about stagger homeward to board a train to whisk you away from the heat, crowds & monotony of the city. You notice the traffic seems unusually heavy, even by NYC terms. You're waiting form the light to change, & the wait seems endless. Your mind questions: "What's Going On?"

Suddenly, the heat, frustration, the crowd's impatience & a feeling of lethargy leads you into the nearest bar for a quick refreshing wet one. You can already feel the brisk refrigerated air greet your skin, as you amble to the barkeep and say, " A cool Heineken, please. Draft if you've got it on tap."

But as soon as you enter, it's a darkened mini-chaos. The lights, gone, that cool air is non-existent, in fact it seems a little too warm. You notice, it's noiser, not bar-friendly banter, but one of composed panic (can there be such a thing?) as people are swarming to & fro. You don't see faces clearly, more silhouettes & shadows... Hmmmm...

Little do you know, it's the start of a BLACK-OUT!!!!

You hear it in the air; comes in a careless whisper, "Damn! My cell's gone dead!" Another voice pipes in, "Dude, I think this whole city's gone dead!"

It hits you like a kick to the stomach. Something's terribly WRONG here. Forget the beer! The only thing you want is to get the hell out of there. You want to go home. You want yo mama! You want to be someplace safe, comfortable, familiar. You don't want to deal with this drama & shit, don't even wanna hear another whisper of "terrorist!" Dammit! You want yo mama!

The trains are stalled. GCS isn't even a crawl, it's a crowded standstill. You remind yourself, you have friends nearby, and surely they will put you up for the evening.

When you arrive, it's as hot, stifling as the streets you've just escaped. But damn it's good to see a friendly face (even if it ain't yo mama's!).

You stay up all night, drinking warm beer (not even Heineken-- but you don't care!), and talking about the end of the world. But somehow you *know*, it isn't the end, only a snafu in technology.

It could've been far worse. You could be stranded on a heated subway, one of thousands underground prisoners of heat, combustion, rising-tempers in the all-encompassing darkness. Or worse still: stuck in a crowded elevator, temps rising, claustophobia taking hold, breathing is difficult & unaware of what the problem is, or when it will be solved.

You're lucky. You're here with a well-loved face, drinking warm grog & making up science fiction stories to ease the boredom.

Well, some 12 HOURS later, the lights have returned, the power is back, in many, but still not all areas. You can sit in the cool climate-controlled room, A/C on "siesta" & remember, the night before, a night of deep darkness, a night of deep-seated discomfort, continuous sweat, no trains, no lights, no TV, no computer, no music. Only candles & this intimate solitude with a friend.

So, you won't moan & bitch too loudly. Remember how you once complained you had no shoes, until you met a man who had no feet..?

Peace & (electric) Power to all
Jazzbro

p.s. this is my first posting & like a brand-new assh-le I posted it first in the wrong thread (under "a True Story"). Sorry to all concerned parties.

Imparadised
August 15 2003, 2:29PM

My internet JUST came on today at 2:15pm. My digital cable's still out.

Where was I? I was in down in Times Square in the Viacom building on 1515 Broadway on a computer on the 8th floor when the Big Blackout occured. The whole floor went dark. A big office building like Viacom depends on electricity to run. All the elevators were down, all computers, phones, escalators, lights, everything. People had to walk from the 45th and 22nd floors down to the ground level. Fortunately I was on the 8th. I walked outside and it was so strange to see Times Square without any lights. I left my cell phone at home so I couldn't call anybody. I tried to hop the subway but the Port Authority Bus Terminal was pitched black and workers were instructing us to leave the subway tunnel. I had to get home like hundreds of thousands of other New Yorkers so I took the the streets. I WALKED from 44th street all the way to 125TH!!! I walked the entire distance of Central Park! Then I took the M100 bus home (Standing Room Only!) All in all a usual 30-35 minute commute on a normal day ended up taking about 3 hours just to get uptown. I did enjoy the darkness at night though. I had no electricity, but luckily my iPod and my iBook laptop still had power so I watched the Janet "Live In Hawaii" DVD and listened to music on the rooftop of my apartment building. None of the food in my refrigerator spoiled, thankfully. Everything's okay. But the gym's still closed so I'm probably going to go down to the Hudson River Park to run.

BlkArcherNY
August 17 2003, 8:01PM

The Power is on and hopefully stays that way, even on Sunday afternoon, when I hear thunder and see the flashes of lighting go across my window. I wondering are we really safe again.

(lower-manhattan thursday 4pm) - trying to get though that last hour of work, thinking about that fresh cut I am going to get in the Fort Greene area of Brooklyn, also day-dreaming about the up-coming weekend and then ZAP reality hits the lights go out and my Radio and Computer says bye.
Damm first reaction head to the stairs and travel eighteen flights down. Is this another terror attack? Oh the city is having a black out - damm it and yes the second thought was damm no fresh cut today, take your ass home and chill.
Hell the walk over the bridge to brooklyn. oh well it my first, I hope I can make the journey. I better stop and get some cold water, before the first part of my journey across the Brooklyn Bridge. I have water in the right hand and a co-worker walking with me to my left, damm trying not to look at the beautiful black men so hard - well I am a black gay male what did you expect :) we made it across, it took us a hour, because some people dont know how to walk, or stopping to glance at they cell phones, etc, anyway saying goodnight to my co-worker in downtown brooklyn.
I still have a nice pace going. Damm yeah the buses were full and I didnt feel the crowds or standing around waiting or fighting to get on. The walk would be good for me, I know I would pay for it the next day, seeing I haven't work-out in a good minute. I started my journey up-wards. The Downtown area, cut though Fort-Greene Park :), Fulton Street and Bed-Stuy almost home.

Damm its hot and I am hot. I stop for more water. Damm the Boys to Men keeps me going. I finally made it home it's 7:15pm. Wet and wondering what the hell happen - Damm 8 States hit, have to be terrorist. Not this time its our own mistake.
This is the 21st Century. We are so worried about the next terrorist hit, we still need to get our own backyards right first. Let me hit the shower, then the frezzer I have to eat my Haagen Daz Mango, before it melts first and chill - damm no cut :) maybe tomorrow?

natan
August 18 2003, 2:08PM

I was at work on 7th and 35th street. I was also on my computer when all power went out. We at the office didn't realize that the power outage was as big as it was until we made our way out of our building through pitch darkness down the staircase. If it wasn't for a couple of people with lighters, we would have had a very hard time going down out those stairs.

34th street was total caos. People were all over the streets trying to get somewhere, trying to get some info, and hittin' them cell phones without any luck.

I was lucky enought that I live in Long Island City, so it was just a nice fun walk over the 59th street bridge to get home. People were very helpfull and I must say I still can't beleive that there wasn't the kind of looting that the city saw back in the 70's when the city had its last major blackout.

I must say, I didn't suffer the way a lot of people did that lived far out into long island, queens, brookly,....etc...

I had power by 4 the next morning, so not much inconveneice was felt on my part.

Nloco

Eric-Keith Ellis
August 18 2003, 5:24PM

I was at work at 40th and Broadway at the time the lights went out !!! I had just come from the Duane Reade store at the corner and getting some cash from the ATM at Washington Mutual across the street. I just got off the elevator, strode over to my desk, then started typing on the computer !!! There was a a cracking or sizzling type noise,then the lights went out, they flickered on and off for about 10 seconds,then the place went dark !!!
We managed to walk down 12 flights of stairs to the lobby,which was dark, and we went outside. Being relatively new to Manhattan,it never occurred to me that this was nothing more than a power outage,that while inconvenient,would eventually be resolved !!! However, I had to consider how I was going to get out of Times Square !!!
I live in Queens,and I knew that going back there was out the question, so I walked to 6th Ave. looking for any bus that was going to 125th or anywhere in Harlem (I'm fairly new to the city also), because I figured that I'd then walk to my partner's apartment in Washington Heights !!! My cell phone service was inoperable,so I then stood in line for about 20 minutes,and there was not a single bus in sight !!!
I was talking to a woman in the line, Deborah or Dee,as she told me she likes to be called,and I commented that I was going to start walking and if a bus came and I was near a stop, I'd get on it and continue my journey !!! She offered to walk with me, as she lived on 96th St. We walked up Broadway along with the crowds of people !!! I noticed all the buses were jam packed,and that people at the bus stops were confused,tired,and also short tempered,and I didn't wish to get involved in that, so I kept walking !!!
I had on some sandals,that while cute to look at,were not made for walking, and fortunately when Dee and I got to 82nd St., there was a guy who was having an apartment sale of some kind,and I spied a pair of Nike Air Shox,which looked brand new !!! I asked the guy what size they were,and when he said a size 8, I told him "ring it up". Dee gave the man $3 as I had only $20 bills, and I laced those shoes up and then continued the journey !!!
Eventually, I made sure that Dee was at her place safely, and I continued walking until I made it to Broadway and 181st St. I made it to my destination at 8:45PM !!! The first thing I did was hug my partner, then I stripped out those clothes and hit the shower !!! In spite of it all, I wasn't tired, I was just thankful that I made it to my destination without incident and there was no widespread chaos.

lynne
August 18 2003, 9:31PM

I was on a boat ride around NYC with my company and it was our annual outing. I'm not quite sure exactly when the blackout first hit, but as I walked back to the office with some folks we saw others from our company standing outside. There were others there we did not know. While walking down the street we had noticed that traffic lights were not working. As we approached the work mates they stated that power was out. Everyone was trying to use their cell phones and couldn't. It was freaky and we were all looking at one another with that uh oh, 9-1-1 look. Anyway, I walked up to the office collected my ish heard news reports and was just like aight, cool. Got a ride to the Manhattan Bridge and walked my lil ass cross it to BK.

Nuit-Noire
August 19 2003, 2:57AM

I was on Yonge street in downtown Toronto..just about to pay the cashier at Ginger, a little busy Vietnamese fast food,When the power went out. I jokingly asked the cashier if she had paid her hydro bill, and she just smiled at me..I thought it was just a 1 block power failure, but when I finished eating and decided to go Chapters a couple blocks from there..I realized that the crowd on the Yonge and Bloor intersection was much bigger than usual, it had not hit me yet that it was a general power failure..It's only when I saw stores closing down and cars at the same intersection being directed by an older guy in the seventies wearing plain clothes that it really hit me...I realized then that the subway was closed,that crowds were starting to form around bus stops. I waited a good hour at the bust stop before I decided to walk north, towards home..It took me two and a half hours to get home..It was so hot and humide outside that I was glad to get home..Later at night, I walked out the building and bumped into a couple of friends, we sat outside, around a candle and before we knew more friends showed up and it was almost like a reunion that as I told my other friends was not going to happen on any other regular night..So, I had fun the night of the blackout!

illmatictrav
October 6 2003, 11:41AM

I was in Detroit when the massive power outage happened . i was the the bus stop on Greenfield and 14 mile and it was just too hot and the bus was taking along time so i headed into the gastation right behind me. strangely their where no lights on inthe gas station the lady tells us that the power is out the whole city and parts of the east coast am thinkin damn is it a terrisist attack or someting. by this time the bus comes full of rowdy people hot and confused i had a long ride to go. when i got home everybody seem calm.Thats until nightfall came and The whole city when mad just madness everybody walking around with flashlights and shit i was crazy