Horror

Wow, hadn't heard!

fealola, one of the reasons that the story hit home, is because I have ridden the Staten Island ferry. The horror of it all is not just those who were killed, but those who were maimed.

Jeez. I'm always interested in what goes on in NY. I was born there. Get this-- My husband was there during the black out and he's there right now. Not riding the ferry tho'.

I wonder what happened. Did you see how far the damage went? Wow.

I watch the news so little any more, fealola. I'm certain that we'll get the update on Peter Jennings tonight. Girl, you better get that husband off them islands.

It is horrible, but it doesn't sound like terrorism. Staten Island is just one letter away from Saten Island....uh oh, I'm using internet spelling again. I'm going to watch for the story on the news tonight. Sad stuff...

How awful. New York has had its share of troubles, that's for sure. This hits home for me as well because not quite a year ago, Merry Andrew, Peace & Love and I were on one of those ferries for a joyride and to cruise past the Statue of Liberty. I thought at the time that the landing seemed very rough compared to what I'm used to on the Puget Sound ferry system. We have strong tides here, too, so that's no excuse.

I noticed that weren't many of the big "dolphins" on that Staten Island run that are used here to catch the ferry, but this accident sounds like the ferry didn't slow down enough. Weird. Guess we'll get more information later. The maiming though... how horrible.

Have lived in Brooklyn all my life and can not remember anything like this ever happening before. Even though the press is speculating and trying to put words in the officials mouths they have a wait and see attitude.

Piffka and Letty:

I know what you mean about hitting home. We took our boys up to the top of the WTC in Dec. 2000. Less than a year before..... It was a joyous day, a beautiful crystal clear winter day. Something we'd never forget.

After it happened I replayed our trip, over and over in my mind, trying to remember every step I took, every nook and cranny of the place, the faces of the people who ran the elevators and the concessions. Haunting.

I do think, my friends, that we sometimes over react. ..the black out in the states and Canada, the brief problem in England...but as I told Roberta on her dinner thread, "....every man's death diminishes me...."

Yes, au, wait and see. There will be interrogating of the two captains, of course. Piffka, you and Andrew and PaL are ok...Doesn't Beedle live in the Bronx?

Folks, this is one reason that I had hoped we could periodically have a check in thread on A2K.

Here in Florida, the poor woman who has been unable to function as a human being for ten years, and there are people crying "murder" should she be removed from the feeding tube. As someone once told me, just put pebbles in my pockets.

Letty, Yes, he does and yes, we are. It was late October, chilly but no rain. We raced uptown to meet The Beedle Master near Rockefeller Center, missing a subway stop & walking back. Lunch at Seeda II, 309w 50th St., the card's here by my computer to look up on a map.

Pebbles in my pockets -- little reminders of places.

Ferry Crash
This story, besides being horrible in the extreme, is of great interest to us in the Seattle area since we, too, do a lot of ferry riding, don't we Piffka. However, the local news tonight was full of reassurances that such a thing was not apt to happen here since our ferries are built differently and our operating system is different. That is what they say. I just hope these rosy statements can be trusted.

Hey, shoe. Well, the pilot seems to be the culprit. Reads like a bad movie.

Another NYCer heard from: checking in.

We take the ferry ten or twelve times a year, a little less than in years past when one of my sons lived on Staten Island. I take vistors to the city on the run because the view of the city on the return is spectacular.

This tragedy will grow in the next few days because no one knows exactly who or how many were on board and, typical New Yorkers, they had gathered up in the front to be one of the first ones off.

What I haven't heard so far, I'm watching local news, is who backed the ferry off and turned it around so it could dock on it's other side? That's a hero.......

L says I can no longer ride in the first car of any subway car.

Joe

I heard that the pilot felt so bad, he went home, said to his wife "I'm sorry", slit his wrists and then tried to kill himself with a pellet gun, only to shoot himself in the foot. Seems the guy can't even get his own suicide right.

Well, Cav and Joe. I do suppose we'll discover the why's and wherefore's later. God, what a tragedy.

This reminds me of several years ago when some nut got on the ferry with a samurai sword. Man, I'm glad we don't live in NY any more. The story is intensely disturbing.

The attempted suicide (real or pseudo) is correct. He is currently hospitalized. The pilot's explanation of the accident- he fell asleep, having failed to take his blood pressure medication.

I want to recant on my inference that the attempted suicide might not have been sincere. He is listed in critical condition after surgery. The pellets were fired into his chest in the heart area.

Jes, a samurai sword? Good grief.

Hey, flyboy. Nice to see you here. Yes, I caught that update about the pilot(captain). If he dies we may never know what happened. I saw something about his having failed to take his blood pressure medicine and that's why he fell asleep. Doesn't make sense. Also three people have not been accounted for, or at least the families have not heard from them. Let's hope they turn up well.