September 9th, 2011

At the WTC site

It seems that we have recovered from the last wave of warnings just in time to brace ourselves for the next one. Hurricane Irene was preceded with lots of prodding from the media to be prepared for the worst, and the worst never came. Now, with the ten-year anniversary of September 11th on the horizon, people in the city, myself included, are debating just how careful we need to be. NYPD has called in reinforcements from the National Guard and will be working overtime this weekend, patrolling potential targets like the World Trade Center site and transportation hubs. Apparently they are also searching cars, leading bomb-sniffing dogs around the city, and waving radiation-detecting wands at people. This is the force that successfully thwarted the plan to car-bomb Times Square a few months ago, so it seems that, in at least some ways, they know what they're doing. This is sort of comforting, but I am still a bit edgy.

I am not alone; people everywhere seem similarly unsure of just what to do. Mayor Bloomberg has advised everyone to carry on as usual, but to be especially vigilant. I am unsure of how to handle things. Ed has volunteered to give me cab money for the weekend because he thinks I should stay away from the subway. (This from a guy who has decided to fly to London on the 11th...)

BUT

Some people will be avoiding Manhattan, or at the very least steering clear of places downtown that could be dangerous. I can understand that inclination, but on the other hand, it's going to be a pretty significant time to be in New York, and I'd like to be a part of it. I'd feel pretty silly sitting in my apartment all day - which is pretty far away from landmarks important enough to attract negative attention - if it turned out that nothing happened. However, it also seems stupid to take unnecessary risks. So what's my strategy? Well, I'm undecided at this point. But whatever I do, I'll be crossing my fingers that, like Irene, the city ends up over-preparing for an empty threat.

Phew. I faced fewer of these situations when I lived in Visalia.