I love Bloomberg's demeanor - he is calm and civil but there is a definite air of disdain for stupidity. "Reporters" are knocking each other over and shouting each other down to ask asinine questions that can NOT and should NOT have answers yet.
And Good Lord! Must people mention 9/11 every single freaking time there is anything even remotely resembling a major event. Cut it out! No wonder we're all nuts.
BUT ...
I just had to get that out. What I really want to say is I LOVE New York - and New Jersey too.
I watch a guy from NY Waterways - I want to call him Joe. He has a wonderful NY accent. He is a big burly guy wearing a giant puffy jacket and a knit cap on his head. The cap is cockeyed and his face is beet red from the cold. He thanks "da guys" who got ferries to the plane in a manner of moments. He is "duh-lighted" that everyone is OK. He is so no nonsense and so proud and so genuine - I want to reach into the TV and hug him. Good job Joe.
I watch video of firefighters making their way down NYC's West Side Highway. They have that firefighter look. Big square faces. Always appearing larger than life. Giant in all their gear. Carrying ladders and huge heavy bags of lifesaving equipment. They move as one. They ignore the cameras.
Commuters stand on street corners and stare. Cars get detoured and pedestrians weave in and out of traffic. I see a guy on roller blades carrying a pile of blankets towards the triage center.
I have always loved my home town. Even when she makes me crazy.
I love her most during hard times. NYC is like the hooker with a heart of gold from all those old movies. A bit of a train wreck who always does the right thing when it matters.
I have felt a (renewed) strong desire to protect my home town ever since the Republican National convention. Ever since that ignorant piece of trash from Alaska mocked it.
I'm certain that any town or city - big or small - has heart and capability.
BUT ...
Crash land a fucking plane in the middle of a river surrounded by buildings and bridges. Time it for just before rush hour in a place holding millions of people.
And have it all come out alright.
Bravo to all the civilians who rushed to the scene. Bravo to FDNY and NYPD and all the other emergency services.
And a huge standing ovation for the pilot - people who know what they're talking about are calling his controlled emergency landing "miraculous".
And he walked the length of the plane twice to make sure everyone was out.
I got these photos from CBS News and Huffington Post. They speak for themselves.
51 comments:
I agree with you - I am proud of the way everything was handled. All the lives were saved. Truly miraculous :)
Hey, New Yorkers talk kinda funny but really, they're just like anybody else. I hate hearing stereotypes about people based on where they're from. Really a lot of that perceived unfriendliness is cultural and you just need to get to know the person individually. IMO (having lived there) New Yorkers do have a bit of a gruff exterior. So?
Those stereotypes about Midwesterners are untrue as well. SO happens I don't have a pickup truck OR a dog. (They're over at the bunker with the rest of the militia members.)
It definitely WAS a GOOD JOB! KUDOS to them all!
Bravo for this post! And up with Noo Yawk!! You are so right - and what an unforgettable image that is of the passengers, who look like they're "standing" on the water - totally amazing.
It was amazing! What an incredible bunch of people! I never lived in New York, but have been there numerous times and love it, love the people there. I agree with Deborah, bravo for this post and hooray for New York!!
Holy crap....
Mrs C. is 100% right - it's all about cultural differences. I grew up in NY and then lived in Louisiana for three years, and what I discovered is that Southerners think Northerners are rude because they rush around and are impatient, but Northerners think Southerners are rude because they move too slow and waste your time. It's simply a cultural difference, through and through. Nobody is actually being rude, they're just behaving the way that they were brought up to behave.
And hells to the yeah, New York and New Yorkers are f***in awesome. "A bit of a train wreck who always does the right thing when it matters." - I couldn't have said it any better than that. Brava.
Oh My! It was on the news and I had to run out to pick up the kids. I listened to the news channel on the radio.
I already have a severe fear of flying that only developed about the time my first was born. Historically, I've been flying since I was 5 1/2 and I flew alone then.
I am SO thankful that everything worked out in perfect timing and that everyone did their job according to protocol.
I am even MORE elated that everyone made it out in pretty good shape. I, too, listened to the interviews of some of the passengers who shared their whole story of how it all went down.
Though, even with a good and all together safe ending to this story, it renews my vow to never fly again.
The kids want to go to Disney Land. DH says we have to save up. I say, we have to DRIVE. I'm in Texas. Why can't they build a Disney Land in Texas?
Anyhow, yes. Kudos to your city and state for handling it so well. Especially, with the awful temperatures there.
Kudos to all who had anything to do with it - and a presidential commendation for the pilot - who did indeed perform a miracle!!
Hooray for the Pilot and for the crew and hooray for all who jumped to help. Good for New York.
I think it is wonderful that the pilot did such a good job and that emergency resources were so prepared and plentiful.
Good Post Dianne.
Having been watching something on the TNT network this afternoon (probably L&O reruns) I started to channel surf and hit MSNBC, just within minutes of the plane going down. Mesmerized, Mandy and I both stopped and watched to proceedings. It was, indeed, a scary sight but one that showed how everyone pulled together to "git 'er done!"
How fantastic to learn everyone was safe. The kind of moment that makes on weep from sheer relief, knowing what could have been such a huge disaster had become a mement in time to celebrate a victory over the elements.
Thanks -and kudos out the yazoo -to all who played a part in seeing that the people were all rescued!
fabulous-I even go so far as to give you an award for being fabulous.
as for this miracle that could have been a disaster-yeah everyone around me was saying stuff about 9/11 like it even had anything at all to do with that event. sure there was a plane involved but that is about it.
In the fourth picture down it has finally been confirmed what New Yawkers have always said; "The ability to walk on water comes natural to us."
Answer me this Dianne...have you, in the past eight years heard many intelligent and succinct questions from the press that were not asked specifically to produce a sound bite?
And I'm afraid you'll have to quantify which piece of Alaskan trash your referring to...Stevens, Palin, or the others who think because they have tons of fossil resources that they're God to the lower 48, but can't walk on water?
Good comment on the press, walking man! I can't tell you how crazy it made me when I was a reporter on a daily paper that people would ONLY REMEMBER the little quips I included and not the gist of the overall piece!
And did you know newspapers are "blocked" (set up) for ads before the "copy" (stories)? Next time your news story doesn't make sense, try not to blame the reporter. She probably wrote it all in there diligently, but the end got cut off because the ads are more important. :[
The real power of the press is the PUBLISHER, not the reporter. Unfortunately.
Sure does make good news....when something, so possibly tragic turns out good.
Hats off to the captain!!!!!!!
Will the passengers get a refund? Cheers Di!!
First and foremost, I wish that the news media would quit calling it a "crash landing" as there was no "crash" involved. The plane was completely intact after its emergency "water landing" and that in and of itself was nothing short of miraculous. A major league bravo and standing ovation to the pilot for his prowess and expertise in managing to pull that off!
We were watching the story unfold on CNN at work yesterday afternoon and I finally got to the point where I was just about yelling at the TV because the reporters were driving me nuts. At one point, one of them asked one of the passengers where he was from and when the guy said "Connecticut" he asked him why he was in New York. Duh ... to catch a plane maybe?!? It's not like New York and Connecticut don't touch each other and tons of people make the short trip down to LaGuardia or JFK. I mean seriously, who cares why the guy was in New York? He just survived what could have been a horrendous disaster!
I love what you said about New York being like the hooker with the heart of gold because that describes NYC perfectly. Tough on the outside but all soft and mushy underneath where it counts. People in New York know how to come together and act like a team when the going gets tough, which unfortunately it does way too often.
Kudos and congrats to everyone involved - everyone except the media, that is, who need to learn some restraint and professionalism and a few lines other than ones involving 9/11.
pink - the commuter ferries did an incredible job. they saw the plane coming down and immediately went to the site. Passengers on the ferries were pulling people up into the boats. Just regular folks :)
mrs c - I hate sterotypes period. they separate people and build walls. I think if more Americans travelled thru their own country we'd all be better off.
melli - it was a happy ending!
deborah - Noo Yawk says danks ;)
I love the 'walking on water' shot.
sylvia - more stories are coming out of how the passengers all helped each other - they passed a baby out to the rescue workers and made sure the baby stayed dry.
cheesy - indeed! ;)
kerry - my father's side of the family is in Louisiana and my ex was from South Carolina - I used to need to take a deep breath and will myself to stop talking so fast lol
just force of habit
farmers wife - I love to fly. I'm more nervous driving
I think Texas should have a Disney Land!! Damn it! there's plenty of room ;)
kenju - when I think of how narrow the river is and all the buildings and the Intrepid sitting right there! so much he had to avoid.
rob - NY is the best in an emergency :)
reb - I hope all our budget cuts don't cause their training to suffer.
jeni - the guy I call Joe reminded me of a 'git er done' kind of guy :)
liberality - the press just loves to create hysteria and then there are people who just love to be scared. I think you're pretty fab too ;)
mark - I love ya!
the photo is something else isn't it!
when I think trash and Alaska I always think Sarah - she's a beacon for ignorance and low class. when I think senility and corruption I think Stevens - or was that McCain? so many to chose from ;)
mrs c - Rupert Murdoch would love your comment, he's living proof that it's true
but readers need to take responsibility as well - they need to develop an attention span - I don't think I'm that billiant and I know better than to listen to most of the press's crap.
micky - the captain is a true hero - a name that gets thrown about too easily these days
and Yay! for good news :)
matt-man - I believe they will be charged for the blankets and life vests
linda - the fact that the reporters were harassing passengers at all was making me nuts. Marcia Kramer from our local CBS station was so obnoxious - as usual she carried on as though the story was about her - and then they were complaining that they had been thrown out of the triage center. f'ing morons.
and all the assumptions!! all the breaking news BS - I yell at the TV all the time.
I love you, Dianne. And I love you most when you're talking about your home town with such defiant pride. It isn't even my home town, and I love it too. Of course, I did live on L.I. for 21 years, so I sort of have some of that pride.
"News" reporters make me crazy too. I want to smack them, or shake them, or something, so often. You'd think they would have learned by now - but NO.
But the good guys just let them rave on, and go about their jobs and get it done. Thank God for that.
I can't even imagine going through something such as this - I would be in panic mode and not helpful to anyone. Hats off to all who worked together! I have stopped watching the news on TV for the reasons stated above. I'm afraid I will break the screen since I have come close to throwing my shoe at it a number of times. The news is no longer the news - it is 'entertainment'.
Miraculous indeed. I am so glad all the people got out safely.
As for the media, do not get me started on them! The reports we have had over here of this incident are rife with mentions of terrorism and 9/11 even if it;s just to tell us there there are no links. To my mind that is not news! Isn't this miracuolous even news in itself for these people without trying to sensationalise all the time! Grrrrr! The media should take more responsibility for the scare mongering they do among other things!
If I was the pilot of that plane I would have spent the night in the strip clubs. Just casually telling all the girls that I was the one who landed a freaking plain in the Hudson.
Then I would get an agent and start working on the made-for-TV movie deal and call my bosses and tell them I'm retired. He'll never top that anyway. ;-)
That is amazing that everyone made it out okay!
Spotted this one last night - had just finished watching something and the satellite defaulted back to News channel showing this story as breaking news.
Incredible piece of piloting to realise he wouldn't make the emergency field and to do the ditching in the river, missing everything.
Stunning to hear that they'd saved everyone and it's to the credit of all involved. The pilot did his best but he couldn't have saved all the passengers without the quick reactions of the rescuing ferries.
Top stuff New York !
bobbie - Lawn Guyland is most definitely a part of NYC ;)
and I love you too
deb - exactly!! the majority of the reporters yesterday appeared as carnival barkers! pathetic.
bob-kat - a friend in London called me to ask what I thought was really going on since all he could get was crap.
here was an amazing opp to make people feel good and strong and triumphant - to celebrate bravery and survival and the press tries to turn it to crap that makes us all upset
jay - hilarious!! they finally showed his photo - a very distinguished older gent - with a hot stuff classy sounding name lol
he'd have his pick of hot NY women
I believe he was also an air force war hero - I hope he makes the curcuit of some talk shows although the mayor said he spoke to him and his is exceptionally humble and just wants to get on with it - which of course makes him even hotter ;)
tammy - the best happy news story of the New Year!!
sleepypete - I have taken those ferries and never really appreciated how well trained the crew are - to me it was just a little boat to Manhattan. never again - these people rock!! considering the temp and the current - they got there and got to work immediately - and all the tows that were out there working to keep the plane from drifting!!
What? No ball of fire? No horrific deaths? No love ones lost forever?
I can't believe the media is actually covering this story.
Nice flying Sully, and way to come together New York. Once again the human spirit breaths a breath of hope.
It was an amazing feat ...
We heard the sirens of the speeding police and EMS and fire engines as they raced across 42nd St and we turned on the HUGE TV in the conf. rm only to discover it wasnt working (it is now, boy if we hadnt discovered this before the 20th...) and so we all went to our computers and watched. Awe inspiring.
Then I got home and the same few bits of info and clips of video were stretched into hours of local, then national and then a special news coverage program .. and it was covered AGAIN on the 11 pm news .. and then this morning on the local news AND GMA .. at least 5 times just this morning I heard and watched Robin Roberts point out where the plane 'used the river as a runway'
I dont mean to demean or belittle but surely there was something else that happened here in NYC or the rest of the USA yesterday ...
It's been in the news over here too - what an amazing story. That pilot is a top bloke.
jeff - LOL!!!!
heaven knows they tried to suck the good out of the news and look for the dark lining
daryl - I think the 20th should be a day off :)
I don't think you're demeaning or belittling at all!! they turned this in to as many hours of redundant assumptions as they could.
jackie - top bloke indeed!!
What an amazing story. It brought tears to my eyes when I read about it online this morning. I was so happy that everyone on board was OK.
This makes me proud. New York is the cat's ass. Coolest city on earth.
This was a great post, Di. :-) You're the best!
Oh, btw: WP had just come out of a meeting down there, when he saw the plane go down into the Hudson.
Hi Dianne! I hate news reporters. They must always focus on the doom and gloom.
Yes the plane going down was bad, but "no one died." "The pilot did one hell of a job." "The people who came quickly to get the people out and off the plane." This is what should be focused on. The good. Lisa
New Yorkers are salt of the earth. Your description of a hooker with a heart of gold captures the essence of the city perfectly.
I’m so happy that everyone is ok.
Gives a whole new meaning to the phrase “in the case of a water landing”!
Great post!!! Glad to see you’ve got your groove back.
sparkling - it is amazing how many people have found inspiration and joy in this story
pagan - that must have been a shock for WP!!
you're the best too :)
lisa - I know what you mean
gabrielle - did you see Craig's take on the whole thing? it was funny and sweet and touching - of course.
I knew you'd do a wonderful job posting about this!!!!!!!!!
That whole thing gave me goosebumps....Serious bumpage all day long!! The stories that came out today in some of the interviews choked me up and made more bumples.
I gotta tell ya...devine intervention is a wonderful thing!
Wake up calls are too. :)
You did us proud babe! Great post!!!!!!!
xo
I did some shouting at the stupid reporters myself and I live in "polite" Seattle.
From the pilots to the passengers to the water rescue volunteers to the professional responders it was a remarkable example of humanity at its best. New Yorkers should be proud.
Please come over to my place and get your award.
Peace!
tt - thanks!! I love ya
the coverage today has been better - mostly because they're letting the event speak for itself
linda r - humanity at its best - wonderful way to put it
liberality - I thought you were joking LOLOLOL
I'm on my way :)
Hubby looks at me like I'm bonkers when I talk back to the idiot reporters on TV...even Katie Couric...wayyy before the Palin sound bite stupidity. Come onnn Katie...you're smarter than that, so ask better questions.
BTW, only been to NY once...and I loved every second of it.
What a city!
What is it about NY?
This kind of event could happen anywhere. (Not landing on the Hudson, but you know what I mean) And wherever it happened, there would be capable first responders and rescue personnel on the scene. There would be concerned citizens stopping to help. There would be heroic efforts to save the victims.
Anywhere this happened, people would get the job done.
But what is it about NY? When it happens there, it just seems different. It seems bigger and more heroic. It seems like we're all a part of it.
Or is that just me?
What an amazing event ... and how wonderful the pilot managed the situation as he did.
Hugs and blessings,
New York City... the greatest city in the world. And now you know why.... bravo to all those folks who answered the call to rescue those passengers.
shelly - I wonder how much better they'd be if they didn't need to sell ad time
sad
travis - it's not just you
I think NY just naturally gets more media coverage - both good and bad
plus - when you think of the sheer number of people that plane landed in the middle of!!
just not the same as a field in Kansas could ever be :)
storyteller - a real hero :)
spartacus - they just went and moved without question or hesitation!!
You have every reason to be proud. It was quite incredible in every way. The big hearts come out when needed. And that pilot is a gem. Great post, Dianne.
hilary - good hearts and gems :)
that's NY - thanks!
What a hero the pilot was! I'm counting the days until we come back to NYC!
That sure was a miracle. And we are in need of miracles, so please keep them coming :o)
CG - NY is waiting for you!
ivanhoe - Letterman said something like that on his show the night it happened. That perhaps this was a sig that things could and would turn around
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