I was working for an air freight company on that fateful day. I had my air cargo security clearance certificate which allowed me to transport “known” cargo to airports which don’t need the hand checking and x raying of non known air cargo, but when the attacks came on 9/11 then all bets were off. No one could have forseen what happened as happening. Everything that was due to be shipped out via aircraft was screened no matter what.
It was also one of those JFK moments (for all who can remember it). Everyone knew where they were when they heard the news.
I was on my way to a pick up in Northallerton. Called at the McDonalds on the A1 for a bite to eat and a coffee and the staff and customers were talking about it. Went back to the truck and it was all over the news, so I phoned my office and they said what had happened. From that moment on everything changed forever.
Malc44:
I was working for an air freight company on that fateful day. I had my air cargo security clearance certificate which allowed me to transport “known” cargo to airports which don’t need the hand checking and x raying of non known air cargo, but when the attacks came on 9/11 then all bets were off. No one could have forseen what happened as happening. Everything that was due to be shipped out via aircraft was screened no matter what.
It was also one of those JFK moments (for all who can remember it). Everyone knew where they were when they heard the news.
I was on my way to a pick up in Northallerton. Called at the McDonalds on the A1 for a bite to eat and a coffee and the staff and customers were talking about it. Went back to the truck and it was all over the news, so I phoned my office and they said what had happened. From that moment on everything changed forever.
Are you sure?
I’m pretty sure I was told on my several level 4, level a+b, and level D courses that known cargo originated because of 9/11 or was it because of lockerbie? I can’t remember, it was all a money making ■■■■■■■■ excercise anyway. Had to do the same courses 3 times, just the courses had different names, all at a nice cost to me 
I was an airside driver at Manchester Airport on coaches, taking air crew to the planes and hotels when they were on layover. Fantastic job, ■■■■ pay, some real hot totty and the way some of the cockpit crew treated some of the cabin crew was a real eye opener.
Especially PIA, wouldn’t travel in the same vehicle, stay in the same hotel or even acknowledge them when outside the aircraft.
Disgusting
I had finished work and was home just before 2.00 pm (gmt) thought I’ll have a cuppa and a quick bite to eat and watch the tv for 20 mins and then it was painting the outside of the house for the afternoon, but I was just about to turn tv off when a newsflash came up and then stayed in front of the tv for the rest of the day. 
I was trying to drill a hole in the stainless steel bumper bar of my Jeep Wrangler and fit my new Banjul number plates. I had blunted about 3 drills when I heard a scream in the house.
The shock shown in a predominately Muslim household was as great as any 
Hi Waynedl. Must have been post Lockerbie. It is a long time ago and I haven’t worked in the air cargo industry for a long time, but sure it was after the Pan Am bombing. My cetificate ran out a long time ago as well. Think I had level 4.
Also I mainly used to deliver/collect into/out of Manchester although I used to do the occasional night trunk to Heathrow. Blimey, Heathrow’s infamous horseshoe. Bloody pandemoneum on a night down there. Thank god I don’t do that anymore.
i was in the middle of a field in Ince Blundell loading straw onto 3 artic’s when it came on the radio 
working a sorting machine in a sawmill. got bollocking for switching machine off so i could hear the news. not much sympathy off the bosses.
glad ive got photos and memories of my two trips to new york, pre 9/11. went up the twin towers twice.
on a ferry from dover to calais going to germany
Left Germany on the previous Sunday evening on my usual weekly trip to France. First tour with my brand spanking new Actros Megaspace.
I seem to recall doing a couple of drops around Paris on Monday before heading south and tipping near Vierzon on the Tuesday morning.
My next tip was a spot right out in the sticks at a place called Boussac.
As I was driving down the A20 towards Châteauroux, bugger me if Concorde wasn’t pulling circuits at the airport there. ( Châteauroux airport is where the French do a lot of flight training and testing).
Concorde had been grounded since the crash in Paris the previous July and these were probably the first post crash test flights.
I pulled off onto the N151 and parked up at the end of the runway and sat and watched this marvellous machine doing touch and go landings for about half an hour before I became aware of something on the radio.
I couldn’t catch most of the details with my average French but it was obvious that something was going down in New York and, more specifically, at the Tours jumelles.
As I was right out in the sticks, I couldn’t get Radio 4 on LW, so spent the rest of the day glued to the French radio trying to pick up snippets of information.
After tipping in Boussac, where everybody appeared to be totally oblivious to what was happening, I parked up and tried to get some English radio reception. (As this was my first tour with a new truck, I hadn’t yet got my satellite TV installed)
Late in the evening I finally got some reception on Five Live and lay on the bunk listening to the radio all night unable to sleep…
Was at home in Ireland at the time. Flicking through the channels and stumbled upon Sky news. Blimey!
on the M3 / M25,heading for palmers green / oakthorpe dairy on a milk liner , the music is awfull in the evening so i used to trawl all the stations , took a while to realise there was no music on any station it was full on news
got to the dairy at 2100 & saw the rest on the security guards TV, was awfull , i think a couple of us made jokes & light banter of other things as i don’t think any of us really knew what to say , that sort of horrible grin when you hear bad news sort of thing , very surreal evening 
I was sitting in a dustcart as a drivers mate heading to Redhill on the A23. When i heard what happened i turned to the driver and went “that was on purpose” and by the time i got back home to croydon i found out another then hit the tower.
I can recall that day clear as a bell
I was driving my taxi at the time and a call came from my one of collegues turn the radio on and heard about the first plane by the time got home another plane had hit second tower and everyone knew that they were on purpose !! then spent the rest of day glued to news , can also remember about 6 people cancelling airport runs as they did not want to fly , cant believe its 10 years ago still feels so recent !!
jx
Hey Inselaffe,
Talking of Concorde. Was working out of Colnbrook on the M25. Had parked up for the day and it was a lovely summers evening. Was agency driving and pulling in and out of Heathrow. Sat in the passenger seat reading the paper. All of a sudden this almighty roar came from the airport. I looked up to see Concorde taking off. What a sight. What an aircraft…
i was tarmacing a driveway in ferndown when owner came out and said about it spent most of day watchin news
I had just pulled up at Western Cork on Penarth road, Cardiff to tip a container, there was nobody around which was unusual so i walked into the tea room to find everybody glued to the tv. when i saw what was occupying their stares i asked what film they were watching 
it took a while to get tipped that afternoon
I was working for Currys installing tv’s in peoples houses. Around about dinner time we heard a report on the radio about a plane hitting the WTC. Assumed it was some dope in a Cessna who got it wrong. Anyway we got to the next customers house with his telly and he said ‘Quick, get it on there’s been a terrible accident in New York.’ Then he explained that it wasn’t a Cessna but a bloody great airliner. So the tv’s on the floor and I quickly hook up the Sky box, and we’re all watching it whilst me and my mate are building the stand when the second plane hit. ‘Jesus! Did you see that?’ It was then that it dawned that this was no accident, and WTF is happening?
It’s a day I’ll never forget.
I was still at school (possibly year 9 as it was a half day and exams were in the morning) when one of the fellow teachers was discussing it with the mother who is also a teacher.
To be honest I was young and unaware of a world outside of the shores of this country so didnt know about the World Trade Centre. I still remember turning on the tv when we got home and seeing the repeats… I seemed like a horrific movie, it didnt seem like an actual thing that was happening.
From what followed on from that day, my eyes were opened to the world outside of our country, I gained even more respect for our service personnel weather that be armed forces or emergency service as well
I was on the A30 near Indian queens in Cornwall, driving a 18t Daf for Kay Transport on a Palletways contract.
Got back to the depot later and everyone was sat around watching the TV in the office,
Lets hope all the talk about atrocities on the 10th anniversary amount to just that …talk
tonka236:
I was still at school (possibly year 9 as it was a half day and exams were in the morning) when one of the fellow teachers was discussing it with the mother who is also a teacher.
To be honest I was young and unaware of a world outside of the shores of this country so didnt know about the World Trade Centre. I still remember turning on the tv when we got home and seeing the repeats… I seemed like a horrific movie, it didnt seem like an actual thing that was happening.
From what followed on from that day, my eyes were opened to the world outside of our country, I gained even more respect for our service personnel weather that be armed forces or emergency service as well
exams in september? your school were a bit harsh!! 