I worked on the 79th floor of the South Tower, which was the second tower to get hit and the first to come down. I would have been killed along with everyone else that morning except I was running late. I stopped off at my local precinct to cast my ballot for NYC mayor, which ended up saving my life.
Around 8:40, I got on the train heading to Park Place, which was about a block from the Trade Center. The train came to a stop and the driver came on the PA to let us know we were at a standstill because there was another train stopped in the tunnel in front of us, and that there had been an explosion at the WTC.
Naturally I got off and headed back above ground. Didn't know what the cause was, if it was natural gas or something else, but when I looked up and saw the fire and carnage where my office used to be I felt totally numb. All I could think of were the people who worked on those floors I saw everyday, all the bankers and financial guys who made a habit of getting in early.
That all changed when the second plane hit right in front of me... I won't ever forget the sound of it. The panic... the screams. We ran like he'll let me tell you.
