Date: Wed, 12 Sep 2001 11:24:09 -0400
Reply-To: Derek Drew <derekdrew@RCN.COM>
Sender: Vanagon Mailing List <vanagon@gerry.vanagon.com>
From: Derek Drew <derekdrew@RCN.COM>
Subject: Re: [Syncro] Derek...you ok? (Yes. No Vanagon content)
In-Reply-To: <3B9E7421.9957AA63@syncro.org>
Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii"; format=flowed
At 01:29 PM 9/11/01 -0700, you wrote:
>I believe Derek Drew's office is not far from the world
>trade centers. Derek, let us hear that you are ok!
This morning (of the event) I was headed into Manhattan on Amtrak's new
high speed Acela train for a 10:30 meeting with venture capitalists about
another funding round for ConsumerSearch. I had boarded the train in DC at
7:25 and was due in to NYC at 10:04. My VC meeting was scheduled for 10:30.
For some reason the train started stopping more and more and finally I
realized it was not going to make it into Manhattan until 10:30 and that I
was therefore going to be 10 mins late for the meeting. Not good to be 10
mins late to VC meetings, so I called to warn them. But they said "of
course the meeting is off" and explained that one of the world trade center
towers had fallen.
I was on my cell phone and I looked out the train window and saw all this
smoke coming up from Manhattan and I knew it must be true.
"Hold on a minute Derek" said my VC. "Uh...the other tower just went down."
I could not believe my ears. All those people...tears came to my eyes on
that cell phone call.
Our offices are indeed about 10 blocks from the trade center but we are
moving to another part of the floor and I have no employees using that
space right now.
So yes, I am probably near the WTC more than other list members I know of,
but was instead only in midtown on this day.
For three years I had offices in the World Trade Center and went to work
there every day. This was, like, 13 years ago. I can tell you that we were
all well aware that we were working in a magnet for terrorist attacks and
we all felt that if we were to work there for many years -- like a lifetime
of working there -- that there was a very real chance that we would be
killed in that building. This knowledge lay in the background barely
conscious of I believe most people who worked there. An anxiety that was
impossible to shake. Later, they blew up the basement. And in retrospect,
what a reasonable anxiety that now appears to have been.
_______________________________________________
Derek Drew
CEO & Co-Founder
http://www.ConsumerSearch.com/
New York, NY
===========================
"Best Expert Review Site"
for product reviews on the Internet
Jan. 2001, PC World Magazine
==========================
derekdrew@rcn.com
212-580-6486
Alternate numbers for the industrious phone caller that wants to try every
avenue: 212-580-6486 (best), 917-848-6425 (cell); 202-966-7907 (Work),
212-580-4459 (Home), 202-966-0938 (Home), 978-359-8533 (fax [efax]),
212-269-3188 (New York Seaport office).
