This Sense of Paranoia

[New Jack City]

I guess only New Yorkers or people who've visited the city post 9/11 can relate to this.

Is it me or does anyone else get this sense of paranoia when in the city?

Ever since 9/11 when I'm in the city (the city = Manhattan of course), as I skyscraper gaze, I'm always wary of the planes in the sky. Not ones that are out of reach, but ones directly overhead or that seem to be passing by skyscrapers.

What's it doing there? Why's it so close? It's kind of low, don't you think?

These are some questions that come to mind. I don't think this sense of paranoia will ever go away in my lifetime.

I know the odds of another 9/11 style attack using planes as missiles is slim, but the thought crosses my mind.

[Zuelas]

I don't know if that's exclusively a NYC thing. I live in dwntwn Detroit near our tallest skyscraper and I feel uneasy at times when I think that jet "sounds too close" or that it "seems to be headin this way". 9/11 really forced me to see the world for what it was and how ruthless the people can be. I'll never be the same and feel as secure as I did before.

[Ellatur]

omg i noticed that also!!!

[johnbeton]

I even notice it in Antwerp, and our tallest is only about 97m...but still

[swivel]

I guess only New Yorkers or people who've visited the city post 9/11 can relate to this.

well certainly not on the same level, but yes..it's there...
when I think about moving to ny, I can't help but ask myself...wtf, are you nuts?
move to the prime terror target inside the U.S. ....possibly worldwide..?

yeah sure It makes me paranoid, but then I remember thats exactly what they want....
And It'll be a cold day in hell before I give these chicken shit cowards the satisfaction..
I'd rather die in NYC, than sit in Dallas afraid wondering, what if?

[3tmk]

^there's no chance of an attack in NYC, only crazy southerners think so, and that's because they believe all the crap coming from Bush, and most of all from Dumberg and that Patasski.
NYC is a prime target, that's true, but I don't believe there will be anything soon, Al-quaeda, or whoever did the attacks, FBI, CIA, MIB Bush or France , whatever, did what they wanted, and they got wars, billions in spending in war equipment which was unused, got people to go ass scared, and the govt doesn't help, with all these supposed threats, "don't go to NYC, there's blah...", "anthrax", "snipers, etc" it's just nonsense, and the level of fascism that got into the country is similar to the communism practiced in Bulgaria, or the way people lived in the '80s.
I remember during the debate, they asked whether we'll be as safe as before, well I don't remember much of the 80s, but from what I know, the whole world was in a great nuke scare because of Reagan's crazy policies, from Europe to the US, everyone knew their nuke shelters, people were talking about the Soviets or Yankees coming, etc. But they never mentioned NYC
So to tell the truth, when I see the planes flying low, and that happens a lot, I always wonder why don't they follow Paris' example. Then I'm always smiling because I'm thinking, "uh-oh, Osama's back", and then I kinda watchout whether I'll hear an explosion, so I guess Bloomie got his job right, they gave up on my liberties with their so called Patriot Act, and I'm feeling less safe than before 9/11 because I always kinda think "who knows, it happened that one time".
It's a bad situation, but that's life, and NYC has bigger problems than terrorism anyway. To think that some new englander trying to fit in Crawford in Mexican-stolen Texass is feeling threathened by attacks that won't even concern him is stupid, if I live in Wyoming or Iowa, what would I care, that some dude living in caves said he hates NYC, it's not ruralUSAtown, no need worrying

[swivel]

there's no chance of an attack in NYC, only crazy southerners think....

dude...why you gotta go draggin' the south into this... where you're from doesn't have a damn thing to do with it.

only crazy southerners think so

I think a NY'er started this topic to begin with

To think that some new englander trying to fit in Crawford in Mexican-stolen Texass is feeling threathened by attacks that won't even concern him is stupid, if I live in Wyoming or Iowa, what would I care, that some dude living in caves said he hates NYC, it's not ruralUSAtown, no need worrying

huh? dumb that down for me.

bigger problems than terrorism anyway

ok ...wtf ever.
and for record I loath bush.

I just lost alot of respect for you

[3tmk]

^did you get offended by what I said? why?
What I meant by south was that usually it's these guys who think that the world is going to fall on their heads while they live in who knows where.
And IMO Dallas is maybe even much more dangerous than NYC, because it immediately links to Bush.
There is a sense of fear, I did mention it, I'm scared too, but you have to get real, what's the chance anyway? NYC is not going to get hit soon, it's all just phony threats just so that they keep us alert. the next attack will be outside the US either in the UK or Italy.
Chill, don't go fanatic on me

[LeCom]

There's more chance that a bum knocks you out on the street in Detroit than in NY, cause NY is USA's safest big city. And there's definitely more chance in any city that a bum will knock you out than you are a victim of a terrorist attack.

Anyway, I was pretty paranoid of skyscrapers for about a month since 9/11. But then the paranoia was clean gone.

[New Jack City]

Interesting, this article in today's post talks exactly about this...

NY POST

CITY'S FRIGHT FLIGHTS

By BRAD HAMILTON

October 24, 2004 -- Air traffic over the city is soaring, according to the FAA and a top traffic controller — and that's giving some terror-weary New Yorkers the jitters.

Commercial flights into the Big Apple are up 40 percent since 9/11, and many of the planes cross Manhattan along Houston Street — just blocks from Ground Zero — or over Midtown.

Small-plane traffic is zooming up too, experts say.

"This doesn't make any sense," said longtime West Village resident Karen Sullivan, who said she's troubled by the rising number of jets she's seen overhead in the neighborhood.

"With all the things going on, why are they increasing air traffic over Manhattan? Every plane that flies over the city is a potential threat."

The Houston Street flyover is nothing new, according the Federal Aviation Administration, which says it has not altered routes to La Guardia, JFK or Newark for years.

Houston Street and 59th Street are common approach routes for southbound jets coming into La Guardia, which travel down the Hudson and often cross the island.

But FAA data shows that commercial flights have climbed steadily since 9/11 and peaked in August, the last month for which figures are available.

Flights into and out of the three major airports totaled 105,265 in August — a 13.7 percent jump over last August and a 40 percent increase over the month of September 2001.

The number of privately owned aircraft is also on the rise, according to Dean Iacopelli, a New York air-traffic controller who heads the local controllers union.

"The sightseeing traffic is back," he said.

The increase is partly because small planes face few obstacles — even if they want to buzz downtown Manhattan.

The FAA banned private aircraft over the city following 9/11, but lifted the restrictions just three months later.

Now, pilots only need to request permission by radio to crisscross Manhattan, as long as they stay at 1,500 feet or less.

"People are seeing planes they haven't seen before, Cessnas, Cherokees," said Iacopelli. "The restrictions are gone and the weather was nice this summer."

Complaints about all those planes are up as well.

The Port Authority, which runs the three big airports, logged up to 100 complaints a week from residents between July and August — "a slight increase" since the beginning of the year, according to spokesman Pasquale DiFulco. Callers griped about low-flying planes, noise and other concerns, he said.

The FAA also handled complaints. "We get the kind of calls like, 'This plane went right over my house and I never saw that before,' " said FAA spokesperson Arlene Salac.

The FAA is in the midst of revising the New York flight paths — an effort that began in 1996.

[Agglomeration]

Reading this article, I fear that a new type of NIMBYism may not be far behind- those who despise both skyscrapers and airplanes. If both were to be banned in NYC, where would this city's economy go?

People are becoming terrified about all sorts of things- Muslim residents, the flu, smoke from cigarettes, fat people, 15-floor buildings, planes near airports, photography within subways, anyone resembling a youth from South Jamaica, have people lost their b****, or is it just me?

[cincobarrio]

Originally Posted by savethewtc

Is it me or does anyone else get this sense of paranoia when in the city?

Not really.

[FerrariEnzo]

Fuck em all. Ill take on 50 of those tali shitters.

[hella good]

No im not paronoid about this, I actually feel safer in new York than anywhere else.

[GVNY]

No, I have never had that feeling before or after. I know I have nothing to worry about from the air, realizing the worst danger we New Yorkers face comes from the ground.

[3tmk]

^no, we do worry about the air, air pollution that is
but I guess we can always condider ourselves lucky we're not in LA