Blackout
2003
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 can not find the author of this photo, apologies, pls advise if you know 824pm Hotels like the Hyatt are serving (giving?) food before it spoils. The party at the south end of Union Square is huge.1010WINS is back on the air- apparently they were only kicked off for some minutes. NY Waterway is running but with huge delays, lines to take buses are hours long, people are buying up sneakers to walk home- Modell's has gone to Times Square to hand out sneakers for free. Must shop at Modell's. Everyone has to pay in cash only, there's no machines to run credit cards, and there are no working ATM machines. It will take 6-8 hours to restart the subway lines. The President is going to speak at 830pm, I am glued to the radio- by 857pm there is still no word from the President. Ben and Jerry's is giving away ice cream. Teaneck NJ has power at 930pm. My gal pal has called me and her husband has pointed out that if I leave the refrigerator closed the food should still be good tomorrow. But the power is supposed to be on soon, and I'm hungry, and I know i have a stash of water in the fridge, nice and cool, the cats needs some too, I have to wash my hands too. The radio is going on about how food will spoil after 2 hours without power. I decide to open the fridge, grab the most perishable (fish) to eat, and some water, and take the rest and throw it into the freezer. I either read that in the survival book or heard it on the radio. The point is to keep the freezer cold with the cold food and to fill it up. What if I ruin everything by opening the door? What if i go without water in the heat until tomorrow only to find all the food spoiled? I open the door, it's all cold, and stuff the freezer and have a feast. I put back in the freezer some food like eggplant rollatini because it is so cold and dense. People walking in the Village are tripping over people sitting and lying on the sidewalk. Bodegas are letting people in to shop but only a few at a time and with candles. Car headlights are the only things lighting up the night. Bruno's Ice Cream is giving it away, John's Pizzeria is able to serve because they use coal fired ovens but their staff can't cook any more because of the heat and it's too dark inside. Nothing is left in the supermarkets. Blame is starting, blaming canada. Canada is blaming the lightning. Extra air patrols have begun, subways have been evacuated- even those poor souls who were stuck under rivers, 311 has a recording, city hospitals- most at least, have back up generators. Some people are still stranded in elevators- I go to check my elevators to see if anyone is stuck. I run into my neighbors who have just climbed the 15 flights of stairs covered in sweat to tell them what I know, like they will have no water. The Health Club manager, Kevin, and the assistant to the Building Manager pound on my door to make sure I am OK. They are checking all the units. I give them some water. Turn off appliances, don't leave candles burning, 15% of the city is back they say and the rest of us should have power in 3-4 hours. 1015pm- Chase Manhattan Bank has power on 57th st? Washington Heights has power? 12am, Midnight- the police have set up flares at the intersections. Somewhere in here my laptop battery dies. This is not so funny any more.  again, no author for this photo, please advise if you know |
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