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dejon
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Hi Beta!
As Beta knows, I live/work in Toronto as well. I was at a client's office (20th flr.) in downtown when the power went out yesterday. We shut down servers on UPS' and then milled around for a bit before the emergency lights went out and the evac siren came on. Walked down the pitch black stairs.
Downtown was interesting - it was calm mayhem - thousand of people exiting buildings with no where to go and no way to get there. After confirming my suspicion that the subway wasn't running, I started walking in the direction of my wife's office (1 hour by foot). Once there I found that she had head home long ago, and I got to our apartment in another hour.
Since we've been house-sitting for my cousin this week, we had little in the way of food in our apartment. So we gathered up what cash we had on hand and headed out again, hoping to find a place serving food (a hot dog vendor at least), and thinking of getting on a bus headed towards my cousin's place if possible, because our clothes, some food, and our car, were at out there. (We take the subway into the city each day.)
We got here about 2-3 hours, and 3 buses later. We were actually quite lucky with buses, managing to get on the first one at a point where many people got off (or the driver wouldn't have let more people on), and not having to wait long where we had to change buses.
The neatest thing I saw yesterday was normal citizens directing traffic at large intersections. Some of us on the bus cheered them through the windows whenever we passed one. I hope they get some recognition for their selfless efforts. One guy in particular was manning a very large intersection (Warden and Eglinton) quite flawlessly. We were concerned for his safety because he was wearing dark clothing and had no reflective gear or flashlight.
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Caligastia
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I don't give a ****. EAT YOUR F***ING SPROUTS!!!
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Dom Pedro II
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The College of New Jersey
Nov 1999
time: 05:30
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I had an interesting time of it in Bergen County...
Actually, it was a very scary experience for me at first because the power went out in the house, which apparently happens often since I've gone to college so I didn't think much of it at first. I figured it'd only last a second. After a few minutes, I called my mom and told her.
As I was telling her, the lights went out where she was.... and she's in the next county so I was really confused. Then she said she turned on the radio and there were no stations. I started getting worried because I remembered that on 9/11 the radio stations and tv stations were knocked out by the WTC being hit.
I was trying to think what the hell could've knocked out the power in two counties.... I had visions of a nuke or something, but that was obviously ridiculous since considering that I can see the Empire State Building from my house, any larger explosive device detonated in New York would be pretty obvious to me very fast...
the lights and appliances came back on, then went out again. Came back on, went back out... on and off two or three times before they stopped completely.
But nonetheless, I was worried... (and frustrated). My dad works in the city and I was concerned. I didn't realize the house line still worked since I tried to make a call on my house line and the phone didn't work, but that was because it was cordless. I said the hell with it, grabbed my wallet and went outside....
I started down towards downtown figuring I'd stop in at 7-11 and get a drink since it was so hot... stupid me however, I had no cash, only my ATM card. But A) I had no idea how bad this was and thought maybe it'd be solved by the time I got there, and B) I didn't know that these businesses didn't have back up generators, and C) I didn't really stop to think about it  .
On my way to the 7-11, I saw a fire truck parked out in front of a building... I figured it had to be related. When I got closer, I overheard one of the firemen asking if they were supposed to be on stand by for further orders.
I also heard the fire horn? I guess its a horn... blowing alerting all of the fire stations in the area... (they had to, the station radios were out). They haven't used that thing in years... only to let people know when its 6 PM.
So I'm like "Alright, twenty minutes after the power goes out and they've got every fire department in the surrounding area on stand by... what the hell happened? Is this 9/11 all over again?"
I decided to walk down to the gas station I used to work in to see my old boss Tim. Lots of firemen and police officers come in there, so even with the radios and tvs dead, I knew he'd have the info. On the way, however, somebody had a portable radio blasting outside their house and I overheard the words "Niagara Power Station" and "not an act of terrorism". Which I didn't even need to know that last part once I knew it wasn't a bomb.
Anyway, so I went to the gas station anyway, and chatted for a bit. Then I headed up to Main Street.
About that time, I realized how useless my ATM card was. It was weird seeing the 7-11 dark in daylight... I mean it was BLACK inside in spite of the bright sunlight. By this point the downtown was choked with people on the sidewalks. All the store owners were outside, and people were playing... apparently, somebody had decided to open up with the hose because the street was soaked and there were a bunch of teen girls where were equally drenched... 
It was cool... I wish everybody were so open normally! Normally the street is pretty dead.
I went to my friend's house which took me onto Route 46. I've never WALKED on Route 46 before but this was one time when I'd sure rather be walking than driving! What an absolute mess. It was backed up for MILES in both directions. I was easily getting ahead of the cars... and I actually had this little race going with some woman in the car next to me.
I went to Hackensack next once I had secured some wheels. We went to this pizza parlor and man, they were shooting out pizzas like crazy. As soon as one went in, another came out. They were doing GREAT business!
I dunno, I found something somewhat romantic about the whole thing... seeing how people get along when the fit hits the shan.
And let's give it up for the Police and Fire Departments! I know at least in Bergen County, the were ON THE BALL! 
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16-08-2003 00:07
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