25-09 - Flipbook - Page 60
Mi n i str i es
mood in the city in 2003 was closer to that of the 1965 blackout, in which New Yorkers had
come together to help each other and make the best of the situation.
"Darkness brought more menace but none of the lawlessness and looting which many city
leaders feared," said Bryant. "The people of New York are learning to cope with the unexpected. After the attacks of 11 September, this has become a battle-hardened city." In the
end, there was little blackout-related crime, with around 100 fewer arrests recorded than
usual.
The following morning, Bryant walked among the many people who had spent much of the
night lying huddled on the city's sidewalks or sleeping propped up against shopfronts. The
ones he spoke to seemed calm if somewhat bemused by the experience.
"I don't even know what time it is anymore because my cell phone died an hour ago, so I've
been here since 4pm yesterday afternoon," one unnamed woman told the BBC. "I dozed
for about half an hour and then there were some mice running around on the sidewalk, so I
decided to get up." Another man who was a visitor to the city said: "As a tourist here I don't
know what to expect. It's my first time in New York and I'm sleeping on the streets. But yeah,
a weird experience."
The US and Canada were quick to point the finger at each other as being responsible for the
blackout
With the power still not working on the morning of 15 August, many New Yorkers again
chose to go outside where the temperature was cooler, or to line up to use public pay
phones which had remained largely unaffected. Gabriela Mira was one of the people the
BBC spoke to, as she waited in a long queue with her six-month-old daughter. "I had to get
out of the house," she said. "It was so dark, and everything was off, and I was scared. No air
conditioner, the phones 3 they need electricity. And it's so, so hot."
