Sensitive to Sound

This morning at around 9:20 a.m., a train passing through the Wall Street station hit a hanging electric cable, making several explosions. A crowded number 4 train sitting in the station felt the impact of the blasts. Passengers (not knowing what caused the bangs) ran from the cars and for the exits, hoping the station wouldn’t explode on their way out.$0 Accidents like these remind New Yorkers how sensitive they are to loud blasts, and how eight years has not diminished the trauma of 9/11. It is revealing how ready people are to yell “Bomb!” $0$0 After exiting the station, frightened passengers asked each other if it was aterrorist attack; the station’s location beneath Wall Street justified this concern. However, it’s shocking after always riding the train with “tough” New Yorkers that a small electrical mishap can bring out something so raw and personal. Without realizing, we’re wired for the absolute worst. $0