After 9/11, going the distance was a duty

Belvidere, N.J.: After the twin towers imploded, I was summoned into my supervisor’s office of the NJTransit Ironbound Garage. As a bus operator, I accepted the privilege of transporting Salvation Army volunteers back and forth between their Camp Tecumseh in Pittstown, N.J., and Ground Zero. The Salvation Army stationed three food and drink trucks around The Pile to feed hungry and thirsty volunteers at the collapsed WTC site. Another bus operator and I transported three groups of volunteers for three eight-hour shifts. The first operator drove from 4 a.m. to 4 p.m. I drove from 4 p.m. to 4 a.m. This went on for 14 days/nights in a row.

I added something unusual to those duties at Ground Zero. When I reached Downtown Manhattan, I dropped off the three crews at Chambers St. and I had to wait for the returning crews to get back to my bus. In the meantime, I found time to transport Ground Zero volunteers up to the two staging areas for their transport out of Manhattan, which were the Jacob Javits Center and the Port Authority Bus Terminal.

I transported the Ground Zero volunteers up to the staging areas because I would rather have NJT receive good press than bad press. So, I willingly added them to my Ground Zero duties.

Manhattan: I’m a licensed wildlife rehabilitator and veterinary technology student. In regards to what is happening on the streets of NYC — Kaporos — thousands of young Cornish chickens are kept in the streets in crates, in hazardous and dangerous conditions. I grew up in a Jewish Orthodox setting and personally knew people in my community who........

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