Thanks for the link.

I can vouch for people being almost too calm during disasters. During the 9/11 attack in Arlington, I was staying at a hotel a couple blocks away. What was my first reaction? To take a quick shower, dress, gather my things for an appointment, and walk outside to see if there was anything I could do to help.

There was smoke and sirens, but no panic. People were slowly filing out of buildings, some of them in uniform, sitting on the grass and being counted like it was an elementary school fire drill.

Others were walking along the roads, carrying their work jackets, shoes, and briefcases. No one was freaking out. There were very long but orderly lines at payphones, as no one's cells were working.

I do remember that the shops suddenly were closing, with hastily scribbled signs taped to the doors. I found one guy who'd wandered from section "E" of the Pentagon who was in a bit of a daze, and we went looking for something for him to drink. The Starbucks was now closed, as were other places, so we kept on walking. I kiddingly said, "If the MacDonalds down the street is closed, then we'll know it's the end of the world." But happily it was open, packed with quietly murmuring people.

Even the foreigners who were stepping off tour buses on the street were calm, if a bit confused. The only people who seemed outwardly worried were the evacuating USA Today employees, one of whom -- a short, frazzled middle-aged woman -- bumped into me and exclaimed I should get away from their building because, "It could be next!"



I'm sure every disaster is different, but it's somewhat reassuring to know that people don't always act like what we see in films, etc.

Looking back, I'm still amazed that I didn't drop everything and get out of the hotel A.S.A.P. It's like there was a bit of a lag in my mental process, something that went along the lines of, "Yes, there is some sort of danger going on, but I need to do this first."

You might think you'll know how you'll react in any given situation, but this taught me that you don't REALLY know until the moment something happens.