Afford Anything · Friday, September 11, 2026
Michael Hingson describes his morning routine on September 11, 2001, including a slight delay in his usual train due to a track issue, which ironically meant he boarded the train he would normally take. He details his commute via train from Westfield, New Jersey, to Penn Station, then the PATH train directly to the World Trade Center, arriving at his 78th-floor office at 7:40 AM.
“So I got on the train and went into New York, New Jersey, to Penn Station in New York. And from there, I caught what's called the Path, Port Authority Trans Hudson, which is a train that goes directly in our case, from New York Penn Station, straight into the World Trade Center.”
“And it goes to the fourth sublevel of the World Trade Center, which is where the Path station is. Roselle and I got a seat. It was pretty crowded, but it was okay. But we, um, went in and eventually got off the train in New York, under the World Trade Center.”
“Anyway, so I got up to the 78th floor and I got to my office door, and I just checked the time and it was 7:40 AM.”