Sears Tower Workers Uneasy
By DON BABWIN
.c The Associated Press
CHICAGO - Every day, Nick Munson and a co-worker see planes
out the window of their office on the 48th floor of the Sears Tower
and wonder: Is this one coming at us?
"I get visions of the World Trade Center and think it could happen,''
... "It's tough to concentrate.''
In the month since two hijacked airliners... the lives of people
who make their living inside skyscrapers have changed.
That is altogether clear at the 110-story Sears Tower,
the nation's tallest building.
For all the talk about not letting terrorists dictate the way
they live and work, many of the 10,000 people who work
at the tower are looking out the window nervously
or wondering if a terrorist will find a way to get past
the concrete barriers that now ring the building below.
``I used to joke... ``I don't joke about it any more.''
``Everybody I know thinks something is going to happen here.
They don't think it's going to be the same as the World Trade Center,
but something is going to happen.''
The barriers, the evacuation drills, the increasingly common sight
of fire trucks parked outside, and the rumors have left some workers on edge.
... a suspicion among some that when it comes to information,
they're being kept in the dark.
For example, there was the rumor... FBI denied the story,
but the next day there were...
Workers said they appreciate the news security measures
... some wonder if any of it matters.
``If anyone wants at us, they'll get us,''
Some companies looking for office space apparently figure
the prestige afforded by such a famous address isn't worth it.
... company has decided to leave because of the Sept. 11 attacks,
... the company that co-owns and manages the Sears Tower.
... workers' family members are hoping their loved ones
will find jobs elsewhere.
``Given the war will last a long time, I expect this feeling
will last a long time,'' ...
AP-NY-10-11-01 1542EDT
Copyright 2001 The Associated Press. |
