W000230
Thursday, November 08, 2001 8:24 AM
Victim Comments
Hi,
My wife and I live a block and 1/2 SW of the WTC. We were unable to
return to our apartment until 2 weeks after the disaster. We had no
apartment insurance so we did our own cleanup to remove the dust, wash,
mop, decontaminate, etc. We lost all the frozen and perishable food in
our refrigerator and threw out contaminated clothes and linens.
We have moved back on weekdays but still stay with relatives on weekends
because of the air quality and the need for us not to see the disaster
site daily. Life has drastically changed in our neighborhood and it is
difficult for us to move since we own the condo apartment. Many of the
renters have already moved and many of the businesses have not reopened.
Our windows are always closed and we have purchased 2 HEPA air filters
which we run almost 24 hours a day. My commute has also been affected. I
work in New Jersey and used to take the PATH train at the World Trade
Center but it is no longer operational (estimate=18 to 24 months). Now I
walk 10 minutes to Bowling Green to take an MTA east side train, change
to a west side train to the Port Authority, to take a local bus over the
Lincoln Tunnel. This takes me 2-3 times the time and 2 1/2 times the
cost.
We used to be able to feel free to go out at nights but no longer. The
lack of other pedestrians and transportation difficulties has made us
feel safer staying indoor.
Please take our situation into consideration when you calculation the
guidelines for victims compensation.
Thank you,
Individual Comment
New York, N.Y.