Shakopee, Minn: September 11, 2011 was “just another day” for Dan Hanson, 52, an ordinary truck driver from rural Minnesota. Then, while he was waiting for a bulldozer to be filled, Hanson began hearing reports from his truck’s radio of a plane hitting the World Trade Center's North Tower in New York City. He immediately sensed a shift, he said.
Driving back from Albertville, Minn. Hanson was struck by the way drivers had changed. “The traffic was slow and spread out,” he said. “Every was treating each other differently.”
Hanson said drivers were more courteous, more connected to those around them. “I believe it was the shock and the realization of how vulnerable we are,” he said. “September 11 slowed us down so that we could actually see each other”.
Though Hanson said that calm only lasted a few weeks, he knows that such an communal atmosphere could be created again, and not just after a national tragedy. Until then, Hanson said he’ll continue his life as a blue-collar, “ordinary”, truck driver.
“I’m just somebody else who is trying to feed my family and drive on the road.”
Apple Valley:
Eagan: Eagan Resident Mike Ferber Hopes Memories of 9/11 Won’t Fade
Eagan: Incidental Soldier
Eagan: Eagan City Administrator Tom Hedges Reflects on 9/11
Edina: Retired Army Vet Spurred to Re-Enlist Following 9/11 Attacks
Fridley: Demand Soared for Speakers on Islam after 9/11
Golden Valley:
Golden Valley:
Hopkins: and
Inver Grove Heights: VFW Commander: Sept. 11 Changed the Country
Lake Minnetonka: Remembering Wayzata Native Gordy Aamoth
Lakeville: Lakeville VFW Post Manager's Wife Working at Pentagon on Sept. 11
Maple Grove: 9/11: A Day of Respect for Maple Grove Resident
Maple Grove: Maple Grove Fire Chief Shares Memories of 9/11
Maple Grove: United to Help Maple Grove Service Members
Minnetonka: 9/11 Memories From a Former New Yorker
Mendota Heights: Retired Mendota Heights Pilot Recalls ‘Paradigm Shift’
Northfield:
Northfield: Northfielder Will Never Forget His Birthday in Iraq
Oakdale: Terror and Joy Came Together for Oakdale Family
Oakdale: Post-9/11 World Meant Three Years Away From Family for Local Guardsman
Plymouth:
Richfield: 9/11 Aftermath: Richfield Couple Waits for Possible Deployment
Rosemount:
Roseville:
Shakopee: Shakopee Trucker Recounts Roads After 9/11
Southwest Minneapolis:
St. Louis Park: 9/11 Attacks Made Being Muslim ‘More Difficult’
St. Michael:
St. Michael:
Stillwater:
Woodbury: Woodbury Resident, NYC Native Recalls 9/11
Editor's Note: To mark the 10th anniversary of the Sept. 11, 2001, terrorist attacks, Shakopee Patch is sharing the stories of a few local residents uniquely impacted by the tragedy. We've also linked to the Huffington Post's national 9/11 photo project, as well as coverage from other Minnesota Patch sites.
