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Tourists Tell Story of Sleeping on Street in New York City

Aired August 15, 2003 - 07:49   ET

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.

THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.


DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As we speak, we're getting information on our next guests, and we're brining them in. And this is what they call live television, because, you know, we're learning as they do -- as our audience does of who we have with us -- Colleen and Michael Schaeffer from Phoenix, Arizona.
Welcome to New York City.

COLLEEN SCHAEFFER, TOURIST FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Thank you. It's nice to be here.

KAGAN: We're meeting you as America is meeting you, so tell us your story and where you were when this was happening.

MICHAEL SCHAEFFER, TOURIST FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Well, we came in from Phoenix yesterday at 5:30, and they didn't announce to any of the passengers that the power was out until we landed. And it took about an hour to get our luggage, two hours to get a taxi.

We finally made it here to Midtown, and knew we couldn't get in the hotel that. But who wants to miss this?

KAGAN: And if anybody can take the heat, it's folks from Phoenix, Arizona! I mean, no whining about the heat, folks.

C. SCHAEFFER: That's right.

M. SCHAEFFER: That's right.

KAGAN: So, what did you actually do overnight?

C. SCHAEFFER: Slept on the street. I got a pillow, a blanket and a chair.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Where did you get your pillow?

C. SCHAEFFER: From the hotel. They gave us blankets, a chair, cardboard if we needed cardboard.

HEMMER: So, they were accommodating, weren't they?

C. SCHAEFFER: They were. They were...

HEMMER: Which hotel were you in?

C. SCHAEFFER: The Renaissance.

M. SCHAEFFER: The Renaissance down the street.

KAGAN: Hospitality New York City-style.

C. SCHAEFFER: Oh, everyone has been so nice and friendly and helpful.

HEMMER: Have you been to the city before?

C. SCHAEFFER: Yes.

M. SCHAEFFER: Yes.

HEMMER: And there is no comparison point...

C. SCHAEFFER: That's right.

HEMMER: ... for this situation. But maybe there is a comparison for what Jeff Greenfield refers to as the "civility of New York City." Your thoughts on that?

C. SCHAEFFER: It has impressed me immensely this trip.

KAGAN: Did you meet a lot of people from different parts of the country in the same situation?

C. SCHAEFFER: Yes. And the native New Yorkers were just more than willing to help us. That was just so nice.

KAGAN: Any concerned folks back home in Arizona? They know you're visiting here.

M. SCHAEFFER: We had a couple of messages on the cell phone once the phone started working, "Call us right away," you know, that type of thing.

KAGAN: Well, hopefully, they're watching and they can see the Schaeffers are doing just fine. You know, I used to live in Arizona for five and a half years, and I know we joke about that it's a dry heat.

C. SCHAEFFER: Yes, well, it's been 111-115. It's not.

M. SCHAEFFER: Yesterday was a moist heat here.

KAGAN: This is a moist heat.

M. SCHAEFFER: Yes.

HEMMER: Did you come for work or for pleasure?

M. SCHAEFFER: A little bit of work, and precede that with a couple of days of pleasure.

HEMMER: I see. How long will your stay last at this point?

C. SCHAEFFER: Until Monday. HEMMER: Until Monday?

M. SCHAEFFER: I'll be here until Tuesday, yes.

KAGAN: And so, the plan for today?

M. SCHAEFFER: Get in our room and maybe get a couple of hours of sleep and hit the trail out here.

C. SCHAEFFER: Are there any busses, do you think?

KAGAN: The buses are running.

HEMMER: In fact, they're free, so take advantage of it while you can.

C. SCHAEFFER: Oh, OK.

KAGAN: Exactly. Enjoy. Keep up the good spirit.

M. SCHAEFFER: Thank you much.

KAGAN: And good luck in getting a bed for tonight.

C. SCHAEFFER: Thank you.

KAGAN: Absolutely. That's Colleen and Michael Schaeffer from Phoenix, Arizona.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.





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Aired August 15, 2003 - 07:49   ET
THIS IS A RUSH TRANSCRIPT. THIS COPY MAY NOT BE IN ITS FINAL FORM AND MAY BE UPDATED.
DARYN KAGAN, CNN ANCHOR: As we speak, we're getting information on our next guests, and we're brining them in. And this is what they call live television, because, you know, we're learning as they do -- as our audience does of who we have with us -- Colleen and Michael Schaeffer from Phoenix, Arizona.
Welcome to New York City.

COLLEEN SCHAEFFER, TOURIST FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Thank you. It's nice to be here.

KAGAN: We're meeting you as America is meeting you, so tell us your story and where you were when this was happening.

MICHAEL SCHAEFFER, TOURIST FROM PHOENIX, ARIZONA: Well, we came in from Phoenix yesterday at 5:30, and they didn't announce to any of the passengers that the power was out until we landed. And it took about an hour to get our luggage, two hours to get a taxi.

We finally made it here to Midtown, and knew we couldn't get in the hotel that. But who wants to miss this?

KAGAN: And if anybody can take the heat, it's folks from Phoenix, Arizona! I mean, no whining about the heat, folks.

C. SCHAEFFER: That's right.

M. SCHAEFFER: That's right.

KAGAN: So, what did you actually do overnight?

C. SCHAEFFER: Slept on the street. I got a pillow, a blanket and a chair.

BILL HEMMER, CNN ANCHOR: Where did you get your pillow?

C. SCHAEFFER: From the hotel. They gave us blankets, a chair, cardboard if we needed cardboard.

HEMMER: So, they were accommodating, weren't they?

C. SCHAEFFER: They were. They were...

HEMMER: Which hotel were you in?

C. SCHAEFFER: The Renaissance.

M. SCHAEFFER: The Renaissance down the street.

KAGAN: Hospitality New York City-style.

C. SCHAEFFER: Oh, everyone has been so nice and friendly and helpful.

HEMMER: Have you been to the city before?

C. SCHAEFFER: Yes.

M. SCHAEFFER: Yes.

HEMMER: And there is no comparison point...

C. SCHAEFFER: That's right.

HEMMER: ... for this situation. But maybe there is a comparison for what Jeff Greenfield refers to as the "civility of New York City." Your thoughts on that?

C. SCHAEFFER: It has impressed me immensely this trip.

KAGAN: Did you meet a lot of people from different parts of the country in the same situation?

C. SCHAEFFER: Yes. And the native New Yorkers were just more than willing to help us. That was just so nice.

KAGAN: Any concerned folks back home in Arizona? They know you're visiting here.

M. SCHAEFFER: We had a couple of messages on the cell phone once the phone started working, "Call us right away," you know, that type of thing.

KAGAN: Well, hopefully, they're watching and they can see the Schaeffers are doing just fine. You know, I used to live in Arizona for five and a half years, and I know we joke about that it's a dry heat.

C. SCHAEFFER: Yes, well, it's been 111-115. It's not.

M. SCHAEFFER: Yesterday was a moist heat here.

KAGAN: This is a moist heat.

M. SCHAEFFER: Yes.

HEMMER: Did you come for work or for pleasure?

M. SCHAEFFER: A little bit of work, and precede that with a couple of days of pleasure.

HEMMER: I see. How long will your stay last at this point?

C. SCHAEFFER: Until Monday. HEMMER: Until Monday?

M. SCHAEFFER: I'll be here until Tuesday, yes.

KAGAN: And so, the plan for today?

M. SCHAEFFER: Get in our room and maybe get a couple of hours of sleep and hit the trail out here.

C. SCHAEFFER: Are there any busses, do you think?

KAGAN: The buses are running.

HEMMER: In fact, they're free, so take advantage of it while you can.

C. SCHAEFFER: Oh, OK.

KAGAN: Exactly. Enjoy. Keep up the good spirit.

M. SCHAEFFER: Thank you much.

KAGAN: And good luck in getting a bed for tonight.

C. SCHAEFFER: Thank you.

KAGAN: Absolutely. That's Colleen and Michael Schaeffer from Phoenix, Arizona.

TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com.





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