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Displaces New York Family Copes With Living in One Room After September 11
Aired November 22, 2001 - 08:40 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.
HARRIS: As millions of Americans spend this holiday at home, 150 World Trade Center neighbors have no home at all. You see, they were forced to flee after 9-11.
One case in point here, Davis-Chanin family members. They lived near Battery Park, but they've been in a single room hotel for the past two months. The Davis Shannon family -- you see them there -- Laura, Lester, Zoe and Mara, all join us today to share their experience away from home.
Good, happy Thanksgiving.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: Thanks a lot. Hi, America.
HARRIS: You know, I'm so glad. I was worried that you guys were going to be all shy and you'd lock up on me this morning. But I can see we have no problem with that.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: No.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN, DISPLACED NEW YORK RESIDENT: Well, maybe with Mara.
HARRIS: Oh, yes? Well, I've got to ask you something. You know, when I grew up I had to share a bedroom with my two brothers, Marcus and Jerry (ph). I can't imagine how all four of you plus the four hamsters, I understand...
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Guinea pigs.
HARRIS: Yes, how have you been living in one, it's in a one room hotel room you've got, or what?
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: It's a one room hotel room and it's very, very difficult.
HARRIS: Yes?
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Managing children and it's also a smaller room than normal because I have a handicapped access bathroom. So it's smaller and it's really, really difficult. LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: It's one king size bed. Mara and Laura sleep in the same bed and Zoe and I have bed rolls along the sides.
HARRIS: Oh my goodness.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: And we manage.
HARRIS: Yes?
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes, we're OK.
HARRIS: How have you guys been getting along with that? Any, I assume there's got to be more fights, huh? No arguments over space?
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Well, my mom, when my mom's grumpy, it's hard.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes, it's difficult.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Really.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: It's difficult. The, when the children get home from school and when they're, you know, hyper, it's difficult to calm them down. They can't just go to their room and play and, you know, or I can't just send them to their room. I can't do that. So it's very difficult.
But so what I've started to do, which I never did before, was I usually didn't allow TV during the week. But now I let them watch television once, for one hour every night to calm them down. It's, because it is so hard in one room. I mean we eat in there and they do homework in there and, you know, baths, the whole thing. It's very difficult.
Plus with my scooter, it's a very small space.
HARRIS: Yes, I would imagine so.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: It really, it makes it even smaller to get around. So it's difficult. But the hotel has been really, really helpful and very kind about it. But it's been hard, very hard.
HARRIS: Yes, well, that's good to hear. And I am assuming that when you let them watch TV you're letting them watch CNN, of course?
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Of course.
HARRIS: Of course. OK. Good. Just wanted to clarify that. LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: She tries to tune out the news a little bit, actually. But, you know, I sneak into the bathroom and they have a little television set there and catch up on all of the world's events.
HARRIS: There you go. Well, who, you know something? I would imagine that it's got to be awfully expensive having to pay for a hotel room day in day out. Who pays for that? LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Well, the American Red Cross has been extremely generous.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes. Yes, they have.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: As well as FEMA has been very helpful to us in doing this long-term.
HARRIS: Yes.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: It's very helpful. For long-term temporary housing they've been very helpful to us, as well as giving us food vouchers. So it's been very helpful, as well.
HARRIS: Yes? Let me, let's talk to the girls right now.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: OK.
HARRIS: Zoe and Mara, have you got -- let me ask you guys, do you miss your old home? Do you miss that or are you still, or do you like the hotel room better?
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Well, I don't know really. Mara...
(CROSSTALK)
HARRIS: All right, one at a time.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: I don't really feel that cramped but only when like we wake up and my mom is going in every place and I'm trying to get in places and it's just hard to get around.
HARRIS: Yes?
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: And I do miss my house and I'm looking forward to going back and, you know, yes, pretty much.
HARRIS: Yes? What about you, Mara? What do you miss the most from your house?
MARA DAVIS-CHANIN, DISPLACED NEW YORK RESIDENT: I just miss it.
HARRIS: You don't miss it?
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: She does.
MARA DAVIS-CHANIN: I do miss it.
HARRIS: You do miss it. Do you miss anything in particular? Do you miss something the most? You miss, what, your bed maybe?
MARA DAVIS-CHANIN: No.
HARRIS: No?
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: What go you miss, Mara? MARA DAVIS-CHANIN: The house.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: I think they miss running around. She misses playgrounds. She climbs up on the elevator railings and wherever she can she tries to get her exercise. But it's been a challenge for us.
HARRIS: Now, have there been, are there a number of other families in the same situation in that same hotel with you?
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes, definitely.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: A number of our neighbors, quite a few, I mean some have gone...
HARRIS: Yes, so you've got to have a good sense of camaraderie with that then, right?
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Very strong sense of camaraderie and it's very helpful to us and the kids because there are a lot of kids around there, too. I mean this is not a hotel that generally caters to families and they've been very, very open and welcoming to us for that.
HARRIS: Well, with all that going on, what is this Thanksgiving like for you?
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Not easy.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: We're going to have a small dinner at the hotel restaurant and then tomorrow we're going to get together with other family members. And it's a little strange. Normally we have it, often we have it at our house and I'm having to cook the turkey at my parents' house and it's quite a change for us.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: But we are very thankful on this holiday to the whole country and to being alive. Because we were there that day and we, we're happy.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Oh, stop it, mom.
HARRIS: Well, we are thankful to have you around to tell your story and to share some time with us this morning. Hey, Zoe and Mara?
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes?
HARRIS: Are you guys going to watch the parade later on this morning?
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Well, we might not be there, but I think we'll look inside the TV or something, I mean not look inside but...
HARRIS: Oh, yes? Well, listen, I've got to, I have to ask you a question because we've got a reporter out there on the street who wants to know what's going to be the best balloon. Is it going to be Peek At You, Jimmy Neutron or the Rug Rats?
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: The Rug Rats.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Maybe, yes, the Rug Rats.
HARRIS: Rug Rats? What do you say, Mara?
MARA DAVIS-CHANIN: Rug Rats.
HARRIS: Rug Rats.
MARA DAVIS-CHANIN: Rug Rats.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Yes.
HARRIS: OK, we've got two votes for Jimmy Neutron and two Rug Rats.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: It's unanimous.
HARRIS: Yes, it's unanimous in your household.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: Absolutely.
HARRIS: Listen, Laura, Lester, Zoe and Mara, thank you very much for your time this morning. We certainly wish you a very happy Thanksgiving.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: Thanks so much.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Thank you.
ZOE DAVIS-CHANIN: Thank you very much.
HARRIS: It'll be a, don't worry, whatever room you're going to be in, it's going to be big enough because you all love each other and that's evident.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: Absolutely.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: Thank you.
HARRIS: Good luck to you all.
LAURA DAVIS-CHANIN: All right.
LESTER DAVIS-CHANIN: OK.
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