I went into my garage, sealed the door with a duvet I'd brought and got into my car.
Photographs show that the garage was brick-lined and sealed off by a fireproof door — gasoline explosions were already common enough that the city had enacted regulations setting a maximum amount for storage, 10 gallons in safety cans.
Once a week, a batch of freshly laundered red towels, sealed in plastic, arrives at the Atlas Garage on the Upper West Side of Manhattan, while 100 or so soiled rags begin their journey back to a commercial washing facility.
Snow chains and toboggans hung outside garages, while cafés and restaurants sealed themselves off behind heavy duty doors.
At the southern end of the station, where a hallway used to lead to the mall beneath the trade center, three pieces of plywood the size of garage doors seal the way.
At Dallas-Fort Worth International, for example, guards have sealed off access to sensitive areas and bomb-sniffing dogs are patrolling garages.
"You also want to look at all your doors and see how they seal," he said, noting that garage doors in particular provide convenient entry points for mice.
In warm weather, tapas and mezcalitos are the specialties of the house, while in winter a big glass garage door will seal off the glass-roofed dining area, where fondue and hot sake will be served.
