To prefer to quietly worry about abandoned shopping bags rather than suffer mild social embarrassment? [title edited by MNHQ]

[Houseofmirth66]

I took my children to the cinema last night and a woman scooted across the row in front of us, deposited her shopping bags on an empty seat and then went and sat miles away on the other side of the cinema. I asked the girl siting next to the bags if she knew the woman and she said no. Whilst I knew the bags were quite unlikely to contain a bomb, I did spend the whole film thinking I really should call the usher to check it out - but didn't! AIBU to literally rather die than look slightly silly in front of a load of people I don't even know. Bearing in mind that the kids would have been taken out too.

[Helmetbymidnight]

But bomb threat aside, it's really cheeky/odd to leave your bags somewhere and sit somewhere else. Most people would worry the contents will be nicked.

[Senpai]

Eh, I wouldn't have said anything. Most bombs are very low tech (Think fertilizer and fire) and need an ignition source. Pressure cookers are popular and used because the heat of the sun ignites them, again not something in a theater. Or they are high tech built by people who don't really know what they're doing and have low explosive power.

But it's not something you'd really put in a shopping bag or suitcase like movies would imply. A bomb that size would likely blow up a chair if that, cause some panic, but in terms of injuries you're more likely to be injured by bits of flying chair than a ball of fire.

In reality, your movie theater would be blown up by a van outside the theater like the OK bombing back in 1990's. That's not likely to happen either with all the parking angst you guys have.

Sleep easy, you're not getting blown up anytime soon. :)

[hazelnutlatte]

There have been psychological experiments which have shown that people often don't act in a potentially dangerous situation for fear of embarrassment. One famous experiment involved putting people in a waiting room and then filling it with smoke. The more people in the room, the less likely it was that anyone would react! If one person reacted then the rest would follow. People take their behaviour cues from those around them - I presume no one else reported the bags either OP?
Someone with more than a laypersons knowledge of psychology will hopefully come along and explain it better than me

[Run247]

*bag not back!

[Run247]

I reported an unattended back in Dubai airport (after security). Nobody was interested. I probably spoke to ten different people, from cleaners, shopkeepers, those people who drive electric carts, to airline check in desks. It was not moved in the six hours I was there. Even though it was after security and the likelihood of a bomb being low- I was appalled. They did not give a shit.

[Helmetbymidnight]

Don't forget to take your bags!

[DeirdreDoo]

[pretend]

We were here first

[DeirdreDoo]

Gosh, MN seems to be full of the 'offended by people being offended' this evening.

Can't you all go over to NM and let us be offended in peace?

[Potatoface2]

i was at gatwick airport in sept.....some woman kept leaving her bag to go into the toilet....it freaked me out.....the armed police had words with her....i truly cant believe people can be so stupid to even think about leaving bags unattended anywhere!

[MadeMan]

I'd have searched her shopping bags for a big bag of Skittles and maybe a can of Pepsi to enjoy the film with.

[cleaty]

OP you are right that fear of making a fuss stops people reporting things. I have read about fires that destroyed buildings, not being put out because nobody reported a tiny fire when it started as they didn't want to cause embarrassment. It is a recognised phenomena.

[wanderings]

Waits for the very serious thread: AIBU to be annoyed by the person who reported an unattended bag and cut our film short, and ruined my DC's birthday treat?

Give the OP a break. People on MN have been burned to a cinder before for starting threads about reporting men seen near schools or playgrounds, and been accused of being scaremongering busybodies.

[kickassangel]

One time I was traveling out of Belfast airport, and I saw a man open his briefcase, fiddle around inside, leave it on top of a bin then walk away.

Just at that moment our flight was called, and the place was packed, but not one member of airport staff in sight. When I got to the gate, which was the first place I saw someone in uniform, I told them about the empty briefcase left there. She shrugged, and carried on checking boarding passes. When I questioned her, she said she'd report it once we were all on the plane!

She seemed so blasé about it. I had assumed that Belfast City airport would have been really quick to react, but apparently not. Maybe she had such confidence in their security checks that she knew the briefcase couldn't possibly contain a bomb?

Anyway - the 'it can't possibly be a bomb, I'll just carry on as normal' mindset is obviously pretty strong.

[Helmetbymidnight]

One of those furry toy things that woof?

[Houseofmirth66]

Definitely something fishy : )

[MaudGonneMad]

Maybe there was a really stinky cheese in there?

[Helmetbymidnight]

Why wouldn't you sit with your own bags? Hmmmm

[nancy75]

Miserable fuckers are out in force today, mumsnet the place that humour forgot...

[reallybadidea]

Oh fgs, the amended thread title is more offensive than the original one.

Oh, for the good old days, when mumsnet used to be pretty much unmoderated.

[DickDewy]

Even the amended title makes me a bit sad, MN used to be a laugh.

[MaudGonneMad]

Gawd what a dry-shite place Mumsnet has turned into.

[Houseofmirth66]

Really didn't intend to be goady. Just musing about why a fear of looking foolish can trump good sense. In this case I felt the inference in the packed cinema might have been that I thought the woman in question was a terrorist. Rather than someone who (weirdly) preferred not to sit with her own shopping. Although some of the posts on here suggesting that by doing nothing I am practically colluding with ISIS did make me laugh out loud. I'd be careful never to say I almost died laughing on here as mumsnetters would be accusing me of being a selfish drain on the NHS.

[ThroughThickAndThin01]

I think it's a shame the title has been amended.

It's (was with original title) so very relevant to today.

Sad it's been reported.