I was once part of a bomb scare, well two in fact! I was in the bus station cafe in Keswick a few years ago early in the morning. I strolled in and put my rucksack down by the door. There was only two other customers, an elderly couple, we nodded to each other. I walked over to the counter and ordered a coffee, scrambled egg and toast and then sat down with my back to the window two table away from my pack. Within 10 mins I had a copper walk in and asked me if the rucksack was mine, they had a phone call from someone worrying it had a bomb inside. I said it was mine and invited the copper to have a look. As I looked respectable and polite he said no, don't worry, we get lots of calls like this. He then left and the elderly man customer looked at me and said "I'm sorry, but I didn't know who owned the rucksack". I sat down but then felt compelled to tell him that he did know who owned the rucksack, it was me! He saw me come in, saw me put it down on the floor and we even nodded a Good Morning greeting to each other! I just had my food and coffee then left. I saw the funny side of the incident a short while later.
A few years before I worked in London and arrived early to work, as did two or three other staff. On the doorstep was a large cardboard box! One staff had already phone the Police (its was at the time of IRA bombs) and a really butch Special Branch man turned up. The staff who phoned said I'm worried it might be a bomb, parcels are never there when I turn up for work. What I remember most was the copper just picked up the box and shook it vigorously! We all jumped back! He opened it and said "as I thought, toilet materials!' How did he know so confidently, it must have been the logo on the side?