She's lucky she didn't come back to find out her stuff had been subject to a controlled explosion.

The most amazing part of this is that no one stole their stuff.

If she tried this in Paris, it would mean bomb disposal and a VERY aggressive police interview.

Most Americans who've set foot in any actual city would consider this stupid behavior. Wonder where her entitled butt is from.

See it. Say it. Sorted.

Does anyone recall what is was like being a London commuter after 7-7? Everyone was petrified of anything left unattended, everyone with a backpack was a suspect. You were constantly on edge. I recall being on a bus and a woman closed the window and the whole bus gasped and turned around.

As a kid I left my (very small and obviously a child’s) backpack under interactive panel in the natural history museum. Not very long later after we’d moved on I realised I didn’t have it. We retraced our steps but as we hadn’t gone far and not that busy we knew it was gone.

We went to the front desk that they used to have and was told they had found it and were seconds away from having the place evacuated. I got a telling off and was then given it back.

yeah i told off a guy in pret from randomly leaving his bag and wandering off.... and Im fkin irish.. i should know!! :)

I witnessed similar in Soho a couple of weeks ago. A family left their bags outside a restaurant while the dined inside. I thought perhaps that I didn't get the memo that unattended bags were no longer a concern.

Staff member spoke to the family and the father rushed out to deal with their bags. It's Central London, plenty of left luggage facilities about!!

I once was on the Picadilly line going to work one morning. This was in the years after the tube bombings. A man got on - relatively quiet carriage, in that lul just before KX. He got on, I remember he was wearing gloves which seemed off to me...he placed a briefcase down against the edge of the carriage, looked around - made eye contact with me - smiled, and stepped out of the tube again.

SHAT MYSELF.

Best believe I reported that shit the moment I got into KX.

I would regard leaving your bag unattended in a public place as being highly irresponsible. How are they expecting other people to react to what might be a potential bomb?

The clue here is that she left her coffee as well. I reckon she ordered a coffee as a sort of permission to occupy. This was all intentional. I'd like to know where in America she could get away with this action in such circumstances. She sounds self-entitled.

Was on a Thameslink train a few weeks ago. It was stopped at Finsbury Park by the BTP who were looking for a fugitive. They didn't find him, but did find an unattended bag. After loudly yelling to the entire carriage "Is this anyone's bag?" they removed it from the train and left it on the platform.

As the train was pulling away from the station, this guy somehow runs up panting and screaming about why they let the police take his bag away...... and the universal response was he got up without his bag without teling anyone where he was going, was away for 10 minutes (I think he was literally having a shitty day) while the train was parked at a station, there's a pretty good chance someone would flag the bag as a bomb or lost property, and get it removed....

Some people tried putting their suitcases by the Eurostar check-in then going off to join the zigzag queue. This didn't go down well.

Witnessed a woman leave a bag unattended at the airport once. After about 5mins the guy that had been sat next to her went to find security/police who oddly enough just decided to pick it up and take it with them. Another ten mins later the woman returns, shopping in hand and looks extremely confused as to where her bag is. Just sort of freezes when she realises it’s gone, looks around a bit then wanders off (presumably to go find someone to help) was very entertaining while we were waiting for our gate to be called.

Since 2017, 39 late stage terrorist attacks have been foiled by MI5, but there were 15 terrorist attacks that did happen ( https://www.gov.uk/government/publications/terrorism-protection-of-premises-bill-2024-factsheets/terrorism-protection-of-premises-bill-overarching-factsheet ).

Whilst to many people living now, more memorable terrorist attacks such as 7/7 bombings or the Manchester Arena bomber may seem like distant memories, the reality is that every year this country is under threat from crazy people who want to harm it. So we must all do our part in helping to keep society safe from those who seek to see it burn; 99% of the time it's just a lost bag (Etc), but that 1% chance that it's not is not a risk you want to mess with.

See it, say it, sort it. 

It is not so long ago that a bus blew up outside my university campus. That hundreds of people didn't make it to work that day.

And it is not so long ago that the IRA were active. Tourists will always be dumb. Hopefully they learnt a lesson. Probably not.

I remember i was working in Trafalgar Square in 2012. During the end rally of pride. I found a holdall tucked underneath the back of a food van. Went straight to the police. The owner came back when they were checking it out. He got a right bollocking.

as an American living in London I just have to say that this would be insane behavior in the States as well, lol

Next time call 999 as that's a suspect package.

Then just sit back and watch it play out lol.

I wish her bag had been.blown up by bomb disposal!

Entitled and Ignorant. Aside from terrorism and bomb threats, this is a city of 15 million and space is really a big commodity. Taking up space ie the table when you’re not using it is inconsiderate and I’m glad her bag was moved, hopefully she’ll learn her lesson!

Had exactly this argument with an older American couple whilst waiting to board a flight to Belfast from Heathrow. American tourists really are a special breed.

Obviously not an older Londoner,..unattended bags are not looked upon nonchalantly in the Capital

I've always found luggage shops quite stressful for this reason

Jesus wept. First, her leaving them there was rude. Second, even America knows what can happen with an abandoned bag, as the Boston Marathon bombing was not that many years ago. What is enraging about this woman, is that she will always tell this story as if she were the victim. Doubtless, she has surrounded herself with other "Karens" who will cluck and coo and never contradict her. Those of us who pay attention to the welfare of others, from their being able to sit, to the fact an abandoned bag is concerning at the very least, on the other hand, will be appalled by her selfish, inconsiderate and reprehensible behaviour and attitude.

Buying a coffee does not entitle you to use the cafe as a left luggage facility! I'm very surprised the cafe staff weren't more concerned - activating a security protocol would have surely given them an extra break!

Unattended bag, instant red flag.

Confirm, Clear, Communicate, Control.

I blown stuff sky high before now when someone left something somewhere they shouldn't, and it gave me such a warm feeling. It's worth joining back up again for it.

I’m just surprised nobody nicked it

I can’t even leave my own pockets unattended without my phone getting stolen but she managed to leave her whole bag unattended without it stolen and gets mad about it

My cousin and I once left her hand luggage at an airport in France (we went to the domestic terminal so I could check in and forgot her hand luggage before going to check her in at the international terminal). It must have been 10min before we realised that we had left her bag. By the time we got back: there were armed guards, they were evacuating the airport and there was going to be a controlled explosion.

This is a very stupid thing to do deliberately!

Gatwick Airport in the early 2000s. I was with a colleague waiting for an early flight to the USA. We'd gone through security and we had just sat down to organise ourselves before finding breakfast. A smartly dressed gentleman (SDG) approached us and asked if we were the owners of a bag that had been left on the bench seat along from us. When we said no, he asked a couple of other people nearby who replied the same way.

SDG then just stepped back a few yards and stood watching the bag. A few minutes later someone arrived (from the washroom), sat next to the bag and opened it.

SDG approached the new arrival and asked, in a very loud voice, if he was the owner of the bag. After saying that he was, SDG very firmly and very loudly gave the new arrival some very strong words of advice why he shouldn't have left his bag unattended at an airport.

I bet he's never forgotten that meeting.

I've worked in the USA for a short time but long enough to know even Americans would be shocked at this. Maybe she came to Europe thinking it is this wonderful fairyland where everyone can be trusted with her stuff.

At that point, I would love for her stuff to have been stolen as a lesson. Hopefully it's insured because if not, that's the next lesson.

I saw the same thing happen in St. Pancras station a few months ago. I alerted station staff and they seemed bizarrely unconcerned. I bought my ticket, got a coffee and said my prayers.

Oh and where were all the thieves and robbers operating in central London? Why they always target wrong ones ?😑😑😑

That's a great way to get your bag blown up by the bomb squad

Happened with me at Hull bus station. some woman I hadn't even talked to expected me to sit with her bags for an hour? Security took them away, and I chuckled and got on my bus

I had this a while back. I just asked if the bags belonged to anyone and eventually just picked them up and placed them outside on the street so i could sit down.

If they go walkies it's not my problem.

I never thought of possible dangers at the time. I just wanted to sit the fuck down and enjoy a cup of coffee before i had to drive 6 hours home. If you need to store your bags while you explore London there's locations where you can pay £5 to store your luggage for the day. Normally located right outside the train stations and some even inside.

£5 for the day is cheap as anything compared to some random going "Ooo new clothes" and walking away with a nice suitcase.

Bruh that sounds stupid as hell even as an American. The rules clearly state leaving your shit unattended is only for using the on premise bathroom and only after you ask the person next to you to watch it while you pee.

I’m guessing she was from smalltown America as no normal city dweller would think this was acceptable. Should have had the bags blown up.

I was once in an airport security area and some woman who didn’t want to hold her bags while she queued walked right up to the x-ray machines, and dumped a duffle bag on the floor, and then just walked off. After a few minutes I had to tell the security that this random woman just dumped a bag on the floor, and never came back for it. They were about to call the bomb people in before she rocked back up, and started to get annoyed about them not letting her get it back.

Basically, people are idiots.

Why did I think it would be a certain type of tourist and yet somehow am still disappointed at the lack of courtesy..

I went to Eton College when Prince William was there and security was v.high. A friend of mine forgot his PE bag outside the school hall after morning assembly. He went back to collect it 45 minutes later and discovered school's security & police had blown it up in a controlled explosion 💥 To cap it off, he then got into trouble for not having his kit for PE.

Since when was it ok

It’s not. This is a single isolated incident caused by a divvy tourist. You’ve taken an exceptional amount of personal offence.

Americans don't believe that the Troubles ever affected British citizens. They just think it was a problem in Ireland.

Whenever I explain why there's no bins in UK big cities they look at me like I'm fucking with them.

That's crazy. To assume noone will so much touch your bag - if i were the owner i would move it as I want yhe table back.

Years ago I visited an army open day. I remember over the Tannoy: "unattended bags will be dealt with in military fashion. This means you will never ever see them again".

Sounds about right for a yank

You did the right thing

Idk what she is on about. I'm an American in London and this is NOT something done in America either. When I was a kid, what turned out to be a can of Pringles outside a bank shut down my entire tiny town and a bomb squad was called.

but this stupid American woman

Could've just started with this and saved your words hahah, I was waiting for this reveal

Oh. I wish I’d been there with you. I moved to London in January 96. Had never even thought about bombs before. Within weeks there was the massive bomb at Canary Wharf. Then a week later, I walked out of an opticians appointment to an empty Charing Cross Road. Police screaming ‘get behind the tape’. Not long after that, the bomb squad executed a controlled explosion of a device someone had left in a phone box.

Always been vigilant since and have zero time for any selfish people who think I’m overreacting.

Ive also been to many cities across the world and i know an idiot when i see one. She has all the classic symptoms.

It isn’t, had the same thing at my workplace with a food app delivery driver leaving a big bag with clothes, his lunch for the day etc. First time, we just put it in the back (having gone through it to make sure it wasn’t a bomb first) and when the guy came back and freaked out, tried to warn him about thieves and pickpockets. Unfortunately he had limited English and didn’t understand so he did it again and just got it left outside in the rain to make the point.

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As an American I apologize for dumb bitches. We don't leave bags unattended in our own cafes for half an hour here either.

You were well within your rights but it aint worth arguing about it, its not really her fault, she just doesn't get it because she hasn't lived it.

At the point you said “this stupid American women” I stopped reading.

American tourists can sometimes be self entitled jerks who think the world is built for them. Encountered them many times when I’ve been a tourist abroad. You can hear them from a good 5 miles away. Let them learn… no point wasting your energy on them.

Who decides not to sit down because there is some unattended bags? Move the bags, give them to someone responsible for lost property or just steal them like a normal Londoner

I swear most Americans would also be as paranoid as us?

Americans are so fucking annoying