When you see something, should you really say something???

A few nights ago, I met up with my friend at Starbucks for a quick latte. It was around dinner time and not very crowded. We got our drinks and walked outside to the large outdoor patio. Starbucks recently announced a smoking ban on their patios but people were puffing away.  We walked around trying to find a table away from the smokers and noticed an empty table with a large briefcase in one of the chairs.

My friend, who is kind of loud to begin with, started asking in a loud voice "Does this briefcase belong to anyone?" Having worked inside an airport for several years, had she not asked, I would have. The rule that we both have learned is "when you see something, say something". She asked several times before a guy sitting at the next table said "It's mine lady. Geez, we are not in Israel" He was so obnoxious about it. She asked him to move the briefcase to his own table and he did but he gave us dirty looks while we drank our lattes and gossiped away.


Was my friend wrong? After Boston, I think that she was totally right. I don't think that the people in Boston who were next to the backpack  had time to ask about it,  but what if we hadn't said anything about the starbucks briefcase and our six children were motherless the next day?  Is it wrong to think that someone might want to blow up a Miami Starbucks?

Would you have said something? I'd love opinions.