A COMMERCIAL FIXED WING ACFT WHILE BOARDING PAX EXPERIENCED A POSSIBLE BOMB SCARE PROB.

Narrative

WHILE ACCOMPLISHING OUR PREFLT CHK I WAS TOLD BY OUR LEAD FLT ATTENDANT THAT A BOARDING PAX OVERHEARD ONE OF OUR GND AGENTS SAY THAT HE HAD A 'BOMB' IN HIS LUNCHBOX. THIS HAPPENED SOMEWHERE AWAY FROM THE ACFT. I IMMEDIATELY FOUND THE AGENT WHO HAD MADE THIS REMARK EATING HIS LUNCH IN THE OPS AREA INSIDE THE TERMINAL AND ASKED HIM ABOUT THIS COMMENT. THERE WERE SEVERAL OTHER AGENTS EATING TOGETHER AND THEY SAID THAT THEY WERE JUST KIDDING OR JOKING BTWN THEMSELVES ABOUT THEIR LUNCHES AND THERE WAS CERTAINLY 'NO BOMB.' I FOUND THE PAX AND PVTLY EXPLAINED THE IMPROPER STATEMENT (BY THE AGENT) AND APOLOGIZED. I GAVE A CLR EXPLANATION AND REASSURED THE PAX THAT WHAT HE HAD HEARD WAS MISINTERPED. I AGAIN APOLOGIZED AND CONTAINED WHAT COULD HAVE BEEN A VOLATILE SIT. I WAS CONCERNED THAT ANY FURTHER DIALOGUE ON THIS MATTER WOULD LEAD TO A SERIOUS SECURITY INVESTIGATION. THIS WOULD LOOK VERY BAD ON MY EMPLOYER AND A FULL LOAD OF PAX WOULD BE DELAYED. MANY CONNECTIONS WOULD BE MISSED. THE RPTING PAX SAID HE WAS COMPLETELY SATISFIED AND NO FURTHER ACTION WOULD BE NECESSARY ON MY PART. I FELT IT WAS A MISCOM OF SOME SORT AND SHOULD GO NO FURTHER. THE AGENTS WERE VERY APOLOGETIC AND SORRY FOR HAVING MADE SUCH A STUPID STATEMENT.